Sophus Black (2 May 1882 – 22 December 1960) was a Danish telegraph manager and art collector.[1][2]
Born in Marstal, Denmark, Black was hired after preliminary diploma in 1900 Danish company Great Northern Telegraph Company and immediately thereafter posted in London. Subsequently, he was for twenty nine years from 1902–31 stationed in China, first in Shanghai, then from 1907 in Peking, where from 1919 he served as manager of among other things, the company's station in Hong Kong. Sophus Black was early preoccupied with Chinese culture. He learned the language, lived custom of the country, understood and respected Chinese mentality and began collecting distinguished Chinese art and antiques.[3][4][5]
In 1915 he married Minna Dich, a goldsmith. Together they collected Chinese art and antiquities. They returned to Denmark in 1931. He donated many pieces from his art collection to the National Museum of Denmark.[6][7]
Black's collection also included Chinese paper money, which appears for sale from time to time. For example, Ming notes,[8] and in November 2017, a bundle of 50 Qing dynasty 500-cash notes from Black's collection were sold at auction in Denmark.[9]
Further reading
edit- Karsten Hermansen, Den danske Darduse – Kinafareren Sophus Black 1882–1960 (Udg. af Marstal Søfartsmuseum, 2015)[10]
- Minna Törmä, Nordic Private Collections of Chinese Objects (Routledge, 2020). ISBN 9781138351806[11]
References
edit- ^ "Dansk Biografisk Leksikon" (Bind 1979, 210)
- ^ "Sophus Black – Gyldendal – Den Store Danske". www.denstoredanske.dk. 17 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.
- ^ Christopher Bo Bramsen (5 November 2013). Open Doors: Vilhelm Meyer and the Establishment of General Electric in China. Taylor & Francis. pp. 110–. ISBN 978-1-136-84774-5. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018.
- ^ "12 centimeter høj kinesisk bronzevase solgt til fantasipris – Hillerød Posten". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.
- ^ "Solgt for 13,6 millioner: Marstallers Buddha slår auktionsrekord". 24 March 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
- ^ Regine Thiriez (5 September 2013). Barbarian Lens: Western Photographers of the Qianlong Emperor's European Palaces. Routledge. pp. 112–. ISBN 978-1-136-80017-7. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018.
- ^ Danish National Archives (1 January 1980). Sources of the History of North Africa, Asia and Oceania in Denmark. Walter de Gruyter. pp. 472–. ISBN 978-3-11-097036-4. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018.
- ^ "Choice Ming Dynasty kuan (1000 cash) bank note – Sophus Black#2 (item #1329203)". Trocadero. Archived from the original on 2018-01-22.
- ^ Arthur L. Friedberg, Price for bundle of Chinese notes stuns observers at auction, Coinworld, 20 Nov 2017. https://www.coinworld.com/news/paper-money/2017/11/bundle-of-chinese-notes-shocks-with-winning-bid.all.html
- ^ "Bogudgivelse – Den danske Darduse". Archived from the original on 2018-01-22.
- ^ https://www.worldcat.org/title/nordic-private-collections-of-chinese-objects/oclc/1140381711 Book info at WorldCat