The OCS is delighted to present a lecture by renowned collector Richard Kan and Professor Peter Lam, cohosted with the Friends of Hong Kong Museum of Art and Christie’s. This talk brings out the splendour of monochrome porcelains in the light of the current exhibition at the Baur Foundation in Geneva, on until the 3rd of February 2019. Of the 200 some objects on display, two-thirds are from the Zhuyuetang Collection and one-third from the Baur Collection. The exhibition covers a millennium of monochromes from the Great Tang to the High Qing. The idea was conceived four years ago by Professor Peter Y.K. Lam in an attempt to bring together the finest monochromes of the Baur Foundation and the Zhuyuetang Collection, which is arguably the first time that Chinese monochromes have been assembled to this high quality and scale for an exhibition in Europe. This spectrum of monochromes is a good representation of the best pieces kept and enjoyed by the Ming and Qing emperors.
Mr. Kan bought his first piece from a major international auction house and built his acquisitions from the 1980’s. He acquired key pieces from legendary collections, including those of Edward T. Chow and TY Chao. The Zhuyuetang Collection of Chinese monochromes made its debut, in 2005, in an exhibition at the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. It was immediately recognised as a remarkable collection of Chinese monochromes.
Peter Y. K. Lam is Honorary Fellow, Institute of Chinese Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Before his retirement in 2013 he had been with the Art Museum of the University for four decades and in the last fourteen years its Director/Professor.
After the tour there will be dinner to continue our conversation with the distinguished speakers.