Page 209 - A Re-examination of Late Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 1850-1920 THESIS

Overall, Sir Percival forged a pathway that other porcelain collectors followed,

particularly placing prominence on connoisseurship rather than earlier British collection

trends that placed importance on amassing a large amount of porcelain, typically

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prioritizing quantity over artistic quality. The collectors of the early 20 century in

England primarily belonged to the Oriental Ceramic Society. The group began in 1921,

bringing together 12 amateur collectors and museum curators to exchange ideas and

thoughts concerning porcelain objects. Collectors such as George Eumorfopoulos (1863-

1939) drew directly from the high-caliber scholarship Sir Percival achieved in order to

form their own collections. 272 Other major early 20 -century collectors include Alfred
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Clark, Alice Mariquita Sedgewick, Charles Russell, Harry Oppenheim, and Oscar

Raphael. 273 These collections became the foundation for the collections currently housed

at Britain’s premier institutions including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert

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Museum, and the Fitzwilliam Museum. The collectors involved in the early 20 -century

porcelain market participated in what Western scholarship has deemed the Golden Age of

Chinese porcelain collecting.

The influence of Sir Percival David as a premier connoisseur of Chinese porcelain

was felt widely across Britain, extending beyond the elite porcelain collectors. He led

numerous exhibitions during his lifetime, aiming for widespread education about the East

and its porcelain traditions. The first of these to take place in the West was “The

272 Eumorfopoulos established a large collection of both ceramics and bronzes. He would also
serve as the president of the Oriental Ceramic Society. Much of his collection was donated to the
British Museum, with some being sold in 1940.
273 Hua-Tien, “An Interview with Lady David,” 56. The article credits these individuals with the
rise of Western connoisseurship and understanding of Chinese ceramics. Other members of the
group included: Hon Mountstuart William Elphinstone, Charles Gabriel Seligman, H.R.N.
Norton, Stephen D. Winkworth, William Winkworth, Reginald Palmer and Major L.F. Hay.

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