FRIENDS OF THE MUSEUM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22421, 16 November 1934, Page 8

FRIENDS OF THE MUSEUM

ANNUAL CONVERSAZIONE , - | 5- A INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE EVENING ; The annual combined conversazione of the Association of Friends of the Museum and the Otago Institute was held in the Willi Fels wing of the Museum last evening, a large {attendance of members and supporters being present as the guests of Jboth bodies; During the evening addresses were delivered by Professor Benhsim, curator of' the Museum, and the chairman of the Association of Friends lof the Museum (Mr Willi Fels), and/'there were on view a selection of rare manuscript* from the Hocken Library and a loan collection of choice specimens of • European china, porcelain and earthenware, both exhibits being; fully explainc I by the speakers in the course of their remarks. •/ ' r , HISTORY /JN MANUSCRIPT After extending a welcome to those present, Professor Benhani said that, by means of the; fund derived from: theannual subscriptions of the friends, the Museum had-been able to purchase from time to time valuable objects in illustration of classical archaeology, and the council of,- that association regretted that this year no money was being expended in this direction, for owing to the “ heavy burden of the high exchange ” —to use Sir Francis Bell’s words in the; Legislative Council—the council deemed it prudent to allow the fund to accumulate in the hope that in a year {or two this burden would-be removed, and the money would then, of course, go further in buying fine objects iif Britain. To the Otago Institute the Museum was more deeply indebted, for that body had existed for a great number of years and from time'to time had advanced money for the purchase of some • specimen of natural history which the Museum > was unable to buy out of the annual grant of £lO, which for many years was all that the University Council could spare for such purposes. The Museum authorities were therefore thankful for a loan from the institute ( so as to seize the opportunity of getting some particular specimen when it was offered to them. Butstill more valuable to the Museum had been the library which the Otago Institute had gradually built up, for each year it had to contribute to the maintenance of a library /n order to -be recognised as affiliated to the New Zealand Insitute. Without a library of-Suitable books —technical books—they would not be able to make their exhibits as interesting and instructive as they tried to do. The speaker, went on to give example? of the assistance the stafff of the Museum had derived from its library, and paid a tribute to the work done by Mr M'Lachlan, a voluntary official, who had rendered valuable service in classifying, naming, and dating the Egyptian objects in the Museum. Referring to the special exhibits which were on view that ■ evening,; Professor Benharo explained that the manuscripts from the Hocken Library comprised some pencil drawings of Maori figures by Gilfillan, a noted artist of the time. There was also a fine coloured engraving of Nelson in the early ; days, done by James Saxton, and contained in an album illustrating Edward J. Wakefield’s adventures in New Zealand. Among the letters were several from Walter Buller, Written whilst he was Native Commissioner at Christchurch, and also letters from Judge Manning, author of “ Old New Zealand,” to J. Webster, a settler and trader at Hokianga, who had, in 1846, joined the expedition of Waka Wene, a Maori chief friendly to the Whites,:*. These letters related to the customs of ■ the Maori. Other letters were from F. E. Fitzgerald, the first Superintendent of Canterbury, and later Native Minister, to Henry Selfe, who was an active promoter of the Canterbury Association; in • England. -From these letters it would be seen .that the manuscripts, of which there were so many in the Hocken Library, were of great value in regard to the history of New Zealand. i THE ROMANCE OF POTTERY Mr Fels opened his remarks by explaining how two rare and valuable wood carvings had come into the possession of the Museum, and touching on the exhibit of pottery and china, said that specimens of most European potteries were represented, the mp?t numerous being British. There were on view specimens from Meissen (or Dresden, as it was ! called usually)—the oldest china factory in Europe, from Berlin, Fuer- —- stenberg, Nymphenburg and Vienna, from the Doccia works of Ginori in Italy, ftom Sevres, Kopenhagen. Worcester, Chelsea, Davenport, Crown Derby, Spode, Minton, Lowestoft, and specimens of earthenware, delft and majolica too numerous to mention. A fine large Dresden vase, the Kopenhagen china, and the modern exquisite figure by C. Vyse of Chel*ea, were also worthy of attention. The oldest pieces of china in the loan collection dated from about 1780 to 1800, most of them being cups and saucers and ornaments and plates by English and German makers. The first hard white porcelain in Europe was made’ by John Frederick Bottcher in Meissen in 1715, Other factories were started, in 1745 at Vincennes, in 1756 at Sevres, in 1745 at Chelsea and Derby, in 1751 at Woe- . cester, in 1756 at Lowestoft, and in 1768 at Bristol; Thomas Minton founded his works at Stoke on Trent in 1793, and Josiah Spode commenced about 1800. The greatest event in the history of the Staffordshire potteries was the advent of Josiah Wedgwood in 1757 in Burslem and in 1769 in Eturia. His productions in very fine black basalt, followed later by such on blue ground with jasper in white and other shades, drew the admiration of all potters and were soon imitated, not alone in England, but by Meissen and Sevres. Wedgwood produced with the ordinary Staffordshire ware very fine services for royalty and other great patrons, and medallions of the great men of all ages, some of which were shown. Ho employed the famous sculptor John Flaxman, and under his cave the best modellers from England, France and Italy. He had copied the great works of antiquity, or had new designs prepared in classic style. Among the framed plaquettes were Priam kneeling before Achilles, asking for Hector’s body, copied from the marble sarcophagus of Alexander the Great in the Cap'toline Museum in Rome; the Birth of Achilles, designed by Pacetti, and the Floral Sacrifice, by Flaxman. There were several vases, noteworthy being a fine small one in black basalt from the period Wedgwood and Bentley about 1777, and two large vases in black basalt and white jasper figures, representing Heracles fetching the golden apples of the Hesperidcs. A resident of Dnnedin was the owner of these two vases, and it was interesting to note that he was the great grandson of the manager of the London warehouse of the original Josiah Wedgwood. At the conclusion of Mr Fels’s remarks supper was served, and the guests spent an instructive and pleasant hour in viewing the special exhibits.