Page 85 - Bonhams Chinese Works of Art June 2015 Hong Kong

Property from the Franco
Marinotti Collection

Coming from a small city in Italy, the extraordinary journey of Franco
Marinotti (1891-1966) began in a textile company near Milan (the Filatura
Cascami Seta) at the beginning of the 20th century, where he made his
way up to the prominent position of managing the Warsaw and Moscow
branches. This enriching experience and strong commercial relationships
developed in Russia allowed him to launch his own company in 1921,
the CICE - Compagnia Industriale Commercio Estero. It also enabled him
to have continuous business links with Russia and South East Asia even
following the October Revolution in 1917. The enterprise, which was
intended to facilitate and regulate the economic relationships between
Italian companies and Russia, resulted in Marinotti becoming a highly
influential commercial and political figure.

In 1930, Senatore Borletti, one of the most important Milanese
entrepreneurs and financiers, asked Marinotti to become managing
director of the SNIA Viscosa. He subsequently became CEO in 1934
and President and shareholder of SNIA until his death in 1966. In these
politically and economically troubled times, Franco Marinotti proved to
be an exceptional leader bringing the company to an unprecedented
international level, revealing himself as a man of great intuition and
many talents, with a clear disposition for innovation. His merits
were also recognised by King Umberto II, the last King of Italy, who
rewarded him with the noble title of Count of Torviscosa, a town
founded by Marinotti.

As a philanthropist, he was very much involved in collecting and
preserving art, including Antiquities, Old Master Paintings, Oriental
and Modern and Contemporary Art. His collection demonstrates
his wide range of interests and passion for collecting. In 1949, he
bought the Palazzo Grassi through SNIA Viscosa, and founded
the ‘Centro Internazionale delle Arti e del Costume’. Exceptionally,
through both wars, Marinotti continued to support artists, such
as the members of the Futurists Movement, as well as ceramics
artists and even funded archaeological sites, demonstrating his
extraordinary strong, complex character and unique vision through
his career and pursuit of arts and culture. It is possible that this
magnificent jade vase was acquired during his travels to China in the
early 20th century.

意大利企業家 Franco Marinotti 藏品

Franco Marinotti是20世紀初期意大利著名的紡織企業家，曾擔任
該集團華沙及莫斯科分部的總裁。1921年，他在俄羅斯成立自
己的公司並迅速發展壯大，直至俄國十月革命時，他的公司
仍在正常運營。他企業的成功為他今後在俄羅斯、東南亞、
以及意大利的事業鋪平道路，並成為歐洲商界及政界中的
重要人物。

此人於1930年受當時米蘭著名企業家之邀，成為了意大
利最大紡織及化纖集團SNIA Viscosa的首席執行官，並
在1966年成為集團總裁及董事。在位期間，Franco以
其卓越的領導才能以及敏銳的辨識力將集團帶向國際舞
台，其功績還受到了意大利王室最後一任國王翁貝托二
世的認可。

在世時，Franco亦是一位慈善家並對藝術品收藏情有獨
鍾。他的收藏囊括古董、大師級油畫、東方古代及近代
藝術等等，展示了他興趣廣泛的一面。1949年，他收購
了位於威尼斯的格拉西宫並在其舊址成立「國際藝術與
服裝中心」。在戰亂期間，他多次出資支持未來主義畫家
及陶瓷藝術家進行藝術創作，還資助考古發掘活動，足可
見其對事業的謀略以及對藝術的熱愛。此件玉雕方蓋瓶極
有可能是他於20世紀早期在中國獲得。