Page 131 - Sotheby's May 10th 2017 London Important Chinese Art

SIR VICTOR SASSOON LOTS 243 256
AND HIS IVORIES

LOTS 243 256

Victor Sassoon (1881-1961) was a leading member of an 1881-1961 Sydney
extremely wealthy Jewish family who left the con nes of the Lucas Lucas 1912 Lucas
declining Ottoman empire in the Middle East and found success
both in Britain and more particularly in India where the cotton, 1938 Lucas
and even more lucrative opium, trade was ourishing. At the end
of World War I, however, agitation for political and social change
in India gathered momentum and the Sassoons and other
wealthy business tycoons became aware that more lucrative
business opportunities existed further east in China especially
in the great trading cities of Shanghai and Hong Kong. Members
of the Sassoon clan had already established a presence in both
cities. Sir Victor’s uncle had already purchased sections of the
marshy area adjacent to the estuary and Sir Victor began to build
there. It was in Shanghai that Sassoon met Sydney Lucas who
had arrived in Beijing circa 1912 and had rapidly began to take an
interest in Chinese ivory carvings and had formed a signi cant
collection.

In Shanghai at this time a ourishing trade in both antique
ivories and carvings for the tourist trade existed side by side and
Lucas certainly acquired examples of the skill of contemporary
craftsmen as well as earlier pieces.

The collapse of the Qing dynasty and the demand for
modernisation in many spheres included new writing tools led
to many changes. The writing accoutrements of the Qing ruling
class became redundant and table screens, brush pots, wrist
rests and trays were sold to dealers who sold them to Western
collectors. Much of this trade occurred in Shanghai but the
city’s halcyon days were shattered by the invasion of the city
by Japanese troops. In 1938 Sir Victor and his collector friend,
Sydney Lucas, left for England taking the ivories that Lucas had
collected with them. By this time Lucas had sold the collection to
Sir Victor just prior to their departure.

Although Sir Victor had high hopes for his collection he
eventually vested it in the hands of trustees who have both
eliminated duplicates and added items un-represented in the
collection. The items o ered for sale are from categories well
represented in the collection and this sale gives collectors an
opportunity to acquire some of these items.

Phillip Allen