A calebass shaped black glazed vase, Qing dynasty, 19th century.

Anders Hellström (1877-1940), living in Mölndal in Sweden, working as the director of Papyrus. Hellström had started to collect bronzes early. Was an active member of the China Club in Sweden. He obtained a substantial number of bronzes from Orvar Karlbeck but he also frequently purchased bronzes from the great European dealers. He thus built up the most important private collection of ancient Chinese bronzes in Sweden with a great number of unique pieces. After his death most of his large collection (some 1300 items) was bought by the Östasiatiska museum in Stockholm. The most important bronzes were published by Karlgren in "Bronzes in the Hellström Collection" (Karlgren 1948), but a large part of his collection has remained unpublished. This vas has remained in the family up until now.

Siggstedt, Mette, 2009, Bulletin, no 77, p. 68.