New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-14
A BEA UTLFUL COLLECTION.

A BEA UTTFUL COLLECTION.
JAPANESE ART AT THE UNION LEAGUE!
Tho ApeI exhibition at the Union League Club Is tbs
last Of season, but We are glad 10 know nas mo
Illustration of standard examples Of Oriental art VII
be continued IN the autumn These exm0itions havo
materially aided an understanding Of the uuapproached
beauty of solid color porcelans. and OF the rare DELI
eacy and loyeliness OF true Chinese blue and whiee
Tho japanese art which Is illustrated IN the present ex.
hIbon differs from the art Of the Chinese much as the
Gothic spirit Of unrest differed from classical repose.
The Japanese as we know, imaginative, fertile m
invention. given to humor and satire. and witnAi
nation OF marvellous realIsts in the best sense OF tne
word. That IS In thcfr metalwork. ivory carvings
and varied decorative designs their best artists nave
succeeded IN realizing truth 10 nature Whicn mas
hardly been approached In the same class OF WORK
Their little sculptures life tseh and their COM
mand of action and expression VIII be appreciated oy
those who consider the worries and other carvings at
the Union League Club and the examples OF statuesque'
ornamental and gotesQue design In metal Inc cnaf~
OF this and other work lies In the total absence OF
bald realism which contents itself with imitation ana
tho constant presence Of quick scnSveness % beauty
OF FORM line and color alert fancy and technical
ability developed by generations OF special training
and eliminating under conditions moro favorable than
are possible anywhere In the world to-day. INC
wonderfully vital modelling OF the little sculptors W
Japan Is exhibited not only In metal and ivory, ous
also IN few examples OF the delicate Hrsno' hoU-
ably the delightfully."- truthful figure OF squirrel.
TINS will be found IN the first which is devoted to
EXAMPLES of the periods of Satsuma, Hirado. Oman.
IuIar and other wares. In the thirty years WHICH
have passcd since Japan was opened TO the world or
so far as we are concerned In the thirteen years snco
our Centennial exhibition. nearly as many
crimes have been committed IN the name
~ Old satsumap a. in the Of tho old masters
t., E,,ronean art "old Satsuman by the shipload
lihas been acquired by unwary Americans who have
| done homage to pieces Of vast size and namooysh'
decoration with a touching faith In their anuquH''
Vat II was not until 1895 that the Prince Of satsuma
| secured his Corean pOttcr, and it was not uh'i
Tho closo Of the last the beginning OF the prese
century that they produced their finest WORK, tne oa
| satsnma which deserves to DO held In the highoss
| as,oar, The earliest pieces are smell and uR-
aooorat.d and It IS probable that the plain creamy
/ YELLOW CUP IN the first IS the Oldest example
II certainly antedates the superb covered dish In the
| centro a remarkable example OF Inc decorSaoh iu
| rcd gold and green. The pure, semuahspsEon,
yonderfuly delicate Hrado ware Is weh reprcseh'e0
lby plain and blue and white examples, ana ooner
oo.,rncns illustrate Japanese ceramic art In manner
r,bv of special attention now that the factories Oh
/ ToLio and Yokohama have Hooded the woria Win
inferior wares Of the same name Inc secops e@Se
contains Mr. Brayton Ives's admirable couecuon VI
swords, embodying the romance ana tne pis"ry Va
t,dal Japan Here are the souls. OF the samursi,
che weapons welded by the GODS and therefore divine
svmho,s and carried only by knights, and therefore
,,,,s ~ noble birth. They represent ceremonias
customs more minute and exact than any ia ene
davs Of Christian ohivalry, and they stana % tas
work OF great artists, the founders OF sehoois os
i suori.makers Mr. Ives exhibits biaae wtee1
about 1850 by samoii, pupil OF the INDUSTRIOUS nse~
,,une who folded his metal from TOUR sdes, oe@s
!, out. refnlded e, and finally obtained pecuhar
GOLDEN tinge like forEed lightning through aara
clond.s An admirable object lesson IN. appied ar.
4, Afforded by the mountings, the guards, the smsu
rn,ves, the scabbards OF ivory, lacquered woodi
bronze and silver and the decorated feruicS oSNoA
cases contain groups Of sword guards, ranging nOA
the simple iron guards of the earlier per'ou Wv.
! | 10 examples OF tue omamentstion VIII 'n'
! nr.c,ous metals The third case contains guards.
knife. handles and pouch ornaments, which iusus's
Japanese mastery OF artistic work In metals 'nea
proficiency in inlsyng, damaseenng, chas'nk a"A
engraving and their skill IN inventns ana appyins
alloys OF peculiarly desirable color and texture n.
Is work In shIhu.ichi composed OF copper ana S'e.'
In shakudo, whose purple color Is que 70 ue
mixture Of small percentage Of gold WIN 'he 0opte'.
together with alloys composed Of copper ana
base metals .,..,,,
In the popular mind no art is SO eioso'N
Identified with Japan the art OF working IN isoque.'
which is Illustrated by several superb exainpes 70
, longing 10 a period Of revival and rcp R'oeus' 80"
which closed In the latter part OF the so'enY"
: century when Nagasak was openea 70 .no ~.
European demand caused rapid defsriora.on- ins
date Of ieaA Is assigned to group OF sapero
; which wero wedding gilt rom riiV' -
: tn the Prince of 5aisuma The eoi,eos"n
IN gold lacquers often finely 1eeo,I ,s anu xshIos
are several examples of the colSsu nS nerfsiioa
Stnc, pnxamnes Of perfection of dherens ANA
n an o. ease OF mounted spheres whlch rs 1om'
ina,aS nv Mp Rocketeners magnihceht ofysa, vaas
sx inches in diameter and as nmPa 40 9 ,xyrt e
= dron ~ dew This Is accompanied % 49, IA
crystaIs of slightly smaller size, ana .e shrs.oliis
g,o, 81 Suheres cut from ively, ese.e' In
snS mpp,Sia Mr. Drumn,ond's case %, WoSS sss ~.
Wives minute Inspection hsldS,y g'ss@ Mr. Audsiey
I circumstances It Is mpoS pos nsa IN words Of III
s,nf Sunor tho broad careature the h'se ey
y pSoSer Of expression, and the ge3efa whseS n,
Ssnan sor,r annears with indvidusly IT,
A vr1m anythIng al hna n nature ptoanesM ~ V' IN
y lands ~ One Of the most curious LestuIes ,nS
collection Is the group OF arteass0o ~crss ont I,
stcrs ersynsh and crabs sann Rassmonds largo i
nr,a W soS Mr. ciafes large bronze repessntin
nS S variety OF curos testify to the supreme 49,,
a quality OF The best yREansse york ~ msta. so<a N
TSs ss q sspenI Ia 1oas and tbs
e san,ation OF standard examples Is 90 opporumy ,
y SmmeiIafe INTEREST and consequence. Tho eWasovr
9 % have made this exhibition possible deserve 20
- rnri,ai acknowledgements Of the public. soms ~ y
= tSa humber have been already mentionoo "
: other contributors srs Messy d.s Me,'e5 o.,
y aaa q 4 smith and Thonas B. Clarke ME CLARKE
Va believe Is entitled thu credit Of prganixins tnes
~ 4 .-.,-.h,. fnak.c.. A. ()raUnn q.