Page 4 - 2019 September 11th Bonhams Lewis Collection Japanese and Korean Art NYC

The Collection of Drs. Edmund

and Julie Lewis

Chicago, Illinois and Nashville, Tennessee

find from the foremost dealers in the field. Two well-regarded
scholarly publications—the first an exhibition catalog written
by Ed and Joe Earle, Shadows and Reflections: Japanese
Art from the Collection of Edmund J. Lewis at the Honolulu
Academy of Arts (1996) and the second a more specialized
study written by Ed and Dr. Stephen Little, View of the
Pinnacle: Japanese Lacquer Writing Boxes: The Lewis
Collection of Suzuribako (2011)—reflect the couple’s joint
interest in antiquarian subject-matter, superbly executed
using all the techniques and materials available to the
Japanese lacquer artist and his atelier. Works in the style of
Ogawa Haritsu (Ritsuo, 1663-1747) and by Shibata Zeshin
(1807-1891) and Kano Tessai (1845-1925) were sought out
for purchase and feature prominently in Part One of this sale.

Through extensive travel in Japan and Asia, and spurred in
part by their purchase of a spacious two-floor apartment
in Chicago, the couple’s interest in sculpture grew as they
broadened their horizons to collect important pan-Asian
works of sacred art. In 2002 they purchased the splendid
Korean gilt-bronze image of Chijang Bosal (Ksitigarbha, lot
521), the cover lot of this sale. This spectacular sculpture
was displayed at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
in the following year and published in the exhibition catalog
Known for their keen scholarship and high aesthetic Goryeo Dynasty: Korea’s Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392.
standards, over the past three decades Drs. Ed and Julie It became the centerpiece of Ed and Julie’s fine collection of
Lewis have focused on collecting Japanese lacquer art gilt-bronze and wood sculpture, chiefly from Japan, including
and painting and Asian Buddhist sculpture. Internationally the stunning Kamakura-period (1185-1333) Nyoirin Kannon
recognized as leading experts in nephrology, Ed and Julie (lot 552), the Muromachi-period (1333-1573) Fudo Myo-o
hold positions as tenured professors at Rush Medical (lot 555), the Kamakura-period Shinsho (lot 567) and the
College in Chicago and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, serene Muromachi-period Jizo (lot 597). As they sought
respectively. Ed was born in Manhattan and trained for many out contemporary objects that reflected clean lines and
years graduating first in his medical school class followed refined aesthetic sensibilities, their collection grew to include
by residency at Johns Hopkins and later at Harvard, before sculptural works by Izumi Masatoshi (born 1938, lot 570),
joining the faculty at Rush; he started collecting Japanese art Marlene Rose (born 1967, lot 571) and Fukami Sueharu (born
in the early 1980s on trips to the West Coast and Europe. 1947, lot 572).
With ambitions to be a doctor since she was ten years
old, Julie graduated first in her class from medical school Ed and Julie say they are fortunate to have similar “eyes” for
and joined the staff of Vanderbilt in 1985. Julie and Ed met what they love, an advantage that enabled them to make
professionally through their mutual specialty in nephrology, quick decisions for major, sought-after objects in a highly
Julie looking up to Ed as her professional hero. After their competitive market. Bonhams is proud to offer this Part One
marriage in 1997 they continued to pursue their shared of the Lewis Collection, built with the discerning taste and
passion for Japanese art, actively seeking the best they could passion of two highly accomplished collectors.

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