Page 19 - Sotheby's Junkunc Collection March 2019

By the early 1950s, Junkunc had amassed an impressive collection of Chinese works of art which by
then was largely securely stored in the museum-like environs of a subterranean bomb shelter in the
grounds of his home in Oak Park, Illinois. In a 1952 profile in the Chicago Tribune, the bunker is described
as storing a ‘priceless hoard’, with ‘shelves weighted with priceless pieces of Chinese art, prizes produced
thru a span of centuries. A record of a nation in tapestry, bronze, jade, pottery, robes, and lacquer':

Junkunc sits spider-like in the center of a web of agents scattered thruout the world. His
escapades in procuring some objects have called for the suavity of a diplomat, the daring of
an international spy, and the speed of a distance runner. Cloaked in intrigue and secrecy, and
spiced by competition, collecting oriental art is no role of a Milquetoast.
Chicago Tribune, 7th September 1952 (fig. 1)

到了1950年代初期，瓊肯先生的中國藝術品收藏達到了高峰，他在位於伊利諾伊州奧克帕克的宅邸打造了一
個博物館級別的地下避難所，做為這些珍寶的家。在1952年，芝加哥論壇報做了一篇報導，內容指出這個地堡
藏有許多「珍貴的無價之寶，架上的中國藝術品多得不勝枚舉、琳瑯滿目，集歷代之大成，用繡帷、銅器、玉
器、陶器、龍袍及漆器等記錄著這個偉大國家的輝煌歷史」:

瓊肯像蜘蛛一般坐在好似以精美藝術品交織出的網中。他為了得到這些珍寶，有時像外交官一樣優雅
地與人交涉，有時像國際間諜般蒐集情報，有時需要像短跑選手一樣四處衝刺。蒐藏東方藝術品，許
多時候秘密交織、競爭四起，實非易事。
芝加哥論壇報，1952年9月7日 (圖一)

Fig. 1 Stephen Junkunc, III photographed with his collection, illustrated in the Chicago Tribune, 7th September 1952
圖一 史蒂芬•瓊肯三世與其收藏合照，刊於《芝加哥論壇報》，1952年9月7日

19 MARCH 2019 SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK 17