Dish with floral design, Japan, late 17th centurySaint Louis Art MuseumProvenance: William K. B

Dish with floral design, Japan, late 17th century

Provenance: William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art

H 3.8 cm x Ø 15.6 cm

William K. Bixby(1857-1931) was an American collector of art and rare books, and is known for his significant philanthropic contributions around the St. Louis area. He worked through the ranks of the Texas railroad and his vigor caught the eye of H.M. Hoxie, the president of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Hoxie soon convinced Bixby to move to St. Louis to work for the Union Pacific, and in 1889, Bixby spearheaded the merger of eighteen companies that led to the creation of the American Car & Foundry Company.

In the year preceding his retirement, he headed the Fine Arts Commission for the 1904 World’s Fair, an act that helped inspire the creation of the St. Louis Art Museum. He was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1906. He donated items such as The Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493, papers of Thomas Jefferson, and an illuminated Medieval Missal leaf to the Missouri Historical Society. He also donated parts of his collections to the St. Louis Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, the St. Louis Mercantile Library, and the St. Louis Artist’s Guild, among others.

[text source: @wikipedia]