About Me
When I was a little boy, my father took me along on Saturday afternoons to visit local antiques dealers and auction houses to study and discuss Chinese and Japanese ceramic objects.
Through these visits I came into contact with special and unique people and learned by listening and observing how they discussed their objects with passion and affection. They taught me what to look at when determining an object's age, state or origin.
The people I was surrounded by triggered my curiosity and interest in wanting to learn more about my country's trade history with China and Japan. Over the years I steadily learned more about oriental ceramics by reading about the subject, visiting museums and studying their collections.
In 1982, Mr. Rieks Kessels (a local antiques dealer) gave me an 18th century Chinese famille rose decorated dish. He used this dish in his antiques store to cut and serve cake to his customers while drinking tea and discussing oriental ceramics. This gift laid the foundation for creating my own Chinese and Japanese ceramics collection.
(Mr. Rieks Kessels in his antiques store in 1983 and the by him to me donated Chinese famille rose decorated dish)
In that same year, I had two major desires - oriental ceramics on the one hand, a 50 cc motorbike on the other. Guess what I decided for: I bought my first piece of oriental ceramics, a Japanese Imari teapot.
At the beginning of 2010 I decided that I wanted to start my own business, buying and selling Chinese and Japanese ceramics, and to combine my knowledge and passion that way. Pater Gratia Oriental Art was born!
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