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Lot Essay
This superbly carved vase was formerly in the distinguished collection of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. (1889-1957). Born in Cleveland, Hanna was a member of one of the city’s most prominent families and among its greatest philanthropists. During his lifetime, he contributed more than $90 million to cultural and charitable institutions. After graduating from Yale University, he gained experience in the iron and steel industry before serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during the First World War. Returning to Cleveland after the war, he joined M. A. Hanna & Co., later Hanna Mining, becoming a partner in 1917.
An avid art collector, theater patron, boxing enthusiast, and baseball fan, Hanna cultivated friendships with leading figures in the arts, including his Yale classmate Cole Porter and journalist Winsor French. His association with the Cleveland Museum of Art began in 1914 when he joined its advisory committee; from 1920 onward he served on its Accessions Committee. Upon his death on 5 October 1957, Hanna bequeathed more than $33 million to the Cleveland Museum of Art, one of the largest gifts in the museum’s history.
An avid art collector, theater patron, boxing enthusiast, and baseball fan, Hanna cultivated friendships with leading figures in the arts, including his Yale classmate Cole Porter and journalist Winsor French. His association with the Cleveland Museum of Art began in 1914 when he joined its advisory committee; from 1920 onward he served on its Accessions Committee. Upon his death on 5 October 1957, Hanna bequeathed more than $33 million to the Cleveland Museum of Art, one of the largest gifts in the museum’s history.