Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-20
Collecting the Japanese Works.

The increa sing number of collectors of
japanese curious and works of art has
caused a greater demand for them and an
increase in prices, and several articles in
Mr.. Waggaman's collection have already
been applied for by gentlemen who know
their value. He has bought very few things
at auction or from dealers Nearly all of
his Japanese gallery was purchased from
time to time by Mr.. Shugio an expert who
has very high reputation and was art
commissioner from Japan to the expositions
at Paris, Chicago, Buffalo and st. Louis.
Mr.. Waggaman employed him on salary for
several years to make the collection, and
afterWard to catalogue it, and Mr.. Shugio
has had the assistance of Prof. Morse of
Salem Mass, high authority in Japanese
ceramics, whose own collection was re-
Gently purchased by the Boston Museum.
yond criticism, Mr. Waggama from time
to time, has had authorities like Prof
Morse, Rufus f. Moore, ToZo Takayanag i
and others go over it and Gull out every OBJ
ject that was of doubtful merit or authen-
ITCHY. Mr.. Shugio has made several voy-
ages to Japan in Mr.. Waggaman's interest
and has searched the remote settlements of
his native country in order to have the COL
lection OF ceramics cover completely all the
periods of the development of that art in
the different provinces of Japan.
Ihe result is collection of more than
5,Ooo OBJECTS, historically and artistically
o..
Some of them are said to be so rare that
they cannot be duplcate ted, every other ex-
ample OF the period of the artist they rep
resent being permanently placed in mu-
seums or other galleries beyond the req oh
of collectors. The bronZeS and lacouerS arc
also particularly rare and the collection
aboundS in fine specimens of closonne on
amel, wrought iron, ebony and art works in
jade, crystal, agate, amber, ivory and pre-
cious metals. There are several beautifu,
specimens of vases in soft paste one of
which, obtained at the sale of the Morgan
collection in New York several years ago
Is worth thousands of dollars. and has been
much sought after by other collectors
The screens and kakamonas are said to
lilciuue WORKS OF all the great masters in
Japan who correspond to Raphael and Mi
chael Angelo in western art history The
gem o. this collection is a screen of six
panels bearing a landscape which is the
masterpiece of SeSShu G42O-15O7 one of the
greatest OF japanese artists. The screen is
sad TO be the finest example of its kind in
TINS country, and is valued at SJOO0o Mr.
Waggaman secured it directly from Ian
anese family who had held ii for cen turies
through Mr. Shugio about eight vegas ago
and has always boosted of it as his great
est artistic triumph. The screen has never
been in any other collection and has never
been exhibited in Mr.. Waggaman's gal
lery
There are ninety-fve kakamonas-tba
scrolls upon which the Japanese paint
representing every period of Japanese art
ana all OF the great artists Their yalue
will be lost if they are scattered, because
they were not gathered for show but for
historical and professional completeness
and to illustrate The development of jana
neSe art
In rd-guards and blades, bells gonps
Idols, books, engravings and other objects
of oriental art the collection is rich as NAV
be judged by the catalogue which com
prises two volumes of more than two bun-
dred pages each.
The Picture Collection.
The pictures are limited in number COM
pared with the other departments of the
collection and do not pretend in any similar
fashion to cover the history of European
art. Mr.. Waggaman began buying pictures
about thirty years ago, without any idea
of forming gallery, and without method
but simply, as he says, because he liked
them. 1T was not until he had accum,l-
lated hundreds of subjects that he came to
realize their value and Importance. and
about twenty years ago he sought the aid
and advice of Richard N. Brooke, president
of the Society of Washington Artists in
cullng out unimportant and undesjra BILE
examples and in making selections of new
ones Having the advantage of many
years of study and experience at the art
centers of Europe, Mr.. Brooke was able to
give him sound advice and practical assist
ance. For some years the standard he
aimed at was to secure Ii gallery of MIC
t,, hot had n H. l.er