Percival David

  • Born: 1892
  • Died: 1964

Sir Percival David was a philanthropist and art collector. His collection, described as "the finest private collection of Chinese ceramics in the world,"[1] once occupied an entire building, just off Gordon Square in London, and is now located in its own extensive gallery in the British Museum.

David was born into the Sassoon banking family, in Bombay. He moved to London in 1913, and eventually became quite proficient at classical Chinese, which he used in the course of acquiring pieces for his collection. David also played a role in bringing exhibitions of ceramics to display at the Palace Museum in Beijing.

References

  1. Gallery labels, "Sir Percival David," British Museum.[1]