Gstaad-Inside Guide-Farrol-Khan

24 Gstaad all, he wrote a book about the 233 geniuses in the world when he was just 14 years old. Also he conforms to the definition of a genius by another author, Isaac D’Israeli, the father of the Prime Minister D’Israeli who wrote a book on the men of genius which he defined as “native intellectual power of an exalted type.” (The History of The Men of Genius, published in 1818). His collections are divided into Islamic Art, with artefacts dating from 700 to 2000; Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage from 700 to 2000; Aramaic Documents from 535 BC to 324 BC; Japanese Art of the Meiji Period from 1868 to 1912; Japanese Kimonos from 1700 to 2000; Swedish Textiles from 1700 to 1900; Spanish Damascened Metalwork Nasser David Khalili from 1850 to 1900 and Enamels of the World from 1700 to 2000. Together, Healing The World they comprise some 35,000 worksof art, many of which have been exhibited with Art at prestigious museums and institutions Call him a latter-day Renaissance man, worldwide. Each work of art has been a polymath or simply a genius or what meticulously conserved, researched, you will because Professor Nasser catalogued and published as part of David Khalili - referred to by FIRST what is considered to be one of the Magazine as “the Medici of the 21st most ambitious art scholarship projects century” – has blazed a trail in his life in modern history. Seventy-two of that no one has ever encountered. He over a hundred planned volumes have is a mega-collector of world art – a already been published, led by David collector of collections – and is the Khalili and with contributions from only billionaire whose fortune derives the world’s leading experts in each predominately from art. respective field. Moreover he is a philanthropist, a real Nasser David Khalili was born in the estate investor, founder of an interfaith Iranian city of Isfahan to a family of charity and a world-renowned scholar Mizrahi Jews. David was exposed to of the history of art. But it would be art and Islamic artefacts at an early reasonable to settle for genius. After Who’s Who 25 age because his father was a trader Egyptian embassies. Then he embarked in these objects. From the age of on a renovation programme to change eight he began to accompany him on the buildings into a palatial equivalent 1 buying trips over a number of years. to the White House and he imported When he was a teenager he was given the same inlaid and carved marble his first piece, a 19th century Qajar from the Agra quarry that was used on lacquer pen box (which remains in his the Taj Mahal. As the most expensive collections), by a collector who spotted house in the world at the time, it was the enthusiasm in the young Khalili’s later sold to the Indian steel magnate eyes. After completing his service as Lakshmi Mittal. Another important a medic in the Iranian army, he left in acquisition and redevelopment project 1967 for the US to study at Queens was Bath House on Holborn Viaduct, College, City University of New York which became the UK HQ of Amazon. where he gained a bachelor’s degree in computer science. He began buying art “I’m very democratic towards my in diverse fields while in the city. As he family that consists of my wife Marion, was the first in a market with a scarcity our three sons, Daniel, Benjamin and of buyers and having acquired a deep Raphael,” he said. “Whenever you are in knowledge in each field, he was able to a crowd and do not know where to go, snap up the best objects. put a child on your shoulder and they will tell you where to go.” His philanthropic work included the endowment of Chairs in Islamic art All along he has had a spiritual at his alma mater, Queen’s College approach towards art and life. He is in New York, and at the School of insistent that his collections belong to Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) humanity and if there is any praise it in London, where he was awarded is not for him but rather for the souls his PhD. He also endowed the Khalili of the artists who produced such Research Centre for the Art and magnificent work. Material Culture of the Middle East at Oxford University. “Ownership is a myth; we are only temporary custodians of what we think In 1978, he moved to London after we own,” he insisted. ”My mission is meeting his wife, Marion, who was to share the art with humanity”. This working in an antiques centre and is why Irina Bokova, former Director- it was love at first sight. His real General of UNESCO has referred estate ventures include many major to him as one of the most active commercial and residential properties UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors. in the UK. In the early 1990s, he bought 18 and 19 Kensington Palace Gardens This attitude has also been recognised which were the former Russian and by the Catholic church. As a result he 26 Gstaad The Khalili Collections’ Japanese three-piece garniture. has received knighthoods from two will find there is more that unites us Popes. Pope John Paul II honoured him as human beings than divides us. We as Knight of the Pontifical Equestrian must move beyond mere ‘tolerance’ Order of St Sylvester (KSS) and Pope and learn to respect each other’s world Benedict XVI further elevated him to views.” Knight Commander in the said order (KCSS) for his work in the pursuit of It is not surprising, therefore, that the peace, education and culture amongst Khalili Foundation has been at the nations. In fact when Pope Benedict forefront of interfaith dialogue for XVI awarded him with the honour, he over three decades, and that one of said Khalili had the combined wisdom the key projects – the Maimonides of three religious leaders: a chief rabbi, Interfaith Initiative – has been focused a cardinal and a grand mufti. And yet on interfaith cohesion through art, he remains incredibly humble: “Glory culture and education. His powerful belongs to God and humility belongs to partnership with the Commonwealth man,” he said. (Faith in the Commonwealth) has facilitated grassroots peace activism “My philosophy is the same as that has reached some 16,000 youth in Maimonides,” he continued. “It’s the countries across Africa, South Asia and need to learn about other people’s the Caribbean. ways of life. By learning about it we Who’s Who 27 The list of honours he has received My hunt for objects is adventurous,” is substantial, but to name a few he he said. “I once was in restaurant in the is Trustee of the City of Jerusalem, a US and I spotted a Japanese enamel 1 recipient of the High Sheriff of Greater vase that I recognised as being the London Award and was an Honorary missing piece of a huge eight foot tall Board Member for the INTERPOL 3-piece garniture made specially for Foundation for a Safer World (2018- the World’s Columbian Exposition in 2019). He has also received the rank Chicago in 1893, which attracted 27 of Officier in the National Order of million visitors.” the Legion of Honour by the French President François Hollande at the Dubbed at the time ‘the largest Elysée Palace, who said of Khalili on the examples of cloisonné enamel ever occasion that “he is a man who works made’ the garniture took five years to for peace.” complete and was commissioned by Shin Shinwoda, the Special Councillor The number of serious collectors for Arts of the Imperial Commission to can be counted on one hand, such as the Exposition. The manufactures were the David Collection in Copenhagen, Shirozayemon Suzuki of Yokohama and Sheikh Nasser al-Sabah of Kuwait, Seizayemon Tsunekawa of Nagoya. Chester Beatty and the Rockefellers. The greatest imperial court artists of But some experts deem that it’s the the period were employed in their sheer depth as well as breadth of creation – with an all-star team of the Khalili’s art holdings which rivals that of most celebrated artists including Araki the Getty or the Gulbenkian. Kampo (1831-1915) and Oda Kyōsai (1845-1912) overseeing the designs. This is why Google place his collections Upon completion, the Emperor of as “among the most impressive” and Japan had subsequently reviewed them Wikimedia have hailed him as “one of ahead of the exposition. the world’s great preservers of global cultural heritage”. “The vase I’d spotted in the restaurant was purchased in Chicago by Frank In fact Susan Moore, of the Financial Spenger,” he continued, “and brought to Times and Apollo Magazine, placed the California Midwinter International him in a class of his own: “David Khalili Exposition of 1894, which explains how puts most collectors to shame,” she it eventually made itself to Berkeley, said. “In an age in which many rich men California. Finally, in February 2019, I call themselves collectors and seem purchased the last missing vase from an more interested in displaying their auction house in Auckland, California.” wealth than the art they have acquired through it, Khalili has done rather more After over 120 years of separation, than simply raise a paddle in the sale the famous three-piece garniture had room.” 28 Gstaad finally been reunited in Khalili’s Japanese exhibitions such as the British Museum, Art of the Meiji Period (1868-1912), the Victoria and Albert Museum and finding their rightful place in what is Somerset House (London); the State considered, alongside the Japanese Hermitage Museum (St Petersburg); Imperial Collection, to be the world’s the Moscow Kremlin Museums; the most significant collection of its kind.

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