The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-28
THE MORGAN COLLECTION O
CHINESE PORCELAINS.

| Metropolitan Museum. made possible by the
increased space Of the new building another
setting has been provided for the Morgan
collection. This superb display OF Chinese
| porcelains, originally known as the Ga Rand
| collection. and recently acquired and added
| to by Mr.. j. Pierpont Morgan, Is now ex-
J h'bted In the south wing OF the new build
n.
/ Nothing could he more imposing than
the present manner Of display. The gallery
| itself is of noble size and proportions. hav
ing length Of 90 feet. a width OF ~ and a
heis hit OF 10 feet The only objects which
interrupt the dignity Of this vista of spP ce
are four low benches; and on all side the
gaze terminates in the brilliant adornment
of the walls. where in black wood cases.
lined with maroon cloth, the porcelain IL
arranged upon shelves. A spectacle
nothing could he finer Therefore. it may
seem invidious to criticiss. and yet, II the
collection is to yield its fullest pos Ile
usefulness, something will have to be done
to bring it's objects within closer range Of
study. A it il. a very large number Of
the specimens are placed so high that.
while their grandeur may be judged in
general way. II ia impossible for the in
tricacy Of their beauty, the character OF
the decoration, to b. realized. Moreover.
an eager student will scarcely be sai isfi, d
with a onc-sided view: many OF thesc OBJ
jects should be placed in such way that
il might be possible TO see all round them.
Indeed. il will be a question for the manage
mcnt to consider whether it may not be
better after all to occupy the floor with
certain number Of cases No doubt. 1t will
disturb the reposefuI grandeur OF ihn
misc en- Neie, but Is not an adequate dis
play Of the exhibits a more important
matter?
The collection covers the best periods OF
Chinese ceramic art; its infancy. youth and
manhood To the first belong the dynasties
OF Sung and Yuan (90O-l36S A. D., when
the decoration is sober, severe and relatively
little varied: the prevailing colors being
turquoise blue. the purple Of the eggplant,
creamy white chamois yellow and the celia
dons which swim between pale celestial blue
and pearly gray, with that exquisite variety
of a greenish tone, the 81 ir dc IIne. The
lusty youth comes with the dynasty Of the
Mings C"brlliantD d36s to i8i0, especially
in the reigns Of Hsuan-te, Oh eng -hua. CHA
ching and Wanli. Under them the art burst
into efflorescence. with greater variety OF
forms, more luscious paste and glazes. a
daring combination Of colors and an in
exhaustible inventiveness of decoration.
1t is the age Of vigorous vitality. Will. the
succeeding one is marked by greater per-
lection of material and design. This dy-
nasty of the Using every purcD still sur
viz =, but lis glorious tp CT for ceramics
j. identified with the reigns Of k'ang-h
and Yung-chen. Under the former the
beauty Of the green tones reached its climax;
while in the latter the carmine and rose are
first extrac ed from chloride of gold and
brought to perfection. The succeeding
reign Of Chic lung continues the Use OF
these tones, but with an increase in over
elaboration Of detail that marks the be-
ginning of decadence. While the colec-
ton covers these periods. by far the greater
part Of its examples are not anterior to the
reign of K'ang-hsi.
In Section 0 will be found the group Of
pieces that represent the Sung and Yuan
and the beginning Of the Ming; for an actual
demarcation is well-ngh impossible since.
the art being living and continually pro-
gressive its divisions overlap. Here among
the characteristic examples we shall find a
bowl in which the clair de lane shades to
violet. variety highly priced. Violet again
appears in the decoration Of q bottles shaped
vase of very pale blue which has around
the slender neck two bands OF purple edged
with white, and on the body iris blossoms
and the Buddhist symbols Of the Wheel of
the Law and of the Knot or Labyrinth
CTchang). Notice also most exquisite
little pilgrim bottle of ciIir de line, with
the sacred trigrams. embodying the mystery
OF existence. embossed in a ring upon the
body. large and noble piece is an oviform
temple jar with convex lid surmounted by
a knob The body is covered with reticu-
lated decoration. a netlike mesh Of per-
forated ornament including the pine tree
of long life, peonies and groups Of figures,
Another specimen OF extraordinary interest
is an incense burner Ting, which is mount,
on four legs. formed Of elephant tusks 70.
truding from the mouth OF grotesque heads.
The body, a fiattened sphere ID, and the high
bevelled lid are incrusted thickly with drag
ons carved in high relief, colored Q gray
verdigris upon a ground @ ,eepest blue.
1t Is piece Of indescribable richness. Nor
should we omit another oviform vase tor
minaNng In cylindrical stem that widens
al the base. 1t is Of chamois ground a. O.
Grated In red and green and turquoise blue
with the foliage and flowers Of chrysanthe-
NUNS, arranged 40 as to enclose panels,
Allied with landscapes. In this group. too.
a veritable Ming piece, statuette, superb in
its tones OF blue, green, yellow and purple,
/ Of Kwan-inn the Chinese virgin goddess Of
the no me, whose place on the domestic
ALTA is between the god of fire and OF the
kitchen and him OF the soil and riches. She
is seated in a recess Of rocks. on each side of
which on a bracket formed Of a grotesque
head is that species Of orange, called Bud.
dha's hand. A medallion Of Buddha forms the
centre Of her ooronet strings and pendants
OF pearls decorate the bosom of her gown;
her hands are laid one above the other on
her lap in gesture OF repose that Ii beauti-
fully emphasized by the long, simple lines
and folds OF her robe. On her right stant 8
the sacred parrot. and on her left the child
Zenzai, who joins with her in prayer for the
salvation of the world.
1t IL very interesting to compare this
statuette with two others Of the later K'ang-
hsi period in case 81 One OF these Is seated
and the other standing both having body
Of rich creamy paste and fihgree decora-
lions Of exquisite refinement on tho robes.
The latter figure has the tender. naive
grace Of some product Of the early Italian
Ra,a ;oaonoo and In tho uactla l;ur;t,,