The sun., 1903-02-13
ART OF OLD JAPAN AT AUCTION
THRONG or COLLECTORS At THE
MiTSGkI SALE.
Tho Leathers Chieny Bought by Museums
SOME Bargains for close seekers
After the CuriOs-SOme Of the quaint
Objects Disposed W-Sale ON TO-DAY.


After the Curios-sOme Of the Quaiht
Oh Iects D,sposed Of-Saie on To-day.
When the first installment Of Bnnkio
Matsuki's aggregation Of objects repre-
serting the art Of old Japan came up az
au~~Jou Yesterday afternoon, the sa'eS
gallery Of the American Art Association
was filed with bidders and with admirers
of the productions. During part OF the
time people stood all around the rear oil
the gallery
This first session was an auspicious be-
ginning Of the three days auction, Tor all
the particularly choice objects brough
here by Mr. Matsuki are included IN tne
catalogue Of to-day's and tomorrow
sales This il after the csoteric RUE oi
the auction room which IL a. Inc 'rape
as the laws Of the Medes and Persans or oi
Charondas and forbids tn" ofering OF
rare objects Of impatient desire on the hr>t
day Of an important sale.
4 few of the buyers AMI spectators az
tho gn lery yesterday were John la rarge'
Mrs Henry o. Iiavemayrr. Thomas JeI-
ferson Cooiig, of Boston. Georg" Gray
Barnard the SCULPTOR Erskine Hewitt Han
cel La Farg. and the only art critic IN
town known TO le a lover OF natural history.
The conjecture Of the critics friends was
that he came TO get some OF the Interesting
bronzes representing the stork and tor
,,ise those two fellow habitants q: the
land of perennial youth whom the Ori@n-
tails use in their symbolic art To suggest
long life, which the artist is presumed To
wish TO Il he patron of his genius
OF the feathers, which form one OF me
most attractive features of the collection
that Mr. Matsuki has brought together.
those sold yesterday went al the ioWest
prices Of the day. comparatively. which
was a fortunate thing Tor the museums
which were the keenest bidders for them
Most of the feathers were taken by the
Roston Museum of Fine Arts, the Cooper
Institute, and the Brooklyn Institute of
Arts and Sciences
Alert buyers were out for objects which
had caught their eyes after probably escap,
ing the general notice, as was emphasized
when Mr. Savage of Tiffany Co, took a
brass candlestick, with gold surface
finish, at low price. II is folding CANDLE
stick such as was used in former times by
travellers.
Hanging lanterns OF sixteenth century
date, taken from temples. some Of the
lanterns surrounded by strings OF pendent
bells; old brass Jars with handles formed
Of lion ads, and peonies worked INTO tne
scheme Of their border decoration orna-
ments patterned after those used by
Japanese lady in completing her decorative
coifT,lre. with the ribbons and flowers re-
produced in metal. the flowers being Of
The form Of those that brought Buddhas
words from heaven dolls of carved wood,
which looked like small Japanese, save
that the gypsum which covered their faces
lightened their complexion-these were
few Of the productions Of old Japanese
artists which the patrons Of the sale bought.
On the feathers they purchased were
lilies embossed in colors on an ecru ground;
poppies in their natural hues on pale bum;
buddhist angels. birds Of paradise and
represe nj ations Of the feathers OF the quail.
Among the pouches were some OF en-
broidered leather which has In japanese
the stunning name Of nuI-tsubushigawa.
They were clasped with silver images OF
Chinese warriors, iron dragons with golden
markings, bronze snakes, or silver horse
tail" plants: and their ivory and wood
ue;eikes were lemons and mice, lions,
peonies and the animals OF the Chinese
zodiac.
Brass door handles Of the sixteenth CEN
tury sold to one of the best known New
York collectors at ~ each; a hammered
bronze bowl Of the fourteenth century.
shaped after the lotus flower, sold TO the
same collector for 70; bronze dish that
came from tempM went for $i2S; a pair
Of brass candlesticks with chrysanthe-
nuns in perforated workmanship for
SlOs.
A pair of temple lanterns sold at Si2o;
brass vase made a1ter SniHese IOTm AZ
SIS: a six-sided temple gate" lantern at
SI3s: a pouch Of leather partly embroidered,
nui-torigawa." at $50; and a box covered
with old Dutch leather, which had doubtless
been carried TO Japan by a Dutch trader
Of former times. at $40. This leather had
a ground of green like grass. and the flowers
OF it's decoration were in gold. A piece
of "Tempeinawa' leather at S23.
To-day, in addition to leather and medals
come up some of the carvings from tenn
pies and palaces; carvings in plain wood.
In LACQUER work, and in wood painted in
colors that perhaps once may have had q
hrillianoe which might have been de-
-cribed as -barbaric" by people enamored
Of their own civiizatio ion and out Of sympathy
with the civilizat ions of the Orient, but which
time and weather have mellowed into har-
monies that have brought the artists As
well as the collectors Of New York out to
look at and admire these productions Of
patient craftsmen OF earlier days.