London

My grandmother was a British communist living in 1950s China. She left behind a hidden collection of art worth almost £40,000.

24 April 2026

High res images for editorial use here. Please credit Roseberys.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Emma Davey, pictured as a child with grandmother Nan Brake, was left stunned upon discovering that a chest of “travel souvenirs” left to her by her grandmother Nan Brake were worth over £40,000.

Collection lay unrecognised in chest for over 40 years

Emma Davey was left stunned when she discovered that a chest of “travel souvenirs” left to her family by her grandmother was worth almost £40,000.

The works were acquired by Davey’s grandmother Nan Brake during the 1950s while living in China, and remained in the London family home for more than four decades following her death in 1984.

Nan Brake in her home in China

A routine valuation by specialist Ruixue Li at Roseberys Auctioneers uncovered what she describes as “an astonishing collection of Chinese art, with excellent Imperial pieces.”

We always thought of these objects as mementos of our grandmother. We had no idea they were so valuable, or had so much history. We used to dress up in the silks as children!”

says Emma Davey.

The preview at Roseberys’ new Belgravia gallery marks the first time the collection, spanning textiles, jades, paintings and decorative works, will be seen by the public. They will be sold in the May 12th Chinese, Japanese & Southeast Asian Art auction.

Roseberys Specialist Ruixue Li with an Imperial robe estimated to be worth £12,000

Li believes that a Qing dynasty dragon robe in the collection, worth up to £12,000, was made to be worn by a member of the Emperor’s family, given the presence of five of the Twelve Symbols of Imperial Authority. It likely dates to the Jiaqing period, making it up to 230 years old.

The robe is believed to have been made to wear by the Emperor’s family Estimate: £8,000-£12-000

“My grandmother told us of her acquaintance with the last eunuch of China,” says Davey. “Although anecdotal, it’s possible that was how she acquired some of the Imperial works in the collection.”

“Whether or not Nan Brake knew precisely what she had, she clearly had a keen eye for exceptional objects,” adds Li.

From Spanish Civil War volunteer in the 1930s to interpreter and teacher under Mao in the 1950s

Nan Brake teaching in China

Brake (also known as Nan Green) led an extraordinary life, shaped by her commitment to socialism and extensive travels.

Born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire in 1904, she became active in left-wing politics in the late 1920s, initially joining the Independent Labour Party before later becoming a branch secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain.

She volunteered during the Spanish Civil War, working with medical units attached to the International Brigades. Her first husband was killed by General Franco’s forces.

In 1952 she travelled to China as an interpreter for an international conference, at a time when Mandarin-Spanish translators were almost non-existent.

Nan Brake engaged in translation work

“People in China would often say things in front of her in Mandarin, assuming that a British woman wouldn’t be able to speak the language. They were always shocked when she replied!” Davey says.

She went on to live in Peking between 1953 and 1960, working on the English-language publication China Reconstructs (now China Today), as well as subtitling films and undertaking reporting assignments.

‘Junking’ trips to local markets helped her build exceptional collection

Nan Brake in China's Western Hills

During this period, she travelled extensively across the country, collecting objects directly from markets and dealers. She described these excursions as “junking”, recording vivid impressions in diaries and letters sent home.

“My grandmother was a singular woman,” says Davey. “While other children were eating shepherd’s pie, we were going to Berwick Street market to find Chinese ingredients, which was unusual at the time. She was very cosmopolitan.”

Brake pictured with companions in China

This extraordinary collection was acquired during a formative moment in the early years of the People’s Republic of China. It offers an important record of the antiques trade at a time of profound change, and it is exceptionally rare to encounter a collection with this level of provenance and personal context intact.

Bill Forrest, Head of Chinese, Japanese & Southeast Asian Art at Roseberys.

Exhibition and Auction Date

Nan Brake Collection Preview at Roseberys Belgravia Gallery, 26 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8LJ: Monday 27 - Thursday 30 April

Chinese, Japanese & Southeast Asian Art Auction Date: Tuesday 12 May - Wednesday 13 May

ENDS

High res images available for editorial use here. Please credit Roseberys.

For media enquiries please contact: aliciaglenn@roseberys.co.uk

About Roseberys:

Founded almost four decades ago, Roseberys has built a reputation for bringing fresh-to-market works and distinctive collections to auction across a wide range of collecting categories, with over 40 specialist auctions annually.

In recent years, Roseberys has increasingly brought significant single-owner collections and interiors to market. These have included The George Farrow Collection, a wide-ranging group of more than 500 works spanning European sculpture, Chinese works of art and historic tapestries and The Collection of the Late Hugo Morley-Fletcher, the renowned Antiques Roadshow ceramics specialist, which brought together family portraits from Yester House alongside his personal holdings of European porcelain and glass.

Other recent sales drawn from historic interiors, including An English Country Home: Interiors by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, have further reinforced the auction house’s position as a destination for collections shaped by a strong sense of place and provenance.

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