Page 29 - Taber Family Tianquiping Vase Christies Hong Kong May 2018

Mr. and Mrs. Philip Taber viewing the Taber Collection in 1955 at Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Photographed by Robert Merwin McCormack. Copyright Philbrook Museum of Art
菲利普．泰貝（Philip Taber）伉儷在1955年到訪費布克美術館，參觀其家族珍藏
相片由Robert Merwin McCormack攝
相片版權由費布克美術館（Philbrook Museum of Art）擁有

to the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1960 by 贈，而泰貝家族（Taber Family）則捐出其中國陶瓷和
Mrs. Francis Keally. The vase was inherited by Mrs. Keally from 雕刻珍藏。這件柯禮夫人捐出的佳妙乾隆瓶，一直是
her father George Hathaway Taber Jr. (1859-1940) who was a
prolific collector of Chinese ceramics and jades with a discerning 該館亞洲藝術珍藏的鎮館之作。
eye for quality and an unusually good understanding of what was
appreciated by Chinese connoisseurs. The son of Capt. George 柯禮夫人自父親喬治•哈撒韋•泰貝 (1859-1940) 手
H. Taber (1808-1901), who rose from a humble background to
become a prominent member of the community filling a number 中承傳此天球瓶而得。泰貝先生獨具慧眼，在中國鑑
of important offices including serving as President of Fairhaven 藏家眼中更是天賦異稟，因對中國瓷器玉器青睞有佳，
Bank, George Taber Jr. made his mark as an oil executive, and
ultimately board member, with the Gulf Oil Company. A self- 因而擁有一批精美絕倫的收藏。其子 (1808-1901) 成
taught engineer, he was instrumental in developing important 長環境雖為平凡，但後來卻成為多個社會企業精英，
advances in oil refining techniques. Believed to have been inspired 包括曾任菲海文銀行總裁及海灣石油公司總監。他不
by a relative who travelled to China and brought back not only
fascinating tales but also beautiful objects, George Taber Jr. built 僅替石油公司打響名號，後來更晉升董事會成員。加
up an extraordinary collection which was loaned or gifted to a 上自己還是個自學成才的工程師，此舉無疑更有效地
number of museums. Upon his death in 1940, the collection was
divided between his descendants and part of it was sold at the Parke 為煉油法取得重要進展。受到曾東遊中國的親戚影響，
Bernet Galleries, New York, 7-8 March 1946. The Philbrook Asian 除了鉅細靡遺的所見所聞之外，他更被那些來自中國
art collection is particularly strong in Japanese paintings from 的古董珍品所吸引。其顯赫非凡的個人收藏即始建於
the Edo period (1603-1868), which came from the Shin’enkan
collection of Oklahoma oil magnate, Joe D. Price. A further 此，爾後更進一步將某些收藏捐贈或借展予多間博物
major gift, in this case of Southeast Asian ceramics, came from the 館。自其1940年過世以後，其收藏除由後人繼承之外，
Gillert Family, while the Taber Family donated Chinese ceramics
and carvings. The current superb Qianlong vase, given by Taber’s 部份更曾於 1946 年 3 月 7 至 8 日於紐約帕克勃內畫廊
daughter, Mrs. Francis Keally, has been an esteemed signature piece 進行拍賣。
in the museum’s Asian art collection.

25