The Washington times., 1903-01-28
RICH GIFTS FOR NEW
YORK MUSEUM OF ARI
j. P. Morgan Adds to Porce-
lain Collection.
WORLD-FAMOUS TREASURES
Financier Spent Immense Sums to Sc
cure Gems to Enhance Beauties Of
Exhibit Now Given to City.

NEW YORK. Jan. 2S.-About 100 por-
ceIains have just been added by J Pier
pont Morgan to the Morgan CoIiec-
ton in the Metropolitan Museum Of Art
This was what was formerly the Car
land Collection" and even when James
A. Garland, its originator, died it was
the most valuable collection of its kind
in the world
When Mr Garland died his heirs sold
the porcelains TO Henry J. Duveen, of
Duvceu Brothers. and there we're fears
for q time that the collection might be
sold DfecemeaI abroad. But Mr.. Morgan
purchased the entire lot from the dealer
at q cost of above $500 600, it is under
stood. and let the collection remain in
the museum. Mr. Morgan, himself al
ready a collector Of rare objets dart,
Immediately became particularly inter
ested in this collection. and to project
plans for its Improvement.
Bought Treasures Abroad.
While Mr.. Morgan was in Europe last
summer devoting. as was generally sup
posed. his entire time TO negotiations for
the shipping trust, he was al the same
time spending considerable energy in
looking for possible additions to the
Garland collection He did not know
that the name Of the collection was 70
be changed. for this was done by General
Di Cesnola, director of the museum. in
Mr. Morgan's absence
Through these efforts abroad and
through purchases made privately in
this country. some unique and excep-
tionaUy valuable pieces have now been
added Of the 100 new specimens, very
many are understood to have cost sew
eral thousand dollars each The collec-
tion is now beyond approximation the
most magnificent in the world. Art deal
ers say that the expenditure of no
amount of money row could succeed in
ecHpsing this aggregation.
Sumptuous Catalogue.
Not only has Mr.. Morgan made the ad-
ditions, but ne is planning 20 issue a
sumptuous catalogue of the collection.
The descriptive work is to be done by
William NJ Laffan, himself an expert on
ceramics and porcelains. It is expected
that the preparation of this work viii
/ take several years. The descriptive mat
/ ter is 10 be upon most comprehensive
scale. the book to be designed to serve
7 as a coT1pIete treatise upon the entire
subject. The museum several years ago
published at cost of several thousand
/ dollars catalogue of the Garland col
/ lection. but the catalogue now planned
viii be far superior to that.
New Arrangement for Display.
There has been considerable criticism
Of the manner in which the porceIains
have been arranged in the room allotted
[ to them n the recently completed wing
! of the museum. All Of the arrangement
was done while Mr. Morgan was away
! Several complaints were made TO him
upon his return regarding his arrange
ment. It was complained that all Of the
/ objects we're in cases against the wall.
making it impossible to see all sides of
the specially beautiful pieces.
Even the famous red hawthorn jar an,
1.-The other priceless Jars and vasques-
unique Of their knd-were placed
! against the wall. so that they could no
/ be thoroughly inspected by visitors JnJ
artist at the museum. Mr.. Morgan has
arranged. therefore. that six or eighI
i cases shall be placed in the open part OF
( the room and that the rarer pieces shal
be deposited therein. This, in the oPin
ion Of artists. will add exceedingly tc
the value of the collection, from In
IpubHc's point Of view.
Few Old PorceIains Left.
The most recent Of these acquisition.
were two extremely rare vasques o.
flower pots about fifty inches in diane
ter. They were made in the fifteenth
century. One is of a cream color. in
sized with an imperial dragon Of light
yellow tone. The other is of a dark in
digo blue with lotus flowers in relief
These two pieces came originally from
the gardens of the Chinese Empires
DowaEer's palace The mate OF ID.
cream coIored specimen is believed Il
he still in The imperial palace.
Henry J. Duveen. who obtained mos
Of the pieces for Mr.. Garland. and wht
has secured the world for objects to adj
to this collection, says that IL viii moi
be possible to add very much to tE
collection from now on. Re says tha,
so far as IS known, but very few of the
really artistic porceIains Of old China