DavidsSamlingGennem24År

Forord

Foreword

André Leth has been director o f the C. L . David Collec­ tion since 1962 and the Board has wished to show its recognition o f his work by arranging a special exhibition to mark his retirement on 1st J u ly 1985, when he will be succeeded by Kjeld v. Folsach. The collection André Leth took over was o f high quality as it had been assembled through collaboration between C . L . David and leading experts in the fields which especially held his interest. However, it is hardly any exaggeration to emphasize that André L eth ’s work during the past 25 years or so has been o f the utmost importance to the Museum’s unusually high standard. Leth has reorganized the collection, butfirst and fore­ most he has succeeded, through his collector’s instinct, in making acquisitions that have expanded its dimensions and thereby raised the Museum to an international level. Those o f us who have witnessed the indefatiguable energy with which he can roam through the bazaars o f Istanbul, explain the marvels o f Sinan, discuss the buy- ing o f Shah-Nameh illustrations, or go through plans fo r the handing over o f purchases made in Ghazni, appreciate to how great an extent the acquisitions made during his period as director have served, not only to increase the size o f the collection, but also its vitality. E rik H o f f m e y e r

A n d r é L e th h a r v æ re t d ir e k tø r f o r C . L. D a v id s F o n d o g S a m lin g s id e n 1 962, o g b e s ty re ls e n h a r ø n s k e t a t a n e r k e n d e h a n s in d s a ts v e d e n sæ rlig u d s tillin g i f o r b in d e ls e m e d , a t h a n tr æ k k e r sig tilb a g e d e n 1. j u l i 1 985, h v o r h a n e fte rfø lg e s a f K je ld v . F o lsa c h . D e n s a m lin g , A n d r é L e th o v e r to g , v a r a f h ø j k v a lite t, id e t d e n v a r s k a b t i e t s a m a rb e jd e m e lle m C . L . D a v id o g f ø re n d e e k s p e rte r p å d e o m rå d e r , s o m sæ rlig in te re s s e re d e g ru n d læ g g e re n . D e t e r d o g n æ p p e n o g e n o v e rd riv e ls e at f r e m ­ h æ v e , a t A n d r é L e th ’s in d s a ts g e n n e m c irk a 25 å r h a r v æ r e t a f h e lt a fg ø re n d e b e ty d n in g f o r s a m lin ­ g e n s u s æ d v a n lig e s ta n d a rd . L e th h a r r e o rg a n is e r e t s a m lin g e n , m e n f ø rs t o g f r e m m e s t i k r a ft a f s it s a m le r in s tin k t f o r m å e t at tilfø re d e n e rh v e r v e ls e r , s o m h a r u d v id e t d im e n s i­ o n e r n e o g d e r m e d b r a g t m u s e e t o p i in te r n a tio n a l k la sse . N å r m a n h a r o p le v e t, m e d h v ilk e n u tr æ tte lig e n e r g i h a n s tø v e r r u n d t i Is ta n b u ls b a z a re r, fo rk la ­ r e r o m S in a n s h e rlig h e d e r, d r ø f te r in d k ø b a f S h a h - N a m e h illu s tr a tio n e r e lle r e n d e v e n d e r p la n e r fo r a t fa u d le v e r e t in d k ø b fra G h a z n i, k a n m a n fo rstå , a t d e e r h v e r v e ls e r , d e r e r s k e t i h a n s p e rio d e s o m d ir e k tø r , h a r g jo r t m u s e e t s tø r r e o g m e re le v e n d e . Erik Hoffmeyer

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