Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-06-01
from the Orient Which Are
Valued at Many The Isands
of Dollars.

~ ouI very uOOT5 something OF the
strange ways of lands remote, the be-
quest has value beyond computation.
Delighting in travel, and with the in
born spirit of the true collector, who
gathers in very country something that
speaks of its life, its manners and its
people, Mr.. Nunnemacher, in his journey
ings through the Orient, cleaned from
ITS treasures rare examples Of the art and
the craft and the religion of those
strange peoples and with a public-spirit-
ed generosity he turned over to the city,
IN order that all might benefit from it.
the tangible results of his travels.
The scope of the collection shows the
varied tastes of the donor for he has
confined himself to no one branch of col
lectng, but has chosen something from
all. OF the several separate collections,
that of the arms and armOr is the larg-
est, TINS having been the particular hob
by of Mr. Nunnemacher, but it includes
as well, the strange and hideouS idols of
heather countries, with the paraphernalia
of their temple worship; beautifully
carved worries and Jade: statuettes Of
agalmatolite and wood, from Japan. Chi
ma and India; autographs and old parch-
ment documents from Germany, France
and England; rare old German and Eng
lish books, including works on industrial
art, travel and history; Instruments Of
torture of the Middle ages; hangings.
rugs, articles of dress and various trim
kets from nearly every country of the
Orient; rare old furniture; fine porcelain
in fact, the list is too long to give
Collection Well Arranged.
The collection has been arranged in a
way to display il to the very best add
vantage, and much of it has been used
IN decorative manner. making the room
where it is placed a delight to the eve
as soon as one enters. Across the east
end are hung gay Japanese draperies en-
br0ldered with flights of cranes, and the
dOorWays and windows are draped with
Oriental hangings. On either side the
entrance. on the top of the cases, stand
grim knights in ancient armor, and along
the north wall is arranged the fine collec-
tion Of guns. The grim masks that are
used by the japanese in their festivals
are placed on the south wall, the faces
covered with long shaggy hair; here also
are placed innumerable pairs of antlers
and graceful heads Of deer, while even
the electric light that Eliminates the
apartment shines from an ancient char
deler entirely composed Of interlaced
antlers, which originally hung in an old
hunting lodge by the Rhine. and this is
tianked on either side by clusters of pend
ant lamps from Cairo.
imagination in looking over the collec-
| ton. Owing to the lamentably early
death of the generous donor there is no
means of knowing the special history of
| the various pieces, and the fancifuly-
| minded could weave no end OF tales
| about the dark-eyed Egyptian women
| VINO wore the gay embr0idericS: the
! hoWer-like geiSha girls who played upoa
! the tinkllng samison: the Arab and Jap
! aneSp warriors who wore the ancient AZ
NOR with the queer, hooded caSqucs: the
| revelS that took place in the Rhenish
| hunting lodge whence came the many
! antlered chandelier; the palaces whence
came the beautifully-carved worries; the
| mysterious temples where deyuut Bud
| dhistS worshiGed before the idols Of brass
and stone, and the strange people VINO
! used the odd crockery and the quantity
shaped vessels of brass and bronze.
Craven Images.
Before the long case filed with strange
| Eastern craven images one is apt per
| hapS to lnger longest, and more than
| one visit is needed before even a casual
acquaintance can he gained with the
| idols thus strangely transported across
| land and sea from their shelteriug tenn
| pies. and one fancies that the stoiid
! BuddhaS must feel alien indeed, grouped
| thus together, far from their palm-Shadcl
| temples in tropical groves or strange
| for The worship that once was paid them,
| but of which they receive none here
| Here III this case is grouped the colleC-
! ton of BuddhaS. one of the finest in any
| American museum, and here too, are Vari-
! Gus objects that paN part in the myS-
| FERROUS temple worship of those far lands.
! Ever since the collection was installed in
| the museum, nearly a year ago. Mr.
! NchrlmgS able assistant. Charles +
! Brown, who has charge OF the work. has
! been sending ont to the Smithsonian in
! Stltute and other great museums. draw
! inEs of these idols. with descriptions.
/ thus eNdcaVorlng to CLEAN some authentic
! information regarding them. and bit by
/ Int, rs II came in. the knowledge WAS
| carefully collated. until now something
| IS known of nearly every piece in the col
| lection though of its personal history. or
| where acquired. nothing, unfortunately
| will ever be known.
There are idols here from Rurmah. In
dia, Thibct, China and Japan, of brass
and bronze and carved wool. some old
some modern. There are the little brass
domestic ShrineS, where the dcvout
heather pays his dcvotionS to the house
mold gods, and there are the lamps and
instruments aud vessels used in the nIys-
FERROUS temple worship.
Burmese Idols.
Given a prominent place in the fore
antiquity and its imposing appearance.
Is big brass Buddha from Bnrmah. Ii
Is an image of Alompra or Alaunghpra.
represented as Buddha. Alompra was
hero-king 10 whom divine honors are ac-
corded by the Burmese. because he lifted
has country out of the depths Of degrade
ton and founded a dynasty of kings
This particular Buddha is shown in the
witness attitude''-for this great god
mas several attitudes which he assumes.
Here he sits croSS-legged, with his legs
folded after the usual Indian fashion.
with the feet turned NJ, the right hand
hanging over the right leg, and the left
hand SuSpenated ON the left foot. This is
supposed to be the moment when he nj
tanned his Buddhaship, after the long pc
Rod Of meditation. He is clothed with
a toga inlaid with glass Jewels. and his
hngeruailS are of mother of pearl. He
sits ON the lotus throne which figures 50
largely in all that appertainN 10 Buddha.
in this instance the coEventioualzcd net
ais being Of lacqucred wood. ana into
this pedestal is fitted support for the