EASTERN ART

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21577, 23 August 1933, Page 16

EASTERN ART

THE VALUE OF JADE ADDRESS AT LYCEUM CLUB In an appropriate atmosphere of burning insense, and surrounded by her own specimens of Chineso porcelain, jade and pewter, an address on Chinese art was given by Miss Vera Hay to members of the arts and crafts circle of the Lyceum Club yesterday afternoon. The club president, Mxs. W. H. Parkes, presided. Speaking first of art generally, Miss Hay described it as a manifestation of man's conception of life. It was therefore necessary for a Westerner to bear this in mind when viewing Eastern art and to forget his preconceived ideas which he had had since the Renaissance period, and to enlarge his inner perception, making him thus able to adopt an alien point of view. Eastern artists endeavoured to suggest rather than to represent and to symbolise rather than portray, Miss Hay said. Speaking of Chinese pewter, of which she showed some very fine examples, Miss Hay said it was, manufactured 2000 years before it ever appeared in Europe. She explained the ingredients in and the making of pewter, and showed several articles to reveal the different results to be obtained from the use of slightly varying compounds. Of all Chiriese stones, jade was the most precious and highly valued, the speaker continued. Although it was generally thought by Westerners that the well-known jade green stone was valuable, jade could be got in many different colours, the most precious to the Chineso mind being a pure whito stone dotted with spots of brilliant emerald green. Miss Hay had with her many examples of exquisite workmanship in jade, some of which were passed round for the guests to examine closely. A charming interlude during the address was provided by Miss Eileen Miller, who, wearing a golden Indian sari, sang three Eastern songs, one Japanese, one Persian and one Indian. Her accompanist, Miss Margaret Parkes, wore a magnificent mandarin coat of black and purple brocade.