Art Lovers and Celadons of the Koryo Court

You can tell quality art dealers by how long they retain their clients.

Lobed cup and stand: The shape of this piece is fairly standard for its kind&#8212a ten-lobed cup on a ten-lobed stand. The ridges along the top of the cup are deeply cut, however, and the double-petaled lotus design carved around the seat where the cup rest Image courtesy of Sebastian Izzard Asian Art

You can tell quality art dealers by how long they retain their clients. Sebastian Izzard’s relationship with his best client harks back to 1984.

“It is much more satisfying to build a relationship over time,” Izzard said. “It’s a process that takes place over years.”

One such long-term relationship with Catherine and Thomas Edson of San Antonio has resulted in an exhibition that has traveled in the U.S. as well as Japan. Izzard authored the catalogue accompanying the collection titled “The Genius of Shibata Zeshin: Japanese Masterworks from the Catherine and Thomas Edson Collection.”