Collecting with Myrtle Duff

Press, 26 August 1980, Page 12

Collecting with Myrtle Duff

I have, been agreeably surprised by , the number of friendly letters received from readers expressing their interest in this column' and extending vitations to me to see their collections. ; ’ If I have not yet replied or accepted vour kind invitation I shall certainly be doing so at the first opportunity. The enthusiasm bf collectors seems to be equalled by their generosity in sharing knowledge, often acquired during years of painstaking research, and I am quite overwhelmed by such kindness. I look forward very much to visiting the lady with the Worcester china and the friend in Akaroa who collects all kinds of things .Victorian. Another treat in store is a visit to the helpful collector who owns a number of Doulton decanters. These sound fascinating and I did not even know of their existence until this enthusiast telephoned me. A number of people have asked me to write about Japan and its culture. This remarkable country has produced many items sought by collectors all oyer the world, among them colour prints, bronzes, jades and pottery.

1 am not a scholar in any of these fields but in future articles , will endeavour to provide a little information on some, aspects of all of these. Today I thought you might like to share with me the pleasure • I enjoy from some bf the small' everyday ' items which seem to epitomise the Japan I like to think still exists within the modern, technological nation it has become. My interest in Japan began during a month’s visit in ' 1966, most of which was spent in Tokyo staying in a hostel, a very modem building surrounded bv a centuriesold, formal garden in which a stone lantern was lit every evening. This marriage of old and new is typical of today’s Japan. A fellow guest, a young American who was teaching at one of Tokyo’s ten universities, advised me to visit a shop which sold examples of the folkcraft of the countryside, and offered to set me on my way the next morning.

I accompanied him on the subway until we reached the appropriate station when he pointed me in the right direction, providing a card on which he had printed in Kenji, the name of the shop. I then proceeded alone,

merely holding out the card to passers by and uttering my first few words of Japanese “Doko desu ka kudasai.” I was gently passed from one person to another with the usual Japanese courtesy and soon arrived at my destination. It was well worth the effort — an old-style wooden shop crammed full of the most, amazing things, straw boots, wooden sandals, rain capes very similar to early Polynesian ones which we have in the Canterbury museum, and traditional toys from all the districts of Japan. The magnificent. dolls

which are set out on shelves at the time of the Dolls’ festival in March are well known to the world, but here were the tiny O-hina san dolls, as described by Lafcar'dio Herne, and other painted wooden varieties.

Every district in Japan has its own special traditional toy, usually small and. made to cost the equivalent of a few cents and to last just as long as the small owner’s interest, to be replaced by another one during the next season for. this particular toy. - Many toys are used at special times, kites being flown by boys at New Year while the girls occupy themselves playing a

game called hanetsuke for which they use battledores of wood with painted designs or decorated with brightly printed cloth. These, called Hagoita, are so beautiful they are often used as wall decorations. Also in the shop were the colourful carp flown from the rooftops during the Boys’ Festival on May 5 which, perhaps due to the movement for equality for women, seems now to be known as “Children’s day.” I spent- two wonderful hours in this, shop and finally departed, with two small horses, one of straw and the other wood with a bell suspended round its

neck and, best, of all, a. bright red papier mache cow 'with a wobbling head which I have since learned from the Japanese publication “Pacific Friend” is a specialty of the Aizu district. These toys would make a wonderful collection if collection if you happen to be going to Japan or have friends who might bring some back for you. Unfortunately they cannot be bought in New Zealand but you may be lucky enough •to find some brought back by travellers. During a later visit we had the memorable experience of being entertained to dinner at an oldstyle Japanese restaurant called'“The Fukuda Inn.” One could never forget ■such an event, but our kind host certainly ensured that, we would not by purchasing all the utensils we had used during dinner and having them packed and sent to New Zealand, where they were awaiting us on arrival home.

Illustrated are a Sake jug and cup in white porcelain with blue pattern, a tea cup in grey pottery with dark blue and brown stripes and a pair of Hashi (Japanese chopsticks) shorter and more pointed than the Chinese variety, resting on , the Hashi-oki (pillow for the hashi). If you are going to Japan you will no doubt be interested in buying more glamorous souvenirs of your visit but I would suggest that an inexpensive sake set, some teacups and perhaps a furoshuki, that • indispensable piece of cloth used .for carrying things, will- perhaps bring back pleasant memories in later years of a life-style which .1 hope will continue in that wonderful country.