賀祈思先生
他出生於1952年3月12日，自該學院畢業後，進入劍橋大學彭布羅克學院（Pembroke College）深造，而該學院正是捐出土地興建其母校（上述學院）的機構。大學畢業後，他在倫敦考取了特許會計師資格，並於1978年移居香港，一直居住至今。
他撰寫了《錦繡羅衣巧天工》（"Heavens' Embroidered Cloths - One Thousand Years of Chinese Textiles"）一書中絕大部分的圖錄條目。該書是1995年他在香港藝術館籌辦的中國紡織品展覽的圖錄。這是全球首個舉辦的大型中國紡織品展覽，展品來自世界各地的珍藏，包括中國內地收藏中國紡織品最豐富的遼寧省博物館、他本人的私人珍藏，以及美國的一個重要收藏。
最近，他榮獲了新加坡亞洲文明博物館頒發的「文化遺產獎」（Heritage Award）。2006年6月，他訪問了該學院，並作了一場關於中國紡織品的專題演講。多年來，他並不滿足於僅僅收集並建立起世界上最優秀的中國紡織品私人收藏之一。
2024年12月，他決定將其整批中國絲綢藏品捐贈給香港故宮文化博物館。根據捐贈協議，這批藏品的估值超過6,000萬美元。以下是該博物館館長在簽署儀式上發表的致辭。
The Museum is profoundly grateful to the distinguished art collector Mr. Chris Hall for his deep commitment to research and access as well as his extraordinary generosity in offering the Collection to the museum.
吳志華博士
香港故宮文化博物館 館長
香港故宮文化博物館館長吳志華博士在2024年12月18日舉行之「賀祈思先生向香港故宮文化博物館承諾捐贈中國紡織品簽署儀式」上的致辭
Mr. Chris Hall (Chinese Textile Collector and Expert), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning! I am delighted to have you here with us at the signing ceremony for the Deed for the promised gifts of Chinese textile from the esteemed art collector Mr. Chris Hall to the Hong Kong Palace Museum.
The Chris Hall Collection at the Hong Kong Palace Museum consists of nearly 3,000 works from the Warring States period to the 20th century. It is among the world’s most comprehensive and important collections of historical Chinese textile. The transformative promised gifts have particular strengths in early textiles, the Silk Roads related materials, Ming and Qing rank badges, as well as religious and vernacular textiles. Accompanied by extensive research materials, this Collection will form a key resource for the study of Chinese textiles locally, nationally, and globally .
The Museum is profoundly grateful to the distinguished art collector Mr. Chris Hall for his deep commitment to research and access as well as his extraordinary generosity in offering the Collection to the museum. It is expected that in 2034 the Chris Hall Collection at the Hong Kong Palace Museum will be donated to the Museum. Starting from 2024, the HKPM plans to transfer the Collection to the museum’s premise, making HKPM the repository of one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of historical Chinese textile. This Collection will play an important role in advancing the vision and mission of HKPM with a commitment to the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture.
As the home for this significant collection Chris Hall, we look forward to a set of ambitious and impactful programmes in research, exhibition, publication, documentation and conservation. In celebration of the promised gifts, we are planning a major exhibition featuring the Chris Hall Collection at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Scheduled to open in September 2025, this exhibition, as one of the largest survey exhibitions on the history of Chinese textile art will highlight the comprehensiveness and significance of the collection and Mr Chris Hall’s systematic collecting approach. We have also planned to travel this stunning collection to major museums in the mainland and overseas. The Museum will also lead the documentation and digitisation projects for the Collection.
The significant promised gifts also provide the foundation and critical resource for the Museum’s strategic collaboration with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to establish “The Hong Kong Palace Museum – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Joint Chinese Textile Centre”. Combining the unparalleled resources and interdisciplinary expertise of researchers, professors, and curators and other specialists from PolyU and the HKPM, the Centre is poised to become a leader in Chinese historical textile research, education, publication, and creative application. With the aim of advancing and transforming the understanding of Chinese textile and its artistic, cultural, historical, and technological significance in Hong Kong and around the globe, the Centre will help encourage collaboration across disciplines and generate new knowledge in Chinese historical textile research.
In closing, let’s put our hands together to offer Chris our deepest appreciation .
