CHINESE ART

Evening Star, Issue 22683, 24 June 1937, Page 2

CHINESE ART

EXHIBITION AT MUSEUM RARE AND PRICELESS TREASURES Articles of great and rare beauty arc to be seen in the exhibition of Chinese art at present on display in tho Museum, and wide interest has been aroused among the many who have made an inspection of them. The average person has probably never given a thought to the subject of Chinese art, nor ever imagined that tho Chinese of thousands of years ago were capable of producing such splendid art treasures, but a visit to this exhibition will soon convince that in those faroff days there was a fine sense of the beauty of line and harmony of colour. To the artistic mind tho exhibits will make an instant appeal, and awaken an appreciation of the peace and mellowness acquired through their having existed untouched through many ages. These princeless treasures were fashioned by the hands of unhurried craftsmen long before the advent of tho machine age—craftsmen who were concerned only with the translation of beauty into purity of line, colour, and design. Here are seen the quaintness, tho grotesqueness in some cases, and withall, the simple beauty of Chinese art. Here are tho pure and glorious sheen of porcelain, the dull translucence of jade in white, green, and brown, and the lustre of many and varied glazes. Arranged in tho spacious Willi Fels wing of the Museum, the display is one that is rich in world-famous treasures, the gathering together of which is the result of the enthusiasm of Captain Humphrey s-Davics. honorary curator of the Oriental collection of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. A wellknown connoisseur in this sphere,_ he has oil previous occasions exhibited portions of his own collection, and the interest shown led him to attempt something on a much larger scale. Last year he visited England, and Iris idea captured the practical interest of a number of prominent collectors, whose offers proved so generous as to be almost embarrassing. Consequently Captain Humphrays-Davies was able to arrange an exhibition that is highly representative, and that is not made prohibitive for the purpose by considerations of transport, insurance, _ and space. In northern centres the interest*, shown by art lovers and the general public was greater than hacl been expected, and similarly in Dunedin the exhibition is being viewed by large attendances Many of the articles have been lent by well-known collectors, including Her Majesty Queen Mary, who has forwarded an elaborately carved casket of dark green jade. Lady Patricia Ramsay also lent spin® unique jades. Another exquisite piece of jade is from the collection of Mr Victor Reinaecker, of and an interesting collection of ritual jades was loaned by Mr M. C. T. Loo, of Paris, who is the possessor of an extensive collection. Mr George Eumorfopoulos and Mr Oscar Raphael, probably two of the rapst celebrated art collectors in England, displayed their treasures to Captain HumphreysDavies, and allowed him to select some rare objects for the display. On© of the pieces loaned by Mr Eumorfopoulos is a bulb bowl of tho Sung dynasty, which is on© of his favourites, and is well-known in the world of art. Lord Bledisloe welcomed' the opportunity once more to show his deep practical interest in the Dominion, and gladly consented to lend two Wan-li polychrome porcelain jars. Captain Humphrey s-Da vies’s own collection is also generously represented. Public collections are represented by objects from the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Auckland War Museum.

Thp exhibits will repay careful and thoughtful study, which will be greatly aided by the very fine descriptive catalogue that has been prepared. Students of Chinese art gave Captain Humphreys-Davies every assistance _in his researches preparatory to bringing the collection to New Zealand, and Professor W. Percival Yeats, one of the greatest authorities on the subject of ancient culture in China, Miss Marion Thring, of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Mr S. Howard Hansford, of the School of Chinese Archaeology, have written introductory articles specially for the catalogue. It is in ceramics that the Chinese artist reached his highest expression, and there are exquisite examples of the work of the potters of the various dynasties. The rich “ flambe ” glazes of some of the articles, reproduction of which baffled European craftsmen for centuries, are seen in all their splendour, and there are fine examples of monochrome and polychrome porcelain, and celadon and cloisonne ware of the seventeenth century. Jewellery, pictures, and embroidery work are also included in the display to give an indication of the skill of the artists in those branches, their colour and design providing inspiration for modern practitioners of the arts. The exhibition will close on July 7.