Page 10 - Youngman jade Collection Hong Kong March 3 2019 Sotheby's

A L I F E T I M E I N T H E

C O M PA N Y OF JA D E

玉緣一生

One might look upon my interest in Chinese art as a field of study 我對於中國藝術的熱愛應與我的家族史有關。
that has progressed through several generations. This interest had 我的高曾祖父羅伯特•班納德•福布斯（1804-
its genesis with Robert Bennet Forbes (1804-1889), my maternal
great, great grandfather. At twelve, he went to sea as a cabin boy 1889年）從小嚮往航海。時值中國貿易活動盛
obsessed with a yearning to travel to far-away places. It was the 行，西方對遠東風土人情興趣濃厚。高曾祖父從
era of the ‘China Trade,’ a time of fascination with the Orient, 十二歲開始在輪船上就職，頻頻出海遠航，最終
of tales of strange peoples with strange customs and of stories 成為了當時遠東著名貿易公司旗昌洋行的資深
of riches of the Far East. Ultimately, he became a senior partner
in the firm of Russell & Co. one of the most successful trading 合夥人。
houses doing business in China.
旗昌洋行以進口廣作外銷品至美國為主要業務，
Among the many items that Russell & Co. imported to 其中包括銀器、紡織品及外銷瓷。我的高曾祖父還
America from China were wares from Canton which included
silver, textiles, and export porcelains. One famous example 曾通過旗昌洋行出口過一整套華麗至極的外銷瓷
is a magnificent Chinese export porcelain service that he 餐具，特別為慶賀其表兄森繆•卡博特醫生及伊麗
commissioned as a wedding gift for the union of his cousin, Dr. 莎白•柏金斯女士成婚訂燒。此套餐具在外銷瓷領
Samuel Cabot, to Elizabeth Perkins, and has since been celebrated 域中頗為著名，被稱為「Cabot Service」。
as the ‘Cabot Service’.
我高曾祖父的孫女是愛麗絲•柏金斯•霍普，即
The granddaughter of Captain Forbes was Alice Perkins Hooper,
my great Aunt Elsie. Aunt Elsie inherited the wanderlust of her 我的姨姥姥愛斯。與我高曾祖父一般，她亦熱衷
grandfather and some say she spent her life on a never-ending 於漫遊世界，甚至她的人生都可被總結為一個延
perpetual Grand Tour of the world. When in New England, 綿不斷的「壯遊」。她住在新英格蘭之時，於曼
she lived in a grand Victorian mansion which she had built
in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, which she named 徹斯特市建造了一所富麗堂皇的維多利亞豪宅，
‘Elsinaes’. Elsinaes was furnished with countless China Trade 命名為「愛斯居」。此宅不單以祖父傳承之外銷
objects which were passed down from her grandfather, Captain 品作為主要陳設，亦加上由她四方遊歷而得之珍
Forbes, as well as items acquired from her own travels. She
proudly displayed these treasures as they were not only beautiful 品，琳瑯滿目，更添韻味。此收藏不僅精美絕倫，
but also a visual chronology of her heritage, a heritage she saw as 更從而細說家族 歷史，以 望世代傳 承。家母愛
a responsibility that her heirs should emulate. My mother, Elsie 斯•柏金斯•楊門不單繼承了姨姥姥之名，也承
傳了她的精神。

8 SOTHEBY’S