This summer we offer for sale a variety of ceramics and works of art, the majority of which comes from private collections formed many years ago. Some of those from whom we acquire works of art wish to remain anonymous, but we are pleased to be exhibiting objects formerly in the collections of Mr and Mrs Ryley Bindley, Mr P. J. Donnelly, Mr W. J. Holt, The Idemitsu Museum of Art, The Hon. Mrs Ionides, Sir Cyril Kendall-Butler, Mr T. B. Kitson, Mr J. A. Lloyd Hyde, Mr Montague L. Meyer, Mr H. R. N. Norton, Mr R. F. A. Riesco, Mr Peter Sparks and The Toguri Museum of Art.

Among our exhibits, we have a small group of blanc de Chine from the Bindley collection. I have fond memories of times spent with Ruth and Ryley Bindley and their friend, Patrick Donnelly. Donnelly was an eccentric but endearing man who made the first, somewhat daunting attempt (as a bet, no less) to classify and write about the Dehua porcelain of Fujian province, which was termed blanc de Chine in the West. Ryley Bindley would recount stories of his and Ruth’s trips to Patrick Donnelly’s homes, where generous amounts of champagne were dispensed (something I well recall), and where they were introduced to blanc de Chine. In those days many of the collectors of Chinese art and ceramics swopped or sold items from their collections to each other and it was from Patrick Donnelly that the Bindleys acquired the majority of their blanc de Chine and added it to their extensive collection of Ming and Qing porcelain.

We hope today’s collectors and connoisseurs find some of the same enjoyment out of the objects we are offering for sale.

Roger Keverne

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