The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-14 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1841.

THE CHINESE COLLECTION AT

PHILADELPHIA.

The fame of Mr. Dunn's extensive Chinese museum is =1
not confined-to the land in which it has been opened—the
United States. It, is well.known to all the world that,
the indefatigable American, after the termination of his
successful toils 'in the field of commerce, the chosen
theatre of which was the Celestial Empire, has come
back to his native shores laden with the fruits of
many years' diligent and patient acquisition, the re-
sults of incessant yet ungrudging eipense. Mr. Dunn
having conceived the laudable idea of forming a
collection of all sorts of things charaCteristic of the
extraordinary. country and, people to which he had re-
paired for mercantile purposes, a sort of hive was, pre-
pared for their reception, and being visited in the way
of his businesS by numerous Chinamen who had the in-
telligence to appreciate, as well as the liberality and dis-
position to assist in the execution of his design, each of
them placed himself, in one shape or another, under
contribution. The interior of China is as a sealed
book. Even the city of Canton is impenetrable to
strangers. Personally, therefore, Mr. Dunn could have
access to nothing—inspect nothing. Neither the com-
mon workshops, the houses, the private apartments,
nor the manufactories of the empire, or any portion
of it, were visible to him, so that the whole of his valu-
able accumulations had to be effected through such tri-
butary channels, as by cultivation, courteous treatment,.
and hospitality he was enabled to command. At his
house were to be found on frequent occasions the most
eminent merchants and officers of the Government, who
were either permanently or temporarily resident at Can-
ton, and through the intervention of these he procured in
some instances as presents, in others by purchase, rare
and costly articles, which were not commonly within the
reach of foreigners. One thing came in after another,
and thus it was the interesting collection, the mag-
num opus, was at length completed. Professor Silliman,
of Yale College, gives a brief account of the novel ex-
hibition as it appears in its new locality, though of the
three hundred cases out of which it is composed, only a
part have been unpacked. From this account we extract
a few particulars. The "entrance partition" of Chinese
work forms a vestibule leading to the great saloon of 165
feet in length, by 70 feet in width and 24 in height, with a
double colonnade. On the right and left are dis-
tributed the numerous cases containing specimens
of " all that is unique, curious. or common, to
be procured in the empire." The screen is such
as is in general use among the 'Wealthy Chinese
in partitioning off a very spacious saloon from the
remainder of the great ground floor of their houses. It
forms a beautiful termination to the room. " Hours, nay,
days and weeks," says Dr. Silliman, " may be profitably
employed in examining the details presented by this mag-
nificent saloon, which brings the most populous nation
of Asia at once before the spectator." Accurate whole-
length likenesses in clay, to the number of 70 or 80, which
were modelled from living subjects by an experienced ar-
tist, include personages of various rank, from the manda-
rin to the coolie ; from ladies of distinction to the poor
woman employed in sculling their boats on the river. Each
represents "a speaking countenance" in a style of art per-
fectly new in this part of the world. The effect is to exhibit
to the spectator the inhabitants of China as they really exist.
The remarks made by Dr. Silliman on the porcelain
and earthenware manufacture of china are well worthy
the attention of the potteries, and all connected with them.
"In this department," he says, " endeavours have
been successfully made to procure the best specimens
of all the most expensive manufactures of the
country, embracing several very ancient and highly-
esteemed articles. Here are many hundred jars, vases,
pipe stands, and various services used by the Chinese,
differing materially from those exported. The
specimens of ware -cracked on the surface by age,
are interesting and costly. There must be several
t'housand pieces of fine china, including the thin
egg-shell cup with its lettered inscriptions, octagon
pipe-stands, three or four feet in height, inscribed land-
marks, tile work, screens, &c., in very numerous pat-
terns ; affording us ' Barbarians' new ideas on the sub-
ject of their manufactures, and probably new patterns for
our artists."

Among agricultural and other implements is to
be seen " the very crude plough that is drawn by
the buffalo, with his simple yoke and rope traces.
The harrow, differing very 'materially from that of
our country, is one of the accompaniments. There
are forks, rakes, hoes, axes, shovels, spades of wood
faced with iron for* the sake of economy, &p. ;
a complete set of carpenter's and joiner's, or cabinet-
maker's tools. There is amatiye shoemaker's shop.cotn-
plete ; .a blacksmith's anvil, his curious bellows,. &c.,
comprising the complete accoutrements of the travelling
smith ; the entire shop of the • ambulatory barber, his
clumsy short razor, cases, &e. The musical instruments
of the Chinese also figure in full among the curiosities,
and castings of iron of very great beauty, consisting of
pots, kettles, and other cooking utensils of universal use,
and which, unlike our own of the same metal, may be
mended at pleasure as easily as our tin vessels."
" The models of boats," continues Dr. Silliman, " form
a striking feature of the scene ; first, we have the gor-
geous flower boat with its numerous decorations, various
furnished apartments of comfort and luxury, and painted
and adorned in the peculiar style of the Asiatics. Of
the canal boats there are three models of different sizes
of such as are used in conveying the articles of their pro-
duce, teas, salt, grain, and manufactured articles, to and
from the distant points of the extensive empire, and in
loading and unloading foreign ships. There is the man-
of-war boat. These tide-waiter's boats, or cutters,
are always cruising about with the police officers,
to keep order among the numerous residents on the
water, and to enforce the revenue laws. The sanpans are
family boats, in which it is computed about 200,000 per-
sons constantly reside on the waters before the city of
Canton and its suburbs ; they are kept as clean as a
milk-pail, and contain entire families, who are born and
live to the end of their days on the river. This great
city of boats presents a remarkable aspect ; through
them it would •be difficult to navigate, were it not that
the fleet is arranged in streets, and at night lighted up.
,We greatly ight in summer houses, as who does
not? Four models of these " exhibit the peculiar taste
of the Chinese; some are plain, and others very orna-
mental, with their scalloped roof, bells, gilding, paint-
ing, &c., and furnished with miniature chairs, tables,
&c., models of real things, every part being complete
for the luxuries of tea and the pipe. Tea is the univer-
sal beverage; this is sold at from eight cents the pound
up to many dollars, and is an article on which some of
their citizens expend a very large income. The work-
ing man carries it in his rude teapot to the fields, and
drinks it cold to quench his thirst, while the more
wealthy sip it on every occasion of ceremony, business,
or familiar intercourse."

The pictures are very numerous. They occupy the
greatest surface of the collection, and are the productions
of the principal artists of the empire, not excepting those
of Pekin, the capital. There are " large and inte-
resting views of Macao, Bocca Whampoa, Canton,
and Honam, with its remarkable temples, &c. The por-
traits-will astonish those who have seen only the paltry
daubs usually brought as specimens of the art in China.
There is one or the high priest of the Homan Temple, and
there are others of distinguished men well known in
Canton, worked with the minuteness of miniature paint-
ing. This department comprises also a variety of paint-
ings on glass, an art much practised by the natives ; pic-
tures of all the boats peculiar to the country ; of rooms
—their domestic arrangements ; of all the costumes of
people,- of -rank-: the furniture, lanterns, and, in short,
of every variety of Chinese life, from the most degraded
class to the Etnperor. The flowers enahroideredOn satin,
&c.. will attract,the eye of female visitors."
Faced by a very superb alcove, brought frowehina, is
'a Chinese room.

" The alcove itself consists of wool deeply carved out
of solid blocks, the carving represents figures of men,
animals, birds, flowers, &c. The cutting penetrat?s
through the whole of each piece, and forms a net work,
the front being paineed and gift infhTitsiaticlaste,4ith
the rich colours for which the nation is so celebrated."

Of furniture, books, and natural history thereuppear
to dit'numerous and Taliable -specimens. ." The:re are
book-cases, chairs exhibiting great ":taste and refinement,
stands inlaid with marble and precious wood, suchas may
be placed hetW6in every two,chairs to hold the
_tea appa-
ratus, or:those little ornamets or flower-pots 'of •vilitch
the ChineSe are so fond. There is also a common table,
such. as is in universal use, and has been.for 'centuries,
which will be, recognised by our. present generation as
a fat-simile Of the favourite eight-legged table of our
great grandfathers, now thrust by modern fashion into
the kitchen or garret. It 7 folds up as those thi, -and the
legs are turned in rings ; this, liken thousand thing•s in
the saloOn; proves that our common usages haie been 'de7
rived from China, where we are accustomed to beliei-e
they are centuries behind us. The vases and seats of
porcelain are particularly rich and unique."
Mr. Dunn was enabled by " industry, money, flat-
tery, and kindness, to amass a great variety of birds,
fishes, reptiles, shells, &c.. and a few animals. Of
these, all have arrived in good condition, with the ex-
ception of the insects. The butterflies, moths, &c.,
which when last seen in Canton were particularly rich
and curious, have suffered most by the delay in unpack-
ing, and by natural causes."
The conchology is fully represented in many rich
specimens, and one of the rarest birds, the mandarin
duck, with its peculiar phimage, is new to most people.
The China partridge, and many beautiful song birds,
add variety and interest to the collection. The fishes
were procured principally at the fishing.; stations at
Macao, where Mr. Dunn had for several months an
agent for tht express purpose, nor is the museum want-
ing in drawings of plants and flowers, or in minerals.
Of the miscellanies it is observed, "The jos-houses, pa-
godas, articles of virtu, of ornament, of stone, of jade, of
ivory, bamboo, wood, metal, rice, &c. are so numerous
that we can only allude to them. A case of shoes in all
their course or ornamental variety, exhibit the form of
the compressed female feet, and the clumsy shape of those
of the male ; another of caps fresh from their makers,
with the button of office, and the cheaper kinds of the
poor ; theatrical dresses, known to be those of the very
ancient Chinese—spectacles, opium and other pipes, fans,
the compass in great variety, models of fruits,
coins, exquisite specimens of carving in ivory,
metal, stone, and bamboo, very numerous and gro-
tesque carvings from roots of trees, in which they
exhibit a peculiar taste, singular brushes, combs, beau-
tiful vessels of odoriferous wood fbr their altars and
temples, of which latter there are models ; very nume-
rous ornamental stands, carved with good taste ; huge
cameos in stone of great cost ; fine specimens o their
lacquered ware, as well as of their common ware ; a
silk embroidered saddle ; a water-wheel worked like our
modern treadmill ; a fan for sifting tea, resembling our
own ; lanterns of every possible shape, size, and orna-.
ment, will be suspended front various points, with their
toati,thwehlasiCht'refeliwcs ofw
rich and tasteful paintings • there is a model of their
dveesryignsiedng
tuolacronc obut!dthaenvieiyn_.ffuess_was
The only collection in Europe which may be at all
compared to that of Mr. Dunn, is the museum of Japan-
ese articles at the Hague. These are very beautiful, and
are highly prized, as they deserve to be, by the Dutch.