Richard Kan, Collector of Chinese Monochrome Porcelain

The Chinese monochrome porcelain collection owned by this Hong Kong patron and collector is one of the finest in the world. Part of this remarkable collection is now on show at the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet.

The name of your collection is Zhuyuetang. What does it refer to?
I come from a family of tobacco entrepreneurs, established in 1907, when the Qing dynasty was still in power. This poetic name, freely inspired by the composition of the Chinese character “kan”, like my surname, means “Pavilion of Bamboo and the Moon.” It’s a tribute to my forebears.

What was your first purchase?
Although I studied engineering at university, I’ve been fascinated by history and objets d’art since I was a teenager. In 1979, when I was 29, I fell for a Yixing teapot from the Ming dynasty [1368-1644—Ed.] made by potter Chen Chongmei. I still own it. Its unglazed, unadorned aesthetic appealed to me, as I have a liking for simple decoration and form. I paid €2,500 for it—quite a sum at the time.

What does your collection include?
It contains around 400 to 500 porcelains in a wide variety of forms: meiping and yuchun vases, ewers, pitongs, and narcissus bowls, to name but a few of these types, in a range of around 50 of the 57 colors formulated by the painter Tang Ying [1682-1756—Ed.], the director of the Jingdezhen Imperial Factory. I bought my finest pieces, including monochromes from the early and middle Ming and early Qing dynasties, between the 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century. I’m particularly fond of “tianbai” (soft white) and “sacrificial red” glazes.

Where do you usually buy your pieces?
At auction, or very occasionally from dealers. In the 1980s, I bought ceramics from the collection of Chinese art dealer and patron Edward T. Chow [1910-1980], and then others—including a large oxblood bowl and a pair of clair-de-lune plates from the Qing dynasty [1644-1911]—belonging to the collection of Hong Kong entrepreneur T. Y. Chao. Over the next decade, I bought several pieces from my good friend Dr. T. T. Tsui, without going through an intermediary. At that time, this collector and philanthropist also donated a great many porcelains to museums in Hong Kong and Europe. Today, I’ve slowed down a bit. About ten years ago, I bought a dozen very fine pieces. In 2023, a bowl from the Song dynasty [960-1279] entered my collection; I bought that at the sale of the American art dealer James J. Lally, in New York. But nothing since then. I’m not a compulsive buyer; I take time to consider.

Is provenance a decisive factor in your choices?
Even though some of my pieces come from major collections, I mainly rely on my own expertise and experience. In 2012, for example, a porcelain from the J. M. Hu [1911-1995] Collection went for €6 M in Hong Kong. A year later, another of comparable quality, not part of this collection, fetched only €1.5 M. If you have a sufficiently practiced eye, there’s no need to pay more for a similar object. On the other hand, elegance, simplicity, purity of form, and authenticity are crucial criteria for me, that’s for sure.

Do you ever seek expert advice?
Yes: when it comes to more complex pieces, I consult specialists like Professor Peter Y. K. Lam. By “complex”, I mean porcelains made between 1436 and 1464—a period that is less well documented, when not only porcelains with blue-and-white decoration were produced but also extremely rare monochromes. Others, made in Ru kiln in Ruzhou, made their appearance during the Song dynasty, but have only begun attracting scholarly interest in the last decade or so.

What collections could compete with yours?
That’s a difficult question to answer. Every collector has their special favorites: some prefer polychrome porcelain, others blue-and-white, and others monochrome. In terms of quantity, T. T. Tsui’s collection was larger, but it did not only include monochrome porcelains. Perhaps the Tianminlou Collection belonging to Ko Shih Chao [1911-1992], a discerning and generous man, president of the Min Chiu Society in Hong Kong—a group of collectors I have belonged to since 1995. His collection is now managed by his son, and includes monochrome porcelains, but is predominantly blue-and-white. In fact, I think I’m the only one who’s really attracted by monochrome porcelain alone!

How do you see its market?
It’s a peculiar market that is really influenced by the trends of the moment. During the same sale, some pieces can go for very high and others for very low prices. Some extremely rare porcelains, like those from the Song dynasty, can fetch between €10 and €20 M, while more “ordinary” pieces can sell for between €10,000 and €100,000. Imperial pieces from the Kangxi [1661-1772], Yongzheng [1723-1735] and Qianlong [1735-1796] periods are also the most sought-after. Very wealthy buyers, attracted by the rarity of the pieces, are influenced by the glowing assessments of reputable auction houses and art dealers. If it weren’t for them, prices would be lower…

Part of your collection is now on show at the Musée Guimet in Paris. Why is it important to share your collection?
In 2018-2019, I loaned 150 pieces to the Fondation Baur in Geneva for the exhibition “A Thousand Years of Monochromes. Sacred and Profane Tableware of the Emperors”. Now around 250 pieces can be seen at the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet, which is an honor for me. Museums like these are valuable platforms for sharing my passion with aficionados from all over the world, and an opportunity to exchange knowledge and expertise.

What is chiefly at stake with a collection like this?
When I came of age, I dreamed of doing something useful and worthwhile in my lifetime. I’m merely the custodian of my pieces. It’s vital to help people understand the importance of monochrome porcelain, through specialized exhibitions and books written by well-informed historians, curators and experts. After the Paris exhibition, I think I’ll have partially achieved my goal.

In 2022, the “Richard Kan” vase entered the Musée Guimet collections. Why did you support this acquisition?
This porcelain meiping, created during the Yuan dynasty between 1320 and 1350, is the most beautiful blue-and-white piece I’ve ever seen, without a doubt. Its decoration of two phoenixes, a male and a female, is extremely rare. It’s true that the British Museum has a pair of David vases, considered some of the most important blue-and-white porcelains in the world. However, the Guimet vase, undated, is of equally fine quality. I donated this piece, which arrived in France in 1882, after careful consideration. If a billionaire had bought it and decided to take it out of France, it would never have been seen again, and that would have been a disservice to humanity. Support for the acquisition of this masterpiece means that everyone can enjoy it. Works of art should be accessible to everybody; people shouldn’t be selfish.

What do you wish for the future?
That people come to the exhibitions, read the catalogs and learn from them. I also hope that my daughter Isabelle and my granddaughter Jada will be able to tell the story of my collection in turn, when I’m gone.