Provenance: We are very honored to present collections from the Carrall Family, with most acquired from Reginald Johnston’s legacy.

Sir Reginald Fleming Johnston (Chinese: 莊士敦爵士), educator, commissioner, and traveller, joined the Colonial Service in 1898 and was initially posted to Hong Kong. In 1906, he was transferred to the British leased territory at Weihaiwei as a District Officer. Fascinated by Chinese Buddhism, in 1908 Johnston visited Szechuan and Tibet and had a private audience with the 13th Dalai Lama. During this period he wrote three books - From Peking to Mandalay, Lion and Dragon in Northern China, and Buddhist China - and collected Buddha statues and Buddhist supplies.

In 1919, Johnston was appointed tutor of Puyi, the last emperor of China. Puyi showed great passion in what he brought and awarded him with high titles and precious Chinese arts.

After retirement in 1937, Johnston lived on the small island of Eilean Rìgh, where he built a Chinese garden. He named the rooms Pine-Bamboo Hall, Weihaiwei Hall, Emperor Hall, etc. and displayed the Chinese antiques, paintings & calligraphies, porcelains, and Buddha statues he collected.

After his death in 1938, the Carrall Family acquired most of his legacies including his Chinese collections.