Page 6 - Sotheby's Dr. Wou Kiuan Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022

In the 1950s, when this idea seems to have taken hold in Wou, a project like that was
easier conceived than turned into reality. Knowledge was still scant. Books on Chinese 在 1950 年代，吳博士這個念頭開始扎根，
art were rare, excavation reports published in China were poorly illustrated in black-and- 然而要實現理想並不容易。吳博士當時對中
white. London museums already had good collections, but many pieces we today admire 國藝術的認識仍然不足，關於藝術研究的書
there entered only later. The Oriental Ceramic Society organized regular lectures, but 籍極爲有限，在中國國内出版的文物出土
報告往往只有黑白圖片，而且質素參差。
had only just begun its series of exhibitions. Wou Kiuan joined in 1955 and it was probably
there, that he met knowledgeable specialists and like-minded fellow-collectors such as 倫敦的博物館收藏雖然甚佳，然而我們今
天欣賞的許多藏品都是後來加入。東方陶
Dr Cheng Te-k’un, archaeologist and lecturer at Cambridge University, Sir Harry Garner, 瓷學會定期舉辦講座，但其展覽系列才剛
who was starting to publish on a wide range of topics in Chinese art, R. Soame Jenyns, 成雛形。吳博士於1955年加入東方陶瓷學
authority on Far Eastern ceramics, Mrs Walter Sedgwick, highly knowledgeable all-round 會，相信他正是透過學會認識到多位學識
collector, George de Menasce, great porcelain connoisseur, or S. Howard Hansford, 淵博的專家，以及志同道合的藏家，如劍橋
specialist in jade. Dealers such as C.T. Loo in Paris, Sammy Yukuan Lee in Tokyo, and J.T. 大學考古學家兼講師鄭德坤博士、正在發表
Tai in New York clearly exerted an influence, the latter even sending a UV lamp for black- 多門中國藝術文獻的迦納爵士、遠東陶瓷權
威詹寧斯、知識淵博而且收藏範疇全面的
lighting as a gift, an aid in detecting repairs. Bidding at auction was possible only in person,
by mail, or through dealers, and Wou Kiuan was bidding himself, often the only Asian Walter Sedgwick 夫人，以及玉石專家 S.
Howard Hansford。藝術商方面，巴黎的
person in the room. 盧芹齋以及紐約戴潤齋顯然亦對吳博士的收
藏有著一定影響，後者甚至送了一盞紫外線
In spite of such challenges, the collection grew quickly to cover all periods of Chinese 燈給吳博士，用來檢測修復。當時，拍賣會
history and a remarkable range of media. Besides masterpieces of top museum quality, 競投只能親身、郵寄或通過藝術商進行，吳
it also acquired mass, so that the idea of forming a museum must have come up quite 博士則親自參與，而且通常是拍賣會上唯一
naturally. The plan was realized after a six-months reconnaissance tour through major US 的亞洲人。
museums. Housed in an unassuming stone building, secluded in the English countryside, 儘管面臨這些挑戰，吳博士仍舊排除萬難，
the Wou Lien-Pai Museum could not fail to overwhelm any visitor. Chronologically 收藏增長迅速，藏品涵蓋中國歷史的各個時
arranged, with explanatory labels written by the collector-curator himself, it offered a 期以及不同材質。除了頂級博物館質量的珍
complete educational tour through the history of Chinese art, covering painting and 品之外，其他收藏亦甚可觀，於是建立博物
calligraphy, archaic bronzes, jades, Buddhist sculptures, ceramics as well as minor 館的想法自然而生。吳蓮伯博物院坐落在英
works of art, textiles, and snuff bottles. Ceramics were particularly well represented, 國鄉間，入內到訪者卻無不爲之驚嘆。藏品
按年份順序排列，並附有藏家/策展人親自
from the Neolithic to the Wou family porcelain service commissioned at Jingdezhen in
書寫的說明標籤，為訪客提供全面的中國藝
1921, and reaching up to the peak in sophistication, in form of a Qianlong revolving vase.
術史教育之旅，展覽涵蓋書畫、高古青銅
器、玉器、佛教造像、陶瓷以及其他藝術品
類如織品及鼻煙壺等。該館的瓷器收藏非常
出色，從新石器時代到1921年吳氏委約景
Wou Kiuan, Paris, November 1939 Above Dr Wou Kiuan with Sir Michael and Lady Villiers at the Wou Lien-Pai Museum, July 1968 德鎮特製的成套瓷具，精彩琳琅，其中一件
吳權，巴黎，1939年11月 上 吳權博士與Michael Villiers 爵士伉儷於吳蓮伯博物院，1968年7月 清乾隆轉心瓶秀麗優雅，無疑是其中亮點珍
品。

10 A JOURNEY THROUGH CHINA’S HISTORY THE DR WOU KIUAN COLLECTION PART II SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG 11