The Gentle Art of One-Upmanship

 

I've just discovered a fabulous new snippet of unintentional one-upmanship.

If you'd like to play along, just google J. Pierpont Morgan red hawthorn vase.

It was rare as hens teeth. JPM was lauded for purchasing one.

Just ONE.

 

Below is the red hawthorn vase owned by J.P. Morgan that was put on display in 1907.  Image courtesy of 

An Exhibition of Chinese Porcelains
Author(s): J. M. B.
Source: The Collector and Art Critic, Vol. 5, No. 4 (Feb., 1907), pp. 149-152
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25435844

 

"This is said to be the most valuable vase in the world. It is absolutely unique, being the only known example of red hawthorn. Rare Ching porcelain. Height 31 inches. Loaned by Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan. Formerly in the South Kensington museum, Salting loan collection."

An American traveller to Hong Kong in 1910 was on a world cruise on the SS Cleveland. Whilst on the island the traveller and his companion went for a walk, admired a glorious garden, the owner came out, invited them in and gave a tour of the house and his art and Chinese collection.

The owner was Sir Paul Chater.

Sir Paul readily acknowledged the Pierpont Morgan collection "was finer than any in England", but....

"My collection far surpasses Mr. Morgan's. For instance, Mr. Morgan has one red hawthorn vase valued at $100,000.

I have four." 

  WAY. TO. BLOODY. GO. CHATER!

Turns out Sir Paul and JP Morgan were well acquainted with each other, Sometimes Chater was Morgan's house guest when he passed through the States for England.