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March 28, 2024, 12:02:23 pm
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IN MEMORIAM - Y.F. YANG 11.June.1921 - 10.Sept.2017

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Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« on: December 02, 2017, 09:15:49 am »

 

    Yung Fu Yang of blessed memory, known to most of us as Y.F., was born in Beijing on 11.June.1921, into a Hui Moslem family of dealers in Chinese art objects and curiosities. His family had a shop on Langfang 2nd Alley outside  Qianmen in Beijing,  a traditional area of artisans and craft shops.

     Y.F. escaped Japanese-occupied Beijing for Shanghai in 1940, at age 19. He stayed there, married and worked in antiques, till 1961. In that year, Y.F. braved shark-infested waters to get to freedom in the [then] British territory of Hong Kong. He opened a shop, Y.F. Yang & Co., in Chungking Mansions Shopping Arcade, and after a number of years, moved it to Ocean Terminal, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon.

      In late 1980, Y.F. moved to Honolulu, HI., where he lived till his death on 10.Sept.2017, at age 97 [Chinese are considered to be a year old at birth].

      Yung Fu Yang was the proud father of 3 sons and 3 daughters, and had at his death, six children,  nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren. His oldest son, Stanley, still runs the Hong Kong branch of the family business.  Y.F.'s son  Ernest, his wife and family, and daughter Lianne moved to Honolulu with Y.F.

     The first I knew of Y.F. Yang was from his ads in publications from the HK SB Society in 1971, after I joined their group.

      Y.F. was famous for his kindness and generosity throughout the snuff bottle collecting community. A few years ago, I met a man in Newport Wales, who, as a child in the late 1960s/early 1970s, would go with his late father to Y.F.'s Kowloon shop, and always came out with a little gift. Years later, he'd inherited his father's snuff bottles, and I was thrilled to purchase a few with a Y.F. Yang & Co. provenance from 1969-1972.


    I corresponded with Y.F. via the post till October 1978, when I was able to attend my first ICSBS convention, in Hong Kong that year. My first stop in Hong Kong after Sabbath (I'd arrived on Friday), was Y.F.'s shop in Ocean Terminal.

    That Sunday, 2 days before the start of the convention, I spent a few unforgettable hours with Y.F. With Y.F.'s assistance and advice, I was able to choose 7 or 8 snuff bottles from his then vast stock. 
 
    I have referred to Y.F. in my assorted catalogues since 1994 as 'Mor'i veRab'i', "My Master and Teacher", and I sincerely mean it.  He was a true friend and mentor to me, and I deeply appreciate it.  In the last few years, Y.F. even gave me the signal honour of allowing me to purchase snuff bottles from his personal collection.

     He will be deeply and sorely missed by all who knew him and loved him, because to know Yung Fu Yang was to love him, for his generosity of spirit, eagerness to share his knowledge, willingness to enable those who did not have 'deep pockets' [and for a number of years, I felt  that I  myself was in that category!] to afford treasures he was offering for sale, and genuine humility in his dealings with others.

    I would like to finish with an incident that happened at the function hosted by Y.F. and the late Patty Miller at the Honolulu Club, around the corner from the Honolulu Academy of Arts [The HAA is today called the Honolulu Museum of Art], during the 1981 Honolulu Convention.

    I was attending along with the late Agatha Aronson of blessed memory [and all the other convention attendees], and she was putting stuff on my plate, before I could make sure it wasn't pork or shellfish.
Agatha placed on my plate a few pieces of what I thought was batter coated fried chicken. I took a bite of one, and it was shrimp! I gave the rest to Agatha, and dropped the uneaten bit into the rubbish, but I swallowed what I'd bitten off, naturally. I ate all the foods that were not on my proscribed list, enjoyed the cameradie of being with all my friends, and had a great time.

     Before I left, I went to say goodbye and to thank Patty and Y.F.
Patty, as was her wont, gave me a hug and a kiss. Y.F. had a bottle of beer in his hand, which he was drinking. I said, in a fake shocked tone, "Mr. Yang, that's beer! You are a Moslem! Alcohol is forbidden!" .
     He instantly replied, "I saw you eat shrimp! You don't tell my Kadi and I won't tell your Rabbi!" We both laughed uproariously, and I took my leave.

May Yung Fu Yang's memory be for a blessing, and May his family and friends know no more sorrow.

Joseph Baruch Silver
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Joey Silver (Si Zhouyi 義周司), collecting snuff bottles since Feb.1970

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Rube
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« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2017, 12:42:49 pm »

Joey,
Thank you for sharing this tribute of your dear friend and mentor.
Rube.
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Rube, 4th Generation Collector

Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2017, 03:36:50 pm »

My pleasure, Rube.
Best,
Joey
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Joey Silver (Si Zhouyi 義周司), collecting snuff bottles since Feb.1970

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Beautiful things deserve appreciation


« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2017, 07:22:15 pm »

Dear Joey,

Thank you for sharing your experience and memory of friendship and mentorship with the late Mr. Y.F. Yang with us. Although I did not get the privilege to meet and know Mr. Yang personally, I can imagine the greatness of his personality from the obituary you’ve written.

Best,
Samson
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Samson - a young new collector desiring knowledge
Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司
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« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2017, 01:32:27 pm »

Dear Samson,
 
      He was an amazing person. I will publish the first article I wrote. Berthe felt it was 'too' personal, and that it featured me as much as Y.F. Re-reading it, I agree with her, but it still gives further stories about Y.F.'s kindness, etc.
Best,
Joey
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Joey Silver (Si Zhouyi 義周司), collecting snuff bottles since Feb.1970

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