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Lot Essay
“I was particularly intrigued by the combination of jade with the legendary Chinese bestiary, with its infinite variety of sinuous dragons, horned felines and all sorts of fanciful creatures not of this world.” T. Eugene Worrell, A Jade Menagerie: Creatures Real and Imaginary from the Worrell Collection, London, 1993, foreword.
Thomas Eugene Worrell (1919-2006) of Charlottesville, Virginia, was a renowned American collector of Chinese jade animal carvings and American and European wildlife art. Born and raised in Bristol, Virginia, Worrell first worked as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation during World War II and later practiced law in his hometown of Bristol. In 1949, together with his wife Anne Rowell, he started a newspaper company, beginning with the Virginia Tennessean, which eventually merged with the Bristol Herald Courier. These acquisitions marked the beginning of Worrell Newspapers, Inc., which became one of the largest chains of daily newspapers in the United States. Upon purchasing The Daily Progress in 1970, the Worrells moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they would remain for the rest of their lives.
Worrell was an avid philanthropist, supporting a variety of local and national institutions, including Wake Forest University, Virginia Intermont College, The University of Virginia, Martha Jefferson Hospital, The Miller Center, The Salvation Army, The Charlottesville/Albermarle Rescue Squad, The American Red Cross, The City Center for Contemporary Arts, The Virginia Historical Society, and Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. Above all, T. Eugene Worrell was an enthusiastic and committed Naturalist.
T. Eugene Worrell’s self-proclaimed infatuation with Chinese jade animal carvings began on a visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and continued throughout his lifetime. John Ayers, the then-curator of the V&A wrote a catalogue highlighting works from the collection, A Jade Menagerie: Creatures Real and Imaginary from the Worrell Collection, London, 1993. The collection was housed in the Worrell Family Offices Gallery in Charlottesville, Virginia, on idyllic grounds that were once owned by Thomas Jefferson's father, Peter Jefferson.
Christie’s is honored to present the following selection of jade animal carvings from the Worrell Collection. Additional jade carvings from the Worrell Collection will be offered in our 2023 online auctions.
Thomas Eugene Worrell (1919-2006) of Charlottesville, Virginia, was a renowned American collector of Chinese jade animal carvings and American and European wildlife art. Born and raised in Bristol, Virginia, Worrell first worked as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation during World War II and later practiced law in his hometown of Bristol. In 1949, together with his wife Anne Rowell, he started a newspaper company, beginning with the Virginia Tennessean, which eventually merged with the Bristol Herald Courier. These acquisitions marked the beginning of Worrell Newspapers, Inc., which became one of the largest chains of daily newspapers in the United States. Upon purchasing The Daily Progress in 1970, the Worrells moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they would remain for the rest of their lives.
Worrell was an avid philanthropist, supporting a variety of local and national institutions, including Wake Forest University, Virginia Intermont College, The University of Virginia, Martha Jefferson Hospital, The Miller Center, The Salvation Army, The Charlottesville/Albermarle Rescue Squad, The American Red Cross, The City Center for Contemporary Arts, The Virginia Historical Society, and Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. Above all, T. Eugene Worrell was an enthusiastic and committed Naturalist.
T. Eugene Worrell’s self-proclaimed infatuation with Chinese jade animal carvings began on a visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and continued throughout his lifetime. John Ayers, the then-curator of the V&A wrote a catalogue highlighting works from the collection, A Jade Menagerie: Creatures Real and Imaginary from the Worrell Collection, London, 1993. The collection was housed in the Worrell Family Offices Gallery in Charlottesville, Virginia, on idyllic grounds that were once owned by Thomas Jefferson's father, Peter Jefferson.
Christie’s is honored to present the following selection of jade animal carvings from the Worrell Collection. Additional jade carvings from the Worrell Collection will be offered in our 2023 online auctions.