Museum shines spotlight on cloisonne

Nicolas Chow, the former international head and chairman of Chinese art at Sotheby's, writes in a column that "auctioneers in Hong Kong, Paris, London, New York, Tokyo and Beijing will not wield their gavel until Robert Chang has made his theatrical entrance, center aisle, and has taken his favorite seat at the front row, paddle 001 at the ready".

As an important collector, Chang exerted significant influence on the collection of ancient Chinese art and auctioneering, both in China and abroad, according to Chu Xiaobo, director of the Shanghai Museum, and also played a pivotal role in turning Hong Kong into a prominent trading center for Chinese art in the latter half of the 20th century.

"When Julian Thompson, the late chairman of Sotheby's, brought groundbreaking auctions to the city in 1973, his first port of call was Robert, who supplied hundreds of pieces to his early sales," Chow writes.

With his extensive collection of traditional calligraphy, Chinese paintings, jade and cloisonne enamelware, Chu says that Chang has significantly influenced and encouraged the focus of collectors worldwide on the collection and research of cloisonne enamelware from different historical periods.

"Upon learning about the relatively limited collection of cloisonne enamelware at the Shanghai Museum, Mr Chang expressed his intention to donate the treasures he has collected over the long years to expand the museum's collection," Chu says.

Chang made the first donation — 46 pieces in 32 sets — to the museum last September.

This year, he donated a further nine pieces in eight sets. These include furnishings, daily necessities, and stationery items from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the early 1900s.