Page 20 - Lieber Collection Chinese Art

THE

LEIBER

COLLECTION

LEIBER ж٤⣺㫼͚స㬊㶀৮

Like their stewards, the Chinese works of art and ceramics in the Leiber⣺㫼͚⮱͚స⨤க㜴㬊㶀৮ຯहЃԾ⮱ͨϧ̭
Leiber Collection are fi lled with character and creativity. In keep-
㝙喑Ըᕔ䔒♣喑ޢᘼ♎䭽ȡₐຯ᝭ᰶٗ⻭⮱ᩣ㫼㈨
ing with all great collections acquired over a lengthy period of
time, the objects are often souvenirs, milestones that are linked to ݄喑䕆ψ⣺৮⮱ᩣ䯳䌕䊷γ♎᪥Ը᭒⻸喑ႰԾᒤᒬ᭜
events and memories that form a personal history. In the Leibers’ ㈭ᔢ৮喑㽅䐶㦄㫼უϧ⩌᫲䕁͚⮱䛺๔θУহ⣺䇡㽅
case, the objects tell a story of a strong-willed couple confronted ᛣ⮱䛹⼸ⶾȡ Leiber ᩣ㫼͚⮱⃼̭У⣺৮喑䘪䔝㿗㦄
with extraordinary challenges. A son of Depression-era New York
䕆ᄺ㫼უ๘ྒྷ⮱ᩲθВࣷЃԾ䲏ᄺऱ⽛Ả〜ᠾ᝝᭯⮱
City and a Holocaust survivor in war-torn Budapest took life’s
hurdles in their stride and fl ourished. ലᑤᘼᔄȡ̭Ѻ᭜ܧ⩌ౕ㋀┌๔㪚᷊᭯᱌⮱㈽㈱喑ओ
The Leibers met in 1945 on Gerson’s second day in Budapest as ̭Ѻ䔰䕻γጰ䖁Җ᫜๔ᆍ⃧ ⮱⩌䱵඄◚喑ږѺ㫼უᓋ
an American GI, and by all accounts were a duo from that day ღ䲏ᄺ⩌≨⮱̺ຯᘼ喑䓻䰐㔹̷喑ڞहޢ䕍γ㇫ᒖ᜽
onward. In Budapest, Judith had already mastered the making and ߌ⮱נ๴ϧ⩌ȡ
designing of handbags, and with her encouragement Gerson began
training in painting and visual arts. Their formal training shows 1945Ꭱ喑Gerson䌌䯕㒻స䏺䮷ݝ䖁ጰ䖁Җ᫜⮱す
through in their collection of Chinese art, as the couple’s sensibili- ι ๖ 喑 䖯 䔲 γ Ju d it h喑 ᨇ 㿗 ږ ϧ ⁎ ᬒ 䊤 Ӭ ᒏ ᒞ ̺
ties of form, color, and balance are exemplifi ed especially in their
䰏ȡJudith ౕጰ䖁Җ᫜᭯ጟ㋀㇫䕇㽚㼵হ㸪҉᝸᣽࠲
monochromes and fl ambé-glazed vessels. After their marriage in
1946, they soon planned to move to New York, full of hope and ⮱ጒ㬊喑ౕ຦⮱呀̸ࠢ喑Gersonϓ䪸໸Ⴅ㓿⇦⪘হ㻃
expectation. Their fi rst acquisition, lot 490 , was acquired in Buda- 㻧㬊㶀ȡLeiber 㫼৮͚⃼У⣺৮⮱⨱䖥ᄴږϧౕ㬊㶀
pest by the newlyweds, and perhaps is a symbol of their daring—as ᫦䲏⮱ₐ㊞㽀㌡ᆂ䱟♎䖧喑ڣ͚⮱૛㞟䛶হ⿝䂷䛶⣺
a fi rst acquisition, it is a striking choice, with starkly contrasting
৮ᰡ倁⤫γږѺ㫼უᄺ㌇᷊喑㞟ᒖহᥚ䙺᫦䲏⮱倅Ꮣ
colors and robust depictions of mythical beasts.
᩼ᙌȡږϧౕ1946Ꭱ᜽྇ᒹ喑ᔭᤐ㦄ጹ᱈হ䯱ᓰผᔄ
Parents on both sides opposed their choices of vocation, however
ᥙ䖤㜠㈽㈱ȡ᱙ൡす490㮌៺৮᭜ږϧ᫝ౕ྇᭯ጰ䖁
the Leibers persisted and diligently practiced their crafts, fully
committed to his and her métier. The American model of cookie- Җ᫜䈩ڒ⮱す̭У㫼৮喑⨣䏘⦋⢥䕍ಸ⩌ᾌ߰߰喑㞟
cutter manufacturing stifl ed Judith’s creativity but she persevered ᒖᄺ℁ᑤ◵喑࢝䁶γږϧ㛪䂅䕻ϧ⮱㬊㶀䋐ঠȡ
in her new home and in 1948 was offered a position by the cel-
ebrated fashion and accessories designer Nettie Rosentein. Judith 䰃♣䰆᫦❣⃺䘪ࣺᄺږϧ⮱㖤ẚ䖥᧴喑ѳ᭜ Leiber ๘
rose through the ranks from assistant pattern maker to foreman of ྒྷౕ㬊㶀䖀䌜̷ലᠮ̺ᛵ喑ࠑႥ㠓㌡喑ڕ䏘ᓰែڒݝ
the fi rm’s New York factory. In 1953 she designed a handbag un-
㜗ጞ䢫ᙈ⮱θẚȡވݝ㒻స⮱᭯Ն喑䕆㸎ݨᲬ⮱⩌⩏
der the Rosenstein label that was carried by the First Lady Mamie
Eisenhower to the presidential inauguration of Dwight D. Eisen- ὎ᐼ௡䛺᲌㍈γJudith ⮱ޢ䕍߈喑ѳ᭜ Judith 䖱᭜ല
hower. The highly publicized event earned her acclaim and Judith ᠮγ̸ҳȡ 1948Ꭱ຦ឫݝγ̭Ъ᫝ጒ҉喑ౕ᭯㸊丫৮
Leiber was established as a celebrated handbag designer. 㽚㼵ፘ Nettie Rosentein ᝸̸⪣ߖ⤳㈸ὐፘ喑Judithߗ

In 1963 the Leibers made a leap of faith and launched the Judith ߈ጒ҉喑䓲䕌ࡴ䖤㜠ጒᐍ䵅⤚⮱㖤Ѻȡ1953Ꭱ喑຦В
Leiber Company, with Gerson taking charge of the business ele-
Rosentein৮❹ऺ㓖㽚㼵γ̭᝸࠲喑⪣᭯⮱㒻సす̭
ments. The company was made successful through dedication and
hard work. Anecdotes of Gerson himself couriering minaudières ๘ϧᩉ䕆᝸࠲ܧፚ㞫ḛ䆗༮❫㍪㊞ᅞ㖤حᐼ喑䕆ൡ
through busy New York streets, and the birth of the signature crys- 倅Ꮣᰊٶ⢴⮱ڙڞθУຍჇγJudith Leiber᝸࠲㽚㼵
ፘ⮱ౝѺȡ
18 SOTHEBY’S