Page 106 - Japanese Art Nov 9 2017 London
P. 106
FOREWORD FROM THE COLLECTOR
MY CLOISONNÉ VASES
(Lots 178 - 203)
My passion for cloisonné vases has its origins in a My first Japanese enamel vase stood in my office among
natural love for plants and animals, something I inherited some works by Gallé. One day, a former school friend
from my grandfather, a keen amateur horticulturalist visited me and claimed to have an identical vase at
who owned a huge aviary filled with many rare and home. At first I did not want to believe him, but when we
pretty birds. I was lucky enough to have a garden of my next met he brought it with him and gave it to me. Sure
own even as a teenager and I have remained an active enough, it was the mate to my first vase: it turned out
gardener ever since. that my friend had bought one of the two at the same
auction in Munich.
I have always surrounded myself with antiques,
paintings, and other beautiful things, not only in my Through this arrangement, I now had a pair and
apartment but also at the office. In the early 1970s the decided that I wanted more! I soon discovered,
gift of a vase by Gallé inspired me to start collecting his however, that tracking down the best works in cloisonné
works decorated with floral motifs. I soon got to know enamel was no easy task. Fortunately, with my wife’s
his Jugendstil vases and was eventually introduced to support, I have been able to put together a collection
cloisonné-enamel vases from Japan. My best friend and of 90 vases over the past four decades, in large part
his wife were seasoned art collectors and I attended thanks to our frequent trips abroad. Right from the
many exhibitions with them; the wife, in particular, start, what particularly impressed and fascinated me
was very interested in Asian art and showed me the about Japanese cloisonné enamel was the incredible
connections between these two styles, French and skill with which the vases were created to appeal to
Japanese, that flourished in the same epoch through contemporary taste. On top of that, I have always been
reciprocal exchange and influences between artists drawn by the special charm of the way Japanese artists
from two continents. She gave me a Japanese vase handled my favourite bird-and-flower motifs.
decorated with irises, a classic motif I am particularly
fond of that can be seen on many subsequent additions It has not been easy for me to take the decision to
to my collection. part with my laboriously accumulated collection due to
the onset of old age, but I hope that future owners will
experience the same joy as I have in the possession of
such outstanding works of art.
104 | BONHAMS
