CHINESE ART

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 159, 2 April 1937, Page 8

CHINESE ART

Exhibition in Wellington Officially Opened

The loan collection of Chinese art, which is now open for inspection at the Dominion Museum, Wellington, and which was brought to New Zealand by Captain G. Humphreys-Davies, was formally opened yesterday afternoon by the Acting-Prime Minister, Hon. P. Fraser. The Minister said he regarded the exhibition as a tribute by a younger nation to one whose civilisation was fully developed 3000 years ago. The Anglo-Saxons were painting themselves with woad when China had hei poets, philosophers and artists in a great cultural civilisation. He considered that money donated in furthering the interests of art, and thus the education of the people of New Zealand, was money well spent. Sir George Shirteliffe, who presided, read apologies from the Prime Minister, Right Hou. M. J. Savage, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, Mayor of 'Wellington, Sir Harold Beauchamp, and others who were unable to attend. He thanked the Government for their grant toward the expenses of the exhibition and the Carnegie Corporation for assistance in printing the catalogue, which he considered was a work of art in itself. Attendance by parties of school children, accompanied by teachers, would be welcomed. Captain Humphreys-Davies said that during his stay of 30 years in New Zealand he had seen a generation pass that had done much to foster cultural and artistic interest. He hoped that the younger citizens would carry on the torch and take up their respou* sibilitles in such matters as well as their predecessors had done. He paid a tribute to the donors of exhibits, who had been particularly helpful, and suggested that a letter of appreciation be written by the trustees of the Dominion Museum to Her Majesty Queen Mary for lending a jade casket included in the exhibition. The exhibition, which will be open to the public for at least a month, contains over 400 objects of Chinese art, including articles of bronze and jade, pottery, jewellery, porcelain and pictures. The idea of bringing an exhibition to New Zealand was first conceived by Captain Humphreys-Davies early in 1930, when he was in England, and the articles have come from famous European collections. An interesting feature is the similarity to Maori ornament sometimes shown, possibly an interesting clue to the origin of the native race in New Zealand.