Untitled

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27082, 17 May 1949, Page 4

Art connoisseurs will doubtless be envious of the three fine Ming porcelain pieces which Mr M. G. Austen recently obtained at the sale of the A J Swan collection in Sydney and which he has on display at the Treasure Chest. The oldest of the pieces is a rose porcelain plate, saucershaped with figure decorations in its interior. The reference works show this plate, to have been made between 960 A.D. and 963 A.D. in the Sung Dynasty. The circular bowl, with its exterior in powder-bltie glaze with

over-decorations in gold, carries the Gheng Hua mark (1465-1487). The largest of the three pieces on display is a five-colour' jar and cover of the Wan Li period, decorated with sage, leer, foliage and floral subjects in namel colours and an underglaze of olue. the period being 1573-1619. Mr Austen slated that he had been surprised at the comparatively low prices the Swan collection had brought at auction. It had been a most comprehensive selection embracing many facets of Oriental art.