A Dealer’s Hand

As the West awakes to the economic power of that once-supine dragon, China, this book is a timely reminder that the material culture of China has never failed to entrance and amaze those looking in from the outside, no less over the 50 years covered here than in the more distant past. Giuseppe Eskenazi is the pre-eminent expert and dealer in Chinese art and therefore well-placed to cast light on one aspect of this cultural relationship. Hajni Elias is a highly experienced researcher in the field. Together they have woven a narrative with several strands: Giuseppe’s progression from young boy in Constantinople to doyen of Chinese art dealers, enlivened by reminiscence and anecdote; an overview of the market for Chinese art in the West and the part played in it by scholars, dealers, auction houses, museums and collectors; and a comprehensive pictorial record of hundreds of the marvellous works of art that have passed through the Eskenazi Gallery’s doors.