Page 4 - Marchant 2013 Exhibition

president of Shogado, Kyoto. He was the world authority
at that time on archaic bronzes, stone sculpture and Ming
porcelain and had a reputation second to none. He was
my mentor and advisor when I visited Japan and arranged
on my behalf visits to ‘tea ceremony’ dealers where I was
amazed at how low the owners bowed to him as a sign of
respect. I treasure the memory of attending the wedding
of his three children with my late wife Rita. The dish was
intended to come to Marchant, especially as Stuart had
the advantage of this extra knowledge when he made the
purchase. It now awaits a new home and collector who
will treasure it for future generations.

More than half of the pieces in this catalogue are ‘mark
and period’, 27 to be precise. This is a surprising number
because of their increasing scarcity. One of the reasons
is the longevity of Marchant as we can source pieces
from old clients, but the main reason is the hard work
undertaken by Stuart Marchant, the third generation,
who ceaselessly searches the world. This catalogue could
not have been produced without his knowledge and
enthusiasm. Thanks are also due to Natalie Marchant,
the fourth generation, whose photographs capture the
clarity and spirit of these pieces. The panoramic images
each take approximately 6 hours of work to reach her
high standards. Bridget Davidson also spends many long
hours typing and editing the descriptions, her input into
the catalogue is most appreciated. The building at 120
Kensington Church Street could not function without
Simon Abraham-Gregory’s organisation, he has been at
Marchant 25 years and is indispensible. Also thanks are
due to Weishi Sun who has translated the descriptions
into Chinese. She has now been here just over a year and
her help is much appreciated. We are grateful to Hampton
Printing (Bristol) Ltd. for producing the catalogue.

Richard P. Marchant
February 2013

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