A soapstone 'ram' group, Qing Dynasty (Sotheby's London, Victor Ezekiel collection)

carved in the round, with a herd of ram climbing up a craggy mountain path

Provenance:
Sotheby's London
Collection of Guy W. Montagu
Sotheby's London, 31th May 1972, lot 507
Collection of Victor Ezekiel (1905-1976)

6.5cm high

Note:Marcus Ezekiel and his son Victor Ezekiel were two leading figures in the formative years of Chinese art collecting in London in the first part of the 20th century. By 1875 Marcus David Ezekiel was in Shanghai, employed by E.D. Sassoon & Co. E. D. Sassoon was Sir Percival David's maternal grandfather (Sir Percival's full name was Percival Victor David Ezekiel David). In 1887 Marcus Ezekiel signed an Agreement of Association with E.D. Sassoon & Co., which was to last for four years. He became a Director of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, where he represented E.D. Sassoon & Co. Victor Ezekiel was much involved with the Oriental Ceramic Society, serving as a Council Member from 1965 to 1970. Victor Ezekiel's collection developed to include other materials during the early 1960s.