CHINESE ART.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16431, 24 December 1913, Page 7

CHINESE ART.

A REMARKABLE EXHIBITION. GLORIES OP ANCIENT HANDIWORK. [Fbom Our Cohkebpondent.] LONDON, November 14. Two very beautiful exhibitions are now open in London, one demonstrating the splendid art of long dead ages, one more modest forms of that of today, both evangels of the glory of hand work. It is somewhat difficult for an ama-' teur (save in that word's literal sense) to write of Chinese art as it is very delightfully illustrated now at a'special loan exhibition at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, the remarkable museum founded by the founder of Toynbeo Hall, Canon Barnett, which in its time, though it is right in an unsavoury but very picturesque quarter of the East End, has housed such wonderful exhibits—but it is possible, perhaps, to on a little of one's own appreciation of such main characteristics as may 6trike any lover of beauty whether a knowledge of hjstory and value lie behind it or not. The popularity of the subject may. bo judged by the records which show that. 14,000 people visited the museum in one week alone, though it is known that it will be open for somo months. Rich beauty in design, colouring, blending and actual work, greet the, eye on every side, whether in ancient hand embroidered clothes or screens, bronze figures, bowls and stands, lacquer, enamel, decorated porcelain, carved wood, gargoyles or pictures. Foremost in the catalogue of prejudices which have existed with regard to Chinese art till recently have been its apparent costliness to collectors, its, to "Westerns, foreign convention, mixed with, for outsiders, a sort of timidity lest its beauty provo too intricate for any but experts to enjoy. The first is an artificial barrier, which should not be —for the plaint holds a good deal of truth in it—smcowe do not find it necessary to own old English and Continental masters in order to love them or to hold ancient tapestries between our fingers to appreciate their loveliness. Costliness, therefore,'should rather concern tho curio-hunter or museum authorities than ourselves. . The second bar to wider knowledge of Chinese art—its difference of convention —is considered by experts the most, general and is by no means incomprehensible. Set in the midst of nations whose artists have been striving from early times to immortalise what they knew and saw the New Zealander in England finds no difficulty in following the vexed workings of tho western mind when called on to admire art that solemnly declared that, while to reproduce nature was impossible, to reproduce the spirit was possible and beautiful. It is said that in Chineso history there is no story of a painted subject, for instance, being mistaken for the actual thing. The third hindrance the fear of elaborateness too delicate or gorgeous for common understanding—is quite foolish and.unworthy. Intricacy there is and rich unusual colour, but mainly Chinese art, as exemplified, for instance, •in is characterised by its vigorous simplicity and every line, in a good piece of work, has a distinct value. , Than ancient Chinese pottery and porcelain there' is little more beautiful surely in the world, and this is a form of art with an immensely long history, for it dates, as far back as the ninth century in our era. From tho nineteenth century it began steadily to decline, till now. the secrets that produced in old times brilliant.colours that, tor their beauty !and scarcity, realise fabulous' prices,'aro hopelessly lost—marvellous' feds' and blues, yellows and peach tints. ' ' . ; .

The. deep virile blue obtained from copper in the Ming period and never equalled since is shown as background in several examples in a little collection of Cloisonne enamel of that period at theMuseum] It was once thought that this-was obtained from powdered turquoise. " • A' large, case of snuff bottles was rather a surprise to the outsider, but it appears that not only in eighteenth century England did exquisites 6port these delicately ornamented luxuries—the . Chinese • used bottles instead of boxes. All manner of stones were used as. well as glass, and all were moulded into shapes of intense beauty. Jade and agate were largely employed. Greatly to tho delight of collectors who, because of the Chinese horror of disturbing the resting places of their dead, had little chance of inspecting, much less owning, funeral jars, thero are quite a number of these at Whitechapel, and very ancient examples (B.C. 206-A.D. 906). Remarkable figures are on somo of these, full still, in epite of their antiquity—horses, men, etc. —of beauty and fresh life. As well thero are richly ornamented bronzo exquisito mirrors found in tombs (possibly when tho country was opened up by railways), magnificent huge carved lacquer screens, so largo that only a big room could house them. Tho whole bears an air of peace, tranquility and great dignity, and tho mind of the modern that docs not kneel must bo a rather poor concern.