The San Francisco call., 1897-07-04
Bardwe1l Gives lis Treasures to the Park

There will be placed on exhibition at
the Golden Gate PARK Museum to-day the
finest collection of japanese ivory and
wood carvings in the United States and
one which will take high rank among the
most vaua BILE collections of these curios
in the world. There are 700 pieces. repre-
senting forty years of painstaking care on
the part OF the curio-hunter.
Some Of the single pieces are worth
from $500 to $1,000. and the whole collec-
ton is valued al $25, 600.
Charles P. Wilcomb, curator OF the park
m useum, who has visited all the impor-
tant museums in the East, says that there
is no other collection in this country
which will bear comparison with this.
George Vincent Smith OF the Springfield
Art Museum. Massachusetts, who is an
adept in curios and an extensive traveller.
prcnounces it one of the best collections
of rare specimens of this wonderful art to
be found anywhere.
The generous donor who has enriched
our museum with these rare and beauti-
lul curosities is John l.. Bardwell, we'll
known here since pioneer days. He is a
man of wealth and leisure and for half of
long lifetime he has amused himself
gathering the most exquisite specimens
of Japanese skill in carving that could be
obtained by tact and gold. The mere
matter OF cost never stood between him
and the possession of a coveted carving.
Long experience in the purchase OF the
best things the ships brought from over
the seas developed in him rare skill in the
art of selecting He learned to know at a
glance the difference between live and
| dead ivory, to Judge the color and grain
of the best qualities OF elephant tusk, to
swiftly detect attempted frauds in the way
of tea-steeped modern work, made to simu-
late the rich coiorng that age gives the
CHEFS @uvre of the old masters of
Japan, and to appreciate exuberauce and
humor of fancy and dexterity of execu-
tion. Thus with the double advantage of
the skill of a connoisseur and abundant
means, he has been enabled to secure a
treasure OF collection.
Interesting almost as the collection
itself is the loving way the old gentleman
handles these pets of half lifetime and
exclaims enthusiastically about their ar
tistlc merits. AS one watches and listens
the man becomes more than the things.
1t is bachelors fad, which he frankly
confesses has been a most absorbing one.
To be able to measure the generosity OF
the gift, one must observe the attachment
of the giver to these ivory treasures.
John L. Bardweil has been the most mu-
nlticent of the benefactors of the museum.
This latest donation is but one of long
series which he has been constantly be-
slowing. His w.sn is that the public may
share in the pleasure he has derived from
these marvels of art.
The most interesting and valuable arti-
Gle in the lot is a sword with a most elab-
orately carved ivory sheath. 1t is the re-
suit OF long months of toll by the most
patient, painstaking and fanciful skill.
1t is nearly thousand years old, and is
worth more than $1,000. Munechka made
1T in 1856 A. D. He was one of the most
famous sword-ma akers of Japan at a time
when sword making was one of the most
exalted Of her arts. An examin alton OF
the sheath creates astonishment that so
many designs could be crowded on the
solid piece of ivory of which it is made.
Every detail is finely finished. A thou
sand dollars sounds biz price when you
pick up the sword TO examine it, but
when you lay it down that sum has
dwindled away to something out of all
proportion to the extent of the skiIIful