Provenance:

The Collection of John McKay-Clements
Lots 394 to 427

We are privileged to offer, with the co-operation of the McKay-Clements family, the Asian art collection of John McKay-Clements (1901-1976). Mr. McKay-Clements was a renowned Canadian aeronautical engineer and entrepreneur. His achievements were exceptional and wide-ranging. He successfully expanded one of his companies, Wabi Iron Works, into one of the largest foundries in the world to date, which oversaw Canadian aircraft production for the RAF during WWII. John also built an impressive and internationally-recognized coin collection, considered to be one of the most important in Canadian history. During the 1970s, he was mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records as an owner of the 1911 Canadian Silver Dollar, then considered the rarest coin in the world. Mr. McKay-Clements passion for Asian art began in 1960 when he was on a trip with the Toronto Board of Trade, where he visited Japan and Hong Kong. He was fascinated with the aestheticism and technical discipline inherent to the art. The collection has remained in his Northern Ontario home until this year, when his beloved wife Margaret passed away.