alan bostock

in his own words

I was born in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire in 1942; my family moved to Portsmouth when I was 3 years old to be nearer to my maternal grandparents.

Unfortunately, due to ill health, my father died when I was seven years old, leaving my mother a widow with two young children to raise in the austere post-war years.  My father was an ex-Royal Marine, and as such, I was eligible to try for a scholarship to The Royal Hospital School, Ipswich. In 1953, at the age of 11, I started as a boarder and excelled, moving from the C stream to the A stream in three years, enjoying my time there.  On leaving school in 1958 I returned to Portsmouth where I obtained employment in The Royal Naval Dockyards; it wasn’t for me, and I moved on fairly quickly to a position at Portsmouth Technical College as an apprentice engineer.

I bid farewell to Portsmouth in 1961 when, following the death of my maternal grandparents, I relocated with my mother to Peterborough to be closer to her sister and husband. Once settled I held various engineering positions, before deciding to take the plunge and work for myself.  Being self-employed proved to be very successful; one of my early contracts involved converting all commercial businesses in the south east of England to natural gas.  Travelling extensively as I did, I had the opportunity to visit lots of antique shops in the various places I was based, which at the time were in their heyday. 

My interest in Japanese metalwork specifically, started by chance when perusing a local antique shop in a market town close to my home.  As was the case in those days, the owner and I got into conversation and she happened to point out two small pieces she was particularly taken with, one being a small bronze vase with inlay, the other, a small cloisonné vase, both fairly insignificant at first glance.  

The dealer went on to explain the pieces were Japanese in origin and that during the Meiji period (1868 – 1912) the Japanese were world masters in fine metalwork, but as a closed society, the rest of the world were unaware of their skills.  On seeing the pieces, I immediately understood the expertise, skill and technical ability required to create such beautiful items and it was at this moment my obsession for all Japanese metalwork began. This chance introduction sparked an interest which has become a lifelong passion, and as with all things - the more you immerse yourself in something, the more it consumes you.  

I have acquired my collection over the last forty plus years, initially buying from shops and fairs and then laterally online, both in the UK and abroad. The subject area continues to consume me; I remain a retired 82-year-old self-confessed lover of all things Japanese. 

Alan Bostock