Dr. Richard H. Eckhardt (d. 1993) and Mrs. Mary Eckhardt, both of San Antonio, Texas, met at the University of Texas and then married in 1942. During the Second World War, Dr. Eckhardt served in various parts of Europe, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and France. Following the war, the Eckhardts lived in Tokyo from 1947 to 1952, where Dr. Eckhardt practiced medicine and the couple built an expansive collection of Asian art. The present lot was acquired during that time. The two were also connoisseurs of opera, and Mary amassed a collection of English literature in the 1950s.