Collector’s Note

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In one’s life, there are instances that come about purely by chance that have a profound impact on one’s future. More than forty years ago, my partner and I were introduced by the then-curator of Chinese art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the famous Asian art collector and dealer Alice Boney. At the time, I had just completed my psychiatric residency and was a novice collector of Chinese monochrome porcelains from the Qing dynasty. Miss Boney—tall, elegant, sharp-witted—was most cordial and accommodating but quick to state that she did not believe in psychiatry, and she immediately chided me for not being able to speak Chinese. She advised me to rid myself of the monochromes that I had collected and began to show me Qing dynasty porcelains with emperors’ reign marks on them, known in the trade as “period porcelains.” Despite this unpromising introduction, she became a mentor to both Dr. Johnstone and me, guiding us in collecting while becoming a close friend.

Alice was a woman before her time. During her middle years, she had traveled to Japan in search of Chinese bronzes. Intrigued with Japanese culture, she chose to remain in Japan, although it was a male-dominated society, and became known as a highly respected connoisseur of Asian art, even among Japanese curators and collectors. Traveling throughout India and Southeast Asia, she acquired important works of art and was aware of many artists, then unknown in the West, who would later be “discovered” and highly sought after. During our meetings, she introduced us not only to porcelains but to paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, and textiles. She freely shared her knowledge as well as her introductions to many scholars and acquaintances. Her generosity was as strong as her personality. Always direct and to the point, she was known for her intense opinions and the acerbic comments she directed to those she held in less favor.

There is no doubt that Alice’s knowledge, taste, and personal opinions had an indelible impact on our collections. During a visit with Laurence Sickman, the late director of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and noted sinologist, and K. S. Wong, a scholar who organized the first Obaku exhibition in the United States, together with curator Stephen Addiss, Alice showed many works by Japanese women artists and calligraphers who were then little known. We were all enthralled by these works and began to seek them out in Japan, even though Japanese dealers and friends found our interest curious.

In her advancing years, Alice was no longer able to travel to seek out art objects, although she continued to remain a formidable businesswoman and collector. However, Dr. Johnstone and I had, by this point, not only continued to collect but had opened a gallery in Philadelphia. Our personal and professional relationship with Alice continued, and we remained close friends (and bridge partners) until her death. Her guidance and friendship were ever present.

Dr. Johnstone and I are thankful to Tianlong Jiao, the former Joseph de Heer Curator of Asian Art, and Christoph Heinrich, the Frederick and Jan Mayer Director at the Denver Art Museum, together with the museum’s staff, for their interest in exhibiting and publishing the Fong-Johnstone collection. We are also grateful to Andrew Maske, who sought out a home for the collection and initially conceived of an exhibition, and Patricia Fister, one of the foremost scholars in this field, who published important early research on Japanese women artists and has contributed essays to this publication. We hope that, in the same manner in which Alice Boney inspired us, those who view these works of art will be inspired to learn more about Japanese culture and the talented women artists who were overlooked in their lifetime.