Abstract
A number of previous authors have recently written about motivations for collecting including several in this journal. This paper carries that exploration a step further. It examines the scientific basis of the decision making process of an important American collector of the mid-twentieth century, Eli Lilly Jr. He formed the core of the Chinese collection now housed in the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indianapolis, Indiana. Interestingly enough, Lilly's approach was very similar to present day collectors. Though this is Mr. Lilly's story, it could be that of anyone who gathers valuable objects. Indeed, science supports this point of view: that why and how we collect is rooted in our neurobiology.
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