David initially planned to collect Chinese paintings, however following the advice of the Chinese curator of at the British Museum he turned his attention to Japanese ceramics, and especially porcelain. 

Over the course of his life, David amassed an incredible collection of ceramics representing a huge variety of forms and decorations including numerous products from important kilns such as Hirado and potting dynasties such as the Seifu family.  David was generous with his collection, making donations of ceramics from his collection to the British Museum, V&A, National Museum of Scotland, Ashmolean Museum, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and National Museum of Wales.  

In 2016 the Oriental Museum received the gift of over 2,500 objects (including scrolls and other non-ceramic works) from David and his wife Anne, representing the single largest donation to the Oriental Museum's Japanese collection to date and the largest part of David's collection.  The donation was accompanied by an extensive archive covering all parts of David's collecting journey.  

The Oriental Museum's curators are currently working with David's family to create an exhibition to open in October 2026 to mark a decade since the gift to the museum and celebrate the life of this remarkable collector.