A Discerning Eye: The Walter C. Koerner Collection of European Ceramics

Like the ceramics he collected throughout his life, Walter C. Koerner was a survivor of turbulent times. Born in Moravia in 1889, Koerner fled his homeland shortly before the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. After immigrating to Canada and settling in B.C., he prospered in business and became one of the University of British Columbia’s most significant benefactors.

Today, the gallery in the Museum of Anthropology that bears Koerner’s name is home to one of the most exquisite collections of...