F rederick William Hinke (1900-1960) was born in Auburn, New York. His father, Dr. William John Hinke, was a well-known scholar amongst the upper echelons of Washington. The family was also good friends with the Dulles family, including Allen Welsh Dulles (1893-1969), former U.S. diplomat, and John Foster Dulles (1888-1959), former U.S. secretary of states under President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969). Growing up in this environment, Hinke became actively involved in politics and served as U.S. Vice Consul during 1926-1929, and U.S. Consul in 1932 in Guangdong province, China. He later moved to Tianjin in 1938.
These assignments allowed Frederick to travel around the world and gradually build up his art collection. For the past 70 years, these rare and beautiful artifacts have been kept privately in the family and never appeared in the market.
