Provenance: Sofus Marius Black 1882–1960, telegraph manager, and art collector. Black was after “præliminæreksamen” employed in the large Northern Telegraph Company, and was stationed in London in 1900 and 1902–31 in China. After service in Shanghai, Chefoo and Tientsin, he came to Beijing in 1907 and 1919, he served as manager of the company's station there, as well as periodically in Tientsin, Chefoo and Hong Kong. Black was soon preoccupied with Chinese culture and art and soon began to collect. Over the years this collection became many-sided among others Buddhist figures, ancester portraits etc. Several of Blacks things found their way to the National Museum as a gift or purchased. Black and his wife Minna Dich was advisors for Danes who were going to China and for various Museums.