The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-29

Learned Address by Mrs. Stock.
bridge. Followed by Social
Chat and Refreshments.

About two hundred ladies assembled
at the home of Mrs. F. j. Lowry last
evening to view the rare collection of
Japanese curios SO kindly placed on
exhibit for the benefit of the Young
Women's Christian Association and
their friends.
Mrs. H. M. Coleman, Mrs. Anterior
and Miss Helene Johnson assisted Mrs.
Lowrey in receiving. The Roman
court of the Lowrey residence was
artistically decorated with potted
plants, and about the walls We're hung
broidered cloths, which are a most in
teresting and valuable feature of Mrs.
Lowrey's collection. Magnificently
carved Oriental chairs and tables were
arranged about the court. and upon
the tables were exhibited the numerous
curios of porcelain, pottery and carved
woods and ivory, which comprise Mrs.
Lowrey's gathering of Oriental treas
ureS.
Mrs. Lowrey welcomed her guests
in a brief address. She said that she
was afraid that she was possessed OF
a fad, as witnessed by the collection
about her but she hoped she might
keep it within limits; to insure this
she asked that her friends, did they
find her losing herself too much in the
fad Of collecting and becoming
fanatic in the matter, would lend a
friendly hand and suppress her. She
then told how most of her curios had
scribed her trip through Japan, and
the bargaining she had done with the
eastern merchants. She said that in
case any of her friends contemplated
treasure hunting in Japan or China,
they would do well to consult her, as
she could give them many points on
how to escape being cozened by the
willy dealers. She told of her visit to
the celebrated Makudzu KaZan, who
has no rival in all the world in the
art of porcelain making. He had re-
ceived her kindly, happening to be In
good humor, and through exercise of
tact she had become quite friendly
with him and persuaded him to sell
her two of his creations, which alone,
was a great favor, but he had after
ward done her the incompatible honor
of presenting her with beautiful vase
without solicitation. After entertain
ingly relating q number of experiences
in the "fiowery kingdom" Mrs. Low
rey. in few graceful words, intro
..
and an authority on all kinds of decor
alive art.
Mrs. Stockbridge, who has for many
years been a student of art and art
history, was appointed to select the
Japanese .curios for the Baltimore mu.
scum, and her address on the subject
of japanese art work and it's history
was a treat for her audience, which
was composed of those interested ir
the subject She said that while dec.
oratiVe art, and the matter OF the
creation of a beautiful piece of pot
| terry or porcelain, was not the highes
art, yet it was an art that might be
! lived with; that art was oftenest re-
| ognized and made famous by it's suit
! ability of surroundings, as Raphael:
! handlwork, through its beauty of har
mony with the church in which 1t wa
| hung, and Titian's paintings in per
feet adaptability to the Vatican
| rooms; these masterpieces were won
| aerfui to gaze upon, and maryelouSl.
| beautiful, but Their suitability was no
! as that of the decorative art in tn
| home; art in vases and china, In tap
esIry and carving was an art to i-v'
with, and therefore was an art TO b.
! loved by ALL Mrs. Stockbridge com
pared the art work of the different ma
lions, and dwelt long on the accom-
| plishments of China, She said tha
| China was the only nation that ha'
had a continuous form of cavern
ment and the same race or me-
| through the ages, and hence its devo
ton to and progress in the decorativ
art, from the time of the beginning
three thousand years before Christ
until the present time, as recorded b
existing specimens of their work, an
in literature. She traced the growt
Of the art of pottery making from 1t
crudest form to it's most perfect trl
umph, the discovery of glazing an
the progress along that line, and tn
first success in coloring, and the meth
DDS by which it was perfected. TAX
ing up the various treasures OF trans
formed clay from the table before he
Mrs. Stockbridge explained the mai
, nor in which each was made, and spoh
, interestingly upon the art of carvin
describing particularly the difficultis
, of carving in jade, rare Specime
| of this beautiful work being exhibite
Mrs. Stockbridge's address occupie
! about two hours, and at its conclusic
, the ladies expressed their appreciate
! of her interesting lecture by cordi
, applause.
Refreshments were served from Il
breakfast room. and the guests spel
} pleasant hour In social chat, and
examining the curios and treasur
exhibited.
Among Mrs. Lowrey's latest a
QUESTIONS is beautiful screen
stained Siamese ebony, elaborate
carved, and with porcelain plaques 8
! in; also, another large screen on car
ed teak with ivy carving in ehrysa
themum designs. Most cherished of {
her treasures are a beautiful BIZ
cloisenne vase and a carved silv
!, heron, also a rare Meizen vase, WIFI
has no duplicate. Many valuable a
curious specimens of egg-shell lacdu
oil fb,e r,cf
collection, and Mrs. Lowrey is co
stantly adding to 1T. The opporturi
,. given her interested friends last Mig
I was one that.was heartily appreciate
y for outside a museum such a collecti
is a rare one.