Craft Work From Five Nations

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32384, 25 August 1970, Page 8

Craft Work From Five Nations

An exhibition of decorative art and craft work from five Pacific and Asian countries, with a breathtaking collection of contemporary Japanese decorative ait as the central attraction, is to open in the Canterbury Society of Arts gallery today.

The exhibition, which is touring New Zealand and Australia under the aegis of the World Crafts Council a member group of U.N.E.S.C.O. —is in New Zealand under the joint sponsorship of the New Zealand chapter of the crafts council and the Queen Elizabeth Arts Council.

It is probably the most valuable crafts exhibition to come to New Zealand, the 48 pieces in the Japanese section alone being insured for a total of $lOO,OOO. Mostly because of this, the show's journeyings around New Zealand are limited, and it is being shown only in Christchurch, Wellington

(where it has been already) and Auckland. The cost of packing alone has made it impractical to send the show to the smaller New Zealand galleries. When the Japanese works arrived in the country from San Francisco they more than filled a large sea container, and one of the conditions of the insurance is that they be professionally packed each time they are moved. Even three showings in New Zealand involve freight and transit insurance costs of more than $3OOO. Most of the Japanese works are either metal or ceramic sculptures, but there are a few vases, one splendid bowl, a small selection of laquer panels and some batik work. From Malaysia come some richly worked silverware, brassware, matting, textiles and embroidery; from Indonesia some dye work; and from Australia a selection of pottery, silverware and weav- , ing.

In the section devoted to this country, someof our leading potters are featured. There is one of Len Castle’s discoid vases, a . Bkrry Brickell storage jar, several pieces by Mirek Smisek and Doreen Blumhardt, a Pat Perrin onion pot, a David Brokenshire paperweight, and pots by several others. Weavings and hangings have been contributed by Ida Lough, Margery Blackman, Joan Calvert, Molly Duncan and others; there is batik work by Isabel Brathwaite and Fassett Burnett, basketware by Ruth Castle; and jewellery by Tanya Ashketi and Colleen O’Connor. The exhibition will be opened this evening by David Carson-Parker, president of the New Zealand chapter of the World Craft Council, and will remain open for two weeks.

The pictures at right show two of the most valuable works from Japan: Top: Shojl Mandat’s “Burning Jar," an ash-glazed pot which is insured for $2400. Bottom: Hirohide Kato’s “Black and White,” ceramic sculpture which is the most expensive work in the show. It is insured for $5OOO.