Chinese porcelain has been a valuable object of possession throughout history. In the past, porcelain from China was the primary export item of the country. Chinese porcelain items are truly prized among collectors worldwide.
Surprisingly, the largest private collection of Chinese porcelain is not located in China, but in Europe. Known as the Meiyintang collection, it consists of nearly 2,000 porcelain pieces. The collection was managed by Swiss businessman Stephen Zuellig and the heirs of his late brother Gilbert Zuellig.
"Meiyintang" translates from Mandarin to "Hall among the Pink Flower Beds." The collection was created by Stephen and his brother Gilbert over 50 years. Having been born in Manila (the capital of the Philippines), the brothers were deeply fascinated by Eastern culture.
The brothers began collecting Chinese porcelain in the late 1950s. Over the following decades, they managed to acquire about 2,000 pieces of the most valuable ancient Chinese porcelain in the world.
After researcher Regina Kral published an academic presentation about the collection, Meiyintang quickly gained recognition among specialists and collectors of Chinese ceramics. The collection has been exhibited in some of the largest museums in the world, including the British Museum in London, the Guimet Museum in Paris, and Sporting d’Hiver in Monte Carlo, among others.
Gilbert Zuellig (1918-2009) specialized in early clay pottery, ceramic items, and ceramics from the Neolithic period and early Han, Tang, and Song dynasties. Part of Gilbert's collection, consisting of more than 1,600 items, was transferred to the Meiyintang Foundation in 2003.
Later, under a long-term agreement, the masterpieces were provided to the Rietberg Museum in Zurich, where some are accessible to the public. During 2011-2012, a small part of the Meiyintang collection was sold in Hong Kong by Sotheby’s. The auction attracted enormous interest from Chinese buyers. Stephen, who was a year older than his brother, focused on later porcelain from the Yuan, Ming, Yongzheng, and Qing dynasties, as well as archaic bronze items. As of January 2017, the items from this part of the collection were still in the owner's hands. The masterpieces were exhibited in the underground gallery of the owner's home. Stephen passed away on January 8, 2017, four months before his 100th birthday.
The production of Chinese porcelain is a very labor-intensive and lengthy process. In ancient times, the right to be the first to purchase the best porcelain belonged to the imperial family.
Today, antique Chinese porcelain is in high demand among art collectors. For example, a vase from the Qianlong Emperor's era (mid-18th century) was sold for $84 million—this is currently the record price for ancient Chinese art.
