Japanese Pottery For Canterbury Museum

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28541, 21 March 1958, Page 8

Japanese Pottery For Canterbury Museum

An extensive range of early Japanese pottery, some of it dating back to the 17th Century, has been presented to the Canterbury Museum on permanent loan by the trustees of the estate of Sir R. Heaton Rhodes.

These will be an addition to the exhibits in the Hall of Oriental Arts. Other additions to this cob lection have been received from

Mr F. A. Shurrock—a lacquered mask and a brass prayer receptacle in the form of a reclining unicorn antelope made in inner Mongolia in the 17th Century.

A bicycle spanner, used on one of the first bicycles .in Canterbury, a carved Maori wooden trinket Box and a collection of wool-work flowers, are among a list of about 20 items recently acquired which are acknowledged in a report presented to the Museum Trust Board by the director (Dr Roger Duff), yester<tay.

Wigram Papera The presentation at the papers of Sir Henry Wigram, bequeathed by Lady Wigram, and the newspaper clipping books, letter books and albums of photographs M Sir Heaton Rhodes are also acknowledged. The collection of more than 100 mounted slides of rotifers, of nearly 95 species, presentetd by Mr C. R. Russell, who has been appointed their honorary keeper, has now been permanently lodged

In the museum. It was expected to become the bgsic reference collection for New Zealand, said Dr Duff.

Dr Duff will prepare a list, with costs, of the minimum

operations required for the reopening of the mukeum galleries. Authorisation was given for 1 the raising of a bank overdraft of up to £3OOO. The building and finance committee was told by the accountant (Mr. C. H, Perkins), that at March 31 this year the board should have about £20,000 in hand, of which £12,500 would be required for working expenses in the coming year. The balance, available for capital commitments and special maintenance, was £7500, to which certain invested money and the balapce owing from the Centchnial Association could be added, to make about £lB,OOO. Known commitments at present on capital items are about £17,000, and this was likely tc be exceeded, according to Mr Perkins. More than 1400 children a week were visiting the museum, the education officer (Mr W. H. Beaumont) reported. Groups of students had come from the Ardmore and Palmerston North Teachers’ Colleges, and recently children from Westport. Gilberthorpe School P.T.A.— Officers elected at the annual meeting of the Gilberthorpe School Parent-Teacher Association, were:—President, Mr E. P. Winter; senior vice-president, Mr L. Marquet; junior vice-president, Mrs J. Clark; secretary, Mrs B. Keyes; treasurer,' Mrs B. Rolph; committee, Mesdames P. Mitchell, K. Milnes, B. Butcher, and D. Bromley; teacher delegates, Messrs W. A.. Arnold and R. D. Forbes.