The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-22
AT THE ART MUSEUM
Rare Oriental Lac
quers, Porcelains
and Enamels.
FROM WORCESTER HOMES.
A Beautiful Exhibition of
Chinese and Japan
csc Art.
FROM WORCESTER HOMES.

ors will doubtless prove quite the
equal of the pictures in interest.
This collection of objets dart has
been made, not in New York, like the
pictures, but in Worcester homes 1t
still lacks few pieces, but is practic-
ally complete. While it is out of the
question to speak in detail of every
! thing in the collection, there being sew
eral hundred vases, jars, cups, plaques,
boxes and the like in ALL there are GER
| tain of the pieces of oriental workman
| ship that by virtue of their beauty,
their associations, or their rarity call
for special mention.
Among these, to begin with case l, is
the splendid Chinese vase of plum
| colored enamel, lent by Mrs. Robinson
P.-Dunn. Two vases of crackle ware,
IN the same case, also the property of
Mrs. Dunn, attract attention.
Mrs. Josiah H. Clarke is the owner of
several specimens, one a small Jar of
Chinese porcelain that it is hard to
name, and pair u very fine lizard
vases. One of the most curious things
in the collection is Mrs. Clarkes rice
grain plate. The peculiar process of
manufacture that gives it its name
consists in cutting out the body of
porcelain and then filling in the inter-
stlces with the glaze, producing a del
1cate lace like pattern. Rice grain
porcelain is very rare, and Mrs. CIark's
| piece is the only one of its kind in the
| city, so far as known. splendid
large, blue Canton jar with cover, be-
| longing to Miss Bancroft and a tall
'brocade' vase, the property of Mrs
| James b. Blake, are worthy of admira-
| ton.
In case II, there is a beautiful spec
| linen of Chinese stone ware whiC h
| shows the influence of Wedgwood in
It's elegant pattern of red in high relief
on ground of pale brown; so, too. do
the pair of tall Satsuma vases pre-
| scented to DR.. T. c. MendenhaH by the
| Japanese government A Kaga bowl
| of medium size belonging to ]. Evarts
| Greene is wonderful in it's coloring. the
| reds being tender and deep but never
| degenerating into mere brickiness.
| A remarkable bit of Japanese natu-
| ralism is the large shell-shaped dish
| owned by Mrs. Daniel Merriman. 1t
! looks for all the world like a pearly
| shell that has been decorated with
| groups of figures and the spectator can
hardly believe that he is looking upon
IilC ndIuIN Olh OIL d hlOIO ARTIST and
not upon a trophy from some foreien
sea. A Kaga jar, lent by ]. Evarts
| Greene, and an old Imari vase, lent
| by Mrs. Richard Mitchell, are in this
case; so is Japanese vase Of great
| value, the property of Mrs. Mitchell.
| which has a perfect bronze glaze on
| the edge, bands and mounts, and shows
| both the craCke and the smooth enamel.
OF Satsuma, in addition to that al
ready mentioned, there are several
noteworthy pieces, such as the ele-
| CANT odd vases belonging to Mrs. Mcr-
| riman, the smaller but very handsome
pair belonging to Mrs Burlington. TIE
| little teapot, lent by Miss Sargent, the
| very fine cup, lent by Mrs. Edward L.
| Davis, and the incense-burner, mod
| ern piece, the property of Mrs. c. c.
| McCloud. In the same group with these
| is large jar of Imari, owned by J
! Evarts Greene with cameo decorations
on a base of powder blue
Case " is nearly filled with speci-
mems of Chinese work made express
| ly for the European market. An in
| teresting souvenir of the days when
| the Dutch had the monopoly of Euro
| pean trade with China is shown by
Mrs. John E. Russell in the form of a
covered cup representing Dutch sail
| Ors on a carouse. 1t is old and dates
| from before the 18th century. A charm;
| ing teaset, whose size suggests tnat it
must have been made for the use either
Of little girls or of their dolls, is Of
the Chinese manufacture that is so Of
ten ms-named Lowestoft. Every piece
in this set is marked with a coat Of
arms perhaps that of 'the family Of
the little girl for whose amusement it
was made.
Lowestoft is really as Chinese as
Canton porcelain. 1t was made on
Chinese soil by Chinese artisans, and
decorated by them in accordance with
European standards of taste after
Chinese copies of European designs.
The Chinese touch is clearly percept-
ible in the case of the oval vase, like a
small jardiniere, that Mrs. Lincoln n.
Kinnicutt has lent. in which, although
the decoration is of the kind affected
by European pottery decorators in
the last century and the beginning of
this, there is the indefinable something
that betrays the Chinese. Mrs. Robin
son P. Dunn's two-handled bowl or
cup in the "singsong" pattern. with
gold borders is a handsome thing
Some of the most interesting objects
of the collection are gathered together
in case X in the centre of the alcove
Mrs. w c. Thompson has here a Won
derful Chinese vase Of pale green and
crimson, while Mrs. E. D. Bufington's
little figure of a Japanese dignitary.
with it's pearly glaze, "A. O." c0loring
and marvellous transcript of a human
countenance, is sure to excite smile.
AS the reader may know cloissone is
enamel built upon a metal base by
means of little cells that are made of
tiny wire curled around and fastened
into the metal surface. These celluIes
are filled with enamel powder and
fused, the contents of the adjoining
cells blending so that the resultant eff
feet is a picture.
There are some beautiful specimens
of this difficult. brilliant art in the
summer collection at the art museum.
among which are the four PLAQUES.
loaned by Mrs. Mendenhau: these were
made before Japan was opened to Eu-
rOpean markets and consequently be-
fore she came under European influ-
ence. They are characteristic in mo-
tive and color of thF best modern Ian
anese manner. The same may be said
of the two very old plaques of Chinese
cloissone lent by Mrs. Burlington and
Mrs. Thompson. A tall vase supported
on four slender feet illustrates the
change that has been wrought i'm
the artistic methods and ideals
of the japanese by inter
course with European and Amer
leans, for both color and manner shoyy-
a marked departure from the earlier
Japanese work. The vase which is
covered with myriads of figures most
delicately laid upon a background of
pale gray, with very high glaze over
all, is owned by Mrs. Chauncey Har-
rington- 1t was exhibited at the Chit
n 90 Of