Page 7 - Sotheby's Fine Chinese Art NYC September 2023

BARBARA AND LESTER

LEVY - COLLECTING WITH

PLEASURE AND STYLE

愛藏·樂藏

arbara and Lester Levy were the quintessential ‘collector’ Levy 伉儷志趣相投，是一對模範收藏
couple. She, bright and always cheerful, with a sharp eye for 家夫婦。Barbara 似乎渾身充滿耗之
B beauty and a love of surrounding them both with objects of 不竭 的 熱 情 和力 量，並 且擁 有 敏 銳 的
審美觸覺；Lester 則生性較為安靜，
fascination; he, quiet and yet acutely observant, missing nothing.
Lester’s business, based in Dallas, Texas, took him around the world and 但 溫和的笑意掩不住 洞悉一切的犀 利
眼神。Lester 的公司总部设在德克萨
Barbara often travelled with him opening his eyes to the cultural side 斯州的达拉斯市，他經常因公幹而环游
of the exotic places they visited. In Hong Kong they visited the gallery 世界，Barbara 经常和他一起旅行，讓
of Patrick and Ellen Wang in the Mandarin Hotel where Lester noticed a 他領會到認 識 一個 地 方的文化的重 要
photograph of a horse that turned out to be one of Patrick’s champions. 性。Lester 當初在香港吉慶堂看到了一
Lester, too, loved horses, and a friendship of shared passions was born. 張駿馬的照片，於是向主人王延慶先生
和他的太太問詢，結果發現其正是王先
They would visit Hong Kong to see the auctions, buy pieces with Patrick 生的冠軍馬。Lester 也同樣熱愛馬，四
and Ellen’s guidance, and always share time at the races. Together 人就這樣結下緣分，對馬匹的喜愛更是
they focussed on small and elegant early Qing Imperial wares that they 加深了這段奇妙的友誼。
lived with decorating the library of their charming home in La Jolla,
Levy 伉儷會去香港觀看拍賣會，在王
California. The choice was always based on quality, but the pieces had 延 慶先生和 他的太 太的指 導下購買藏
to ‘chime’ with each other and create an overall decorative ‘whole’ that 品，並總會一起參與賽馬比賽。他們專
became the room they most enjoyed entertaining in. It was Barbara’s 注於小而優雅的清初官窰瓷器，並用這
meeting with Ron Longsdorf that spurred her own special focus on the 些 瓷器來裝飾 他們 位 於加州拉霍 亞 家
surprisingly fine wares of the late Qing reigns, often associated with 中的圖書館。他們始終基於質量來做選
擇，但這些藏品必須相互「協調」，而創
the Dowager Empress Cixi, with whom, as a successful and dynamic
造一個「整體」，因此那裏成為他們最喜
woman herself, she clearly identified. The collection grew to such a level
歡的房間。正是 Barbara 與 Ronald
that she and Lester created their own secret ‘gallery’ for the group – a
Longsdorf 的結識激發了她自己對於清
Mrs. Barbara Jean and Mr. Lester A. Levy secret place where only the most honored guests were brought to share 末精美的瓷器的關注，此類瓷器常常與
Barbara Jean 及 Lester A. Levy 伉儷 the scintillating colours and dazzling array. 慈禧太后聯繫在一起，Barbara 與慈禧
太后同樣作為成功而充滿活力的女性而
產生共鳴。Levy 伉儷的收藏不斷擴大，
以至於她和Lester 為此特別建造了自己
的秘密「畫廊」——只有最尊貴的客人才
有機會進入，並有幸欣賞到夫婦二人精
美絕倫的藝術收藏。

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