I was reading today's edition of the Herald Tribune and found a half-page article on the sale of Chinese art with a 'whiff of mystery.' Reading the full article told me about its collection by a Swedish businessman, his gift to his daughters, and the final sale to buyers outside of Sweden, at Sotheby's. The article related that Sheik Saud al Thani of Qatar had never before 'publicly stepped into this field.' He outspent most of the bidders paying close to $20 million. As the attached slide show relates,
"And with the 99 pieces he now owns, Sheikh Saud is in a position to set up the finest museum of early Chinese silver and gold should he choose to do so." From the Herald-Tribune we learn that "Sweden's loss is the gain of the Middle East, where the Chinese hoard makes far better sense - Tang silver came about as a result of an upsurge of Iranian influence over China in the 7th and 8th centuries. " O, the world is small and we have much to learn.
The title of this post links to a slide show that shows 6 of the pieces with a brief discussion of each; I reproduce 3 here. Perhaps Sheik Saud will plan an exhibit in Doha. For now, link to the site and enjoy the six images and brief commentary. And consider every place the Qataris are now in - the very recently signed Doha Accord for Lebanon, now Chinese art, and a major bid for the 2016 Olympics. For such a small dusty peninsula, enormous activity.
[http://www.iht.com/slideshows/2008/05/22/arts/22-melik24.php?index=0]
