Page 12 - Reginald and Lena Palmer Collection EXHIBITION, Bonhams London Oct 25 to November 2 2021

Edgar Bluett (d.1964)

revelatory gathering of enamelled Chinese ceramics; this bowl It is interesting to note that between the Wars, the best
was exhibited there as Catalogue no.26 and was subsequently 18th century spinach-green jade was relatively much more
illustrated as pl.79b by Soame Jenyns in his magisterial Faber expensive in the international market than it has ever been
monograph Ming Pottery and Porcelain, published in 1953. since. Jade prices (and scholarship) were largely driven by
earlier specialist British and American dealers. The best-
Another even rarer and more imaginative Ming porcelain known was Stanley Charles Nott, who correctly appreciated,
purchase by Palmer in February 1928 was an Imperial like the 18th century Chinese Emperors who commissioned
Xuande turquoise-backed saucer dish, which cost him only it, how magnificent the best dark green Hetian (‘Khotan’) jade
£12.10s. Its rarity finally established, it was subsequently carvings can be. This is not an assessment widely shared
lent to two significant OCS Exhibitions, Monochrome Wares in Asia today; most of the new breed of jade buyers in Asia
(1948) and The Arts of the Ming Dynasty (1957). It was prefer to collect much paler natural stone, luminous, semi-
also selected by Edgar Bluett to illustrate in the first part of transparent, and white or very pale green, although there are
his article about the Palmer Collection, published in Apollo signs this is changing.
Magazine in 1958; something of a diversion for the magazine,
away from its staple topics like European Old Master By the late 1920s, it is clear that the Palmers were
paintings and Renaissance bronzes into the less familiar considered by the Bluett brothers to be important clients.
atmosphere of Chinese art. The dish was sold at Sotheby’s in They seem to have been given a special preview of the K.C.
April 1974, right at the peak of the West’s first great art-price Wong Collection of Chinese Jades, the subject of a major
boom in Chinese ceramics. The London dealer Helen Glatz exhibition held at the Davies Street premises in June 1930.
paid the high price of £70,000, probably on behalf of one of Three purchases from this collection were charged to the
her group of Portuguese banker-collectors who played a key Palmers in January 1930 for £310, but for some reason the
role in the sudden boom in prices (especially at auction) for sale was rescinded on 31 March 1930. Two of the pieces
Chinese-taste porcelain during the short but exciting years were reinvoiced at the opening of the exhibition; the third,
1971-74; before the ‘Communist’ revolution in Portugal (and a small jade carving of a buffalo with its herd boy, was not
the fall-out from the oil-price controversy) brought the boom taken, and was in fact sold to the Duchess of Roxburghe a
grinding to a very sudden halt. few days later.

Jade carvings were apparently a particular interest of Lena The OCS had been formed in 1921 as a small group only
Palmer. ln October 1928, the Palmers bought from Bluett of private collectors and experts, who met in their London
the exceptional, inscribed and relief-carved, spinach-green homes to discuss and compare pieces in their collections
jade rectangular plaque (perhaps a table screen) which had under the benevolent Presidency of the legendary and
been consigned for sale by a Mrs Bonham Carter, and which very wealthy Greek businessman/collector George
cost them the substantial sum of £250, now in the Bonhams Eumorfopoulos, living (and displaying his huge collection) in
Exhibition Catalogue no.6. This screen was lent to the OCS a Thames-side mansion on Cheyne Walk, Chelsea. Although
Exhibition Chinese Jades in 1947, no.135; and three decades involved in the founding of the OCS, the Bluett brothers
later was lent anonymously to the even more prestigious OCS were not permitted to join because they were dealers,
Exhibition Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages held at the even if particularly distinguished and knowledgeable ones
Victoria and Albert Museum in 1975. who supplied very many of this early coterie of top-level

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