The Zentner Gallery

Three Generations of Connoisseurship

My Quest 

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” - Steve Jobs

I remember being a young boy and being able to spend time and participate at the shop.  Both my parents would give me things to do allowing me to take responsibility. A lesson that I continue to live by everyday. As I grew into an adult and finished schooling with a B.S. in Aviation, I saw the opportunity to take the next step.  Deliberately working and sifting through years of experience from my parents and to looking forward to the future to create the new chapter. 

Having had the opportunity to grow up in this business, surrounded by magnificently crafted history and traveling the world collecting unbelievable pieces, I was able to  open my eyes to what true passion really was.  Not doing it because it pays you but because I love it.  So I came back to were it all began and continued creating a legacy.

My mission was to create a Gallery space within The Zentner Collection  to unveil and showcase incredible collections of art, as well as to hold private catered events for museums and charity events alike. We would open up the gallery for  exhibitions for local artist and allow the space. 

With our building being in excess of 36,000 sq. ft. we had room available to create The Zentner Gallery.  This space is now realized in a 5,000+ sq. ft. gallery/exhibition space.  One that can host a wide range of events and activities.  Let us know if you have a event in mind, we would love to hear your ideas.  

If you like to get to know what we are doing, join our mailing list and be sure to stop in next time your in the area.

- Robert P. Zentner III

The Beginning of a Lifelong Passion

When my husband and I had the opportunity to live and work in Japan we set off.  He was hired as a Structural Engineer to work on off shore oil platforms.  Our first home was in a small seaport town called Tsu in the Mie Prefecture. 

A popular TV movie at the time had just aired called "Shogun" with the well known actor Richard Chamberlain. This had created a wave of excitement of anything Japanese. 

 To see a tansu was to see an exotic and interesting piece of furniture.  There was nothing to compare it with.  Low chest of drawers with round black metal faceplate for a lock.  Lots of black metal protecting the edges and wood surfaces.  Moveable handles to open the drawers and carry the portable unit.  

I had gotten hooked on Japanese antiques by finding an exotic looking chest in my friend’s dorm room.  It was the start of a livelong obsession.  I was taking Asian History at UCD and doing tea ceremony at a friend's tea house every week so it all seemed to fit together interest-wise.

It was always easy and enjoyable while in Japan.  The dealers were hard to find at first.  At the small town of Matsusaka. there were narrow winding streets, some so narrow that you could spread both arms and touch both sides.  At first I wouldn't walk without losing sight of the tall hotel we were staying in for the first two months.  Walking we peered into the shop windows and found an old clock repair shop.  He had a small box with many drawers and that was something we were looking for, the first in the town.  Somehow we communicated that we wanted to find more old items that looked similar.

We were told there was a second hand household item collector with a space on a back street.

When we finally visited him we found a teakettle, a woodblock print, a tea caddy with porcelain tea set, and several tall 3-section light wood chests.  We bought them and he let us know that more could be found. The next storage unit was visited by riding on borrowed bicycles over small canals.  It seemed like a wonderful way to spend our time in foreign land that was so friendly to us.  

We had Perry's folks visit us when they heard what fun we were having.  We were living in a nice house with a brand new station wagon, all new items provided for by the company that gave a special perk of free shipping of a 20 foot container of our household effects back when we were finished living in Japan.  We spent our money every payday and sometimes had to borrow from our neighbors, also fellow engineer resident workers.  First trip to Kyoto I was with Bob and Sharon, we visited the Toji Flea Market and found a foreign dealer selling teakettles, Sharon asked if there was any other things we might purchase, he said that he was going to preview an antique auction that evening and so we also previewed and were to tell him the items we wanted him to purchase for us for a set commission.  Needless to say it was a great success for us and loads of fun.

- Jenny L. Zentner & Robert P. Zentner II

Robert P. Zentner II - Jenny L. Zentner - Robert P. Zentner III