New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-10
THE WALTERS COLLECTIONS
III.
THE PORCELAINS.

OF the delicious porcelain OF Japan and Of Chnahe porce
lam Of China superior to all the porccains OF tho UNI
verse that porcelain that for centuries and all over the
globe has had collectors more crazy and passionate "n
any other branch OF curOItythat porcelain whose per
lection the Chinese attributed the Intervention Of the
Spirit Of furnace fires, who protected the baking oil c
works of the ceramsts whom he loved. Here arc
marvels-pOrceain transparent as JADE; piue Po'V
blue The sky thin paper. brilliant as ini,U
| white chou porcelain, whose whl'ehess "'oO
TO Chinese poet SURPRISES the wilderness oil snow anu
whose sorority is more plantive than the wlhu "nn
whsners among the reeds sunless day. Tor the Poeus
of the extreme Orient sing OF the beauties VI P'i
as our poets would sing OF fine landscape luE 'e
is no greater enchantment for the eyes OF Coo'S' '"
he dcIcacies of the palette of the Chinese ceamstS
those consummate artists who could satisfy the desire Oh
Chi-Tseng and produce porcelain OF the plue Oh inc
heavens fcr rain in the intervals of the clouds mus
writes an enthusiastic amateur of European coecuon'
and his words equally applicable TO the 1SOo Chinese
and japanese porccans and potteres brought together
with rare discrimination by Mr. Walters
One large gallery, nave smd ~
a trcasure-room Of magnificent porcelans You medi-
tate a chronological study and you promptly ma your
sefhopeessy laundering in the embarrassment OF rcheS
presented by examples Of the most beautiful ceramic pro
ductiOn world has known. covering period OF
nearly eight hundred years Probably the Oldest pieces
the collection pOtteres from C0rea ana japan
as well as China and yet the period eight hundred years
referred becomes insignificant before the record OF 'ho
ancient Chinese chronicles which cite the Emperor
Hoangt as the of pottery, and date his reign
from Cos b. c. while porcelain supposed TO have been
| known in China 1000 years ago Bnt there are
only two Imperial dynastes represented here, ana
| these two, with their subdivisions, are the oniy
ones practically known to collectors There Is the MING
dynasty 1868 TO 1919, succeeded by the Ia-Ihsng winch
continued up to a comparatively date in this
fury Under the latter however, were three perlous
whose designations, since the Oriental ceramic invasion
Of this country have become familiar to the readers OF
the daily papers They are the Kanghe, 16621122 the
Yung Ching 1723-l735 and the Keen-lunC from 1886
1875. For many years, Mr. Walters says, the deca-
dence of the art has manifest stimulated no DOUBT
| by the demands Of European commerce. not TOT pecu-
liar o single art objects hut for thousands OF the mech
| zeal reproductions Ofthc same thing"
If IS only as point of departure that speak OF the
Ming elazcS The dark brown, four-sided glazed Ming
lars in case the end Of the gallery are interesting no'
only for their venerable age but Illustrating an nhu-
cnce which Is seen the Japanese tea jars beside them
Some Of the latter stn contain tea ground into yelo"
noV,er which was mixed with hot water I'm Ming cups
stirred with piece of bamboo and drank water ana
powder together To the Ming period belong tho green
family vases with strong decorations painted In green
Tbch are two other Ming in case next the hTst
| entrance TO the gallery, together with va
| SEES Of the Kecn-lmg and Nung-chinS pc
| RODS which show in their pr0fuse and elaborate
decoration the elect Of European influence aS ar PACK
rs the carly part of the eighteenth century Inns lnn
cpce il more stIkingly exempihcd in an ODD niue Due
and white pot Of the date which bears upon lis side
II : and the cross And near the door hangs large
platc believe of japanese origin which displays the
coat of arms of Holland. country which sent large Or
dcrs to the Orient about the beginning OF the eighteenth
century Beneath this plate are two huge vases perhaps
three feet and half in height and richly decorated ana
two cases near by contains jars and vases which nave
curous history They are mounted In gilt bronze, ana
no small amount OF gold has entered into the composition
of the festOons and varied settings Of the M'trous
porceans Most Of these rare examples are OF date
nrevions to 1880 Up to that time Persia was the
central point the Journey overland from emma TO the
West and these porcelans obtained by Persian
mobiles from the passing Those in MI walters
collection were to the Vienna exposition III 1913 ny
| Prince Ehezadesatanet, the uncle Of the shan. OtheI
Ountings OF European origin ana the cOs'hesT VI
either bears forcbe testimony TO the value placed upon
Oriental porceains by Persian az well a. European
| amateurs over two centuries and half ago.
One case devoted 70 blue and white porcealhs con-
ain several covered Jars noteworthy for Their size ana
excellence one I'm particular unique in the beauty OF us
ylaze and colorng the be dc Nontia, or tho buo
and white as well, compelled to yield In oehcscy OF
color and fneness of paste the rado Here is vase
40 deeply ustrOus that seem to look Tar beyond the
glaze II bears slight decoration Of blue so delicate
as 70 appear eheracl yet 20 vivid as to Mold lis own
against contrast the most trying colors, while the
t scc,ns softer than the check infant, deli
cate than the finest complexion ever displayed by pro-
fessonal beauty An exquisite white jar OF lnatchiess
nurity and perfection makes equal claims upon the con
nossrrs attention. and then comes third rarc't OF all on
account OF the decoration black ground Win pun dos
Sums and white panels There are rows ~ stately celia
, s lJ,udipgs of coors more subtle than any ever
m ON canvas qualities paste and features In dccora-
toD which have been the despair OF corastS the Woyd
over and sometimes the despair OF Chinese artists them
Ives for the sacrifices Of Palsy, burning his household
furniture in his kus, surpassed by the Chinese
N,5,rr who fed his furnace fires with his body
and brans-an mmolaton rewarded by the successful
firing OF the cherished porcelain, ana by lasting fame
| FOR tnr of China has found expression III ceramic
| ,roducion rather than IN painting on canvas or III
Sculpture. and the history Of over 1000 years
qboind in the OF great ceramic artists cherished
| "a sacredly as the names Of Raphael or Titan
| SHADES OF RED CoLORING.
Of the coOrs attained in these porceanS the various
shades of red and are among the most ghy priced
IN rho regions Of Longkhng and Wan-n, 15G7-lG10,
ss were made Of the Tshong color" red OF the sky
e., rain and of the red Of the sacrifice" known now
40 eo,o de bpif or "bulock's blood" These vases,
%sued I0ng-yaO made in imitation OF we Is-nong
trs reds were extensively produced IN the Kunlung
period OF the last century. There are me sx-
| ampes of the sang O. oGy sPaisncss
in the large gallery, but t tne n. choicest
specimens Of the reds are placed among cps orO srs m
one row of "bulock7 blood vases win bodies sWening
ID gTtei d so ch intense and perfect that European
sts have vainy spent fortunes in seeking its repro
bnents in England said to Mr. Walters; eve have
spep several years and more than $4,000 IN etIrrl
osit{on OF the cooring matter has been dcoycred
~ Tho ostacles the exact degree OF time TOT whch
o Ciect, must he exposed TO the temperature OF the
| fnrnacr and the exact degree OF neat requiItu;
~ matter originally ia not red. When applied
70 vase and allowed to remain IN the furnace zen sec
ends too long il Incomes nearly black II IenoI zen
Gnu d roo soon II presents light gayish color as Illus
tee1l nv two vases in Mr. Waerss collection 50 the
nriyt,.nts l,aye been abandoned as hopeless
fIerc are specimens OF two other Ieds-lhe bilsnt.
coral which atcnes by It's yydness for some lack 1i
dent3 and the palcr "peach blow, also known as te
Ge dc renu The last is exhibited IN some small vases
of distinctly classical shape 1t would puzzle any coz
ossrr 10 decide between the charms OF TINS group OF
reds The collection Of eggshel porcelans, the HradO'
80 snecmens of pure white and the Old SatsuIna.
| CURIOUS TINTINGS.
tn In aiun-l