Page 8 - CHRISTIE'S Marchant Nine Decades of Chinese Art 09/14/17

Samuel Sydney Marchant, circa 1950 S. Marchant & Son storefront, 120 Kensington Church Street, circa 1965

MARCHANT

NINE DECADES IN CHINESE ART

藝臻期頤-MARCHANT珍藏中國藝術品

For anyone interested in Chinese art, the name Marchant is 對中國藝術愛好者來說，「Marchant」一詞絕不
immediately recognizable. It is a name that is synonymous 陌生。它形同品位與珍罕的代名詞，這兩個要
with quality and rarity, two of the criteria, along with 素及世傳有序的出處，一直是Marchant買賣藝術
provenance, that have always been requirements for any piece of art 品的首要條件。
handled by Marchant.
這家古董名店以創辦人Samuel Sydney Marchant
This well-known frm bears the name of the founder, Samuel Sydney (人稱「悉尼」) 命名，悉尼年僅十九歲時，便
Marchant, known as Sydney, who began in the antiques business at the 已涉足古董行業。他於1925年自立門戶，位於
young age of nineteen. In 1925, he opened his own shop, Marchant, on 倫敦Cursitor Street的Marchant公司正式開業。
Cursitor Street, in the City of London. With the birth of his son Richard 其子理查德 (Richard) 誕生於1936年，悉尼隨之
in 1936, he re-named the business, S. Marchant & Son, anticipating 將公司易名為「S. Marchant & Son」，寄望兒子
that someday Richard would join him in the business. This Richard did 將來繼承衣缽。理查德亦不負所望，年紀輕輕
in 1953, also at a young age. By this time, the shop had relocated from 的他也在1953年投身家族業務。當時，公司為
Cursitor Street, a move necessitated by the destruction of the shop 勢所迫遷址，因Cursitor Street的店面在二戰期
during the Second World War when it was hit by a doodlebug bomb, 間被飛航式導彈擊中，所在建築物和公司庫存
demolishing not only the building but also the stock, but thankfully no 均毁於一旦，尚幸無人傷亡。戰後，公司先遷
one was hurt. After the war, the business re-opened frst in Duke Street, 至Duke Street，再於1952年搬到120 Kensington

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