Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-10
NOW IN THE SMITHSONIAN
One q Specimen of the Famous
Peach1low Porcelain.
CURIOUS CEREMONIAL RING
Odd Former Present Sent by China
to This Government on Exhibi-
ton in Museum.

Special Ambassador Tong Shoa vi has
been cut short, he has had an opportunity
of presenting to this government through
| the State Department two priceless pieces
of porcelain which were intended as a
token of appreciation from China to this
| country.
| The palace intrigues and political up
| heavals which resulted in the deposition
of Yuan Shat Hi, Ambassador longs
powerful patron, limited at great extrav
agance and expense in the conduct of
the special mission. Ambassador Tong
was expected to visit the principal Euro
pean powers, and if the presents that he
carried were as valuable those he
leaves in Washington, his mission was
expensive enough.
| The gift to this government was ac-
| companied by a very graceful letter say
! ing that the porcelains were intended as
a token of esteem and q remembrance
of the mutual regard Of this country and
China for each other. 1t was generally
| understood that they were token of APP
| probation for the remission by this cOun-
try of part of the Boxer indemnity.
The Ceremonial Ring.
| This is by no means the first of these
| gifts from China. Other countries do
the same thing once in while. but China
| is particularly given to this form of in
ternational courtesy. One of the treas
ured possessions of the National Mu-
scum now is a bronze vase between 900
| and 5000 years old, with a carved jade
| top that is a miracle of workmanship.
Another curious gift from the same
source Is a jade ceremonial ring" This
| ring is big enough to be grasped with
both hands and has to be held before the
breast in p ain sight when the holder Is
peror. The main object of the ring is to
keep the petitioners hands in view and
| if he let's go the ring and makes what
would be termed in the west ANY aWk-
ward move, the attendance ofhciai po-
| litely but eXpeditiOusly decapltates HIM.
| 1t is not known whether the Chinese gov
eminent thought the ring would be put
| in use at the White House, but 1t remains
| in the possession of tbs government
Touching the two latest gifts of the
Chinese government, however, one is a
| vase of celedOn ware and the other is a
specimen of the famous peachblow porce-
| lain about whose origin there has always
| been considerable mystery, though not so
much as attached to the present where
abouts of the famous vase of the same
sort that was sold in New York twenty
| years ago. at that time there was but
| one specimen of this ware in the United
States and not more than two or. three
| in the rest of the world outside of China.
| The vase was sold at auction in New
| York and nobody could discover who was
| the purchaser, though it was understood
that the price paid was between $4,000
| and $4,000 the vase not being more
| than six or eight inches high. The pur-
| chase was variously credited to j. p.
| Morgan and other noted collectors. but it
| is believed that the little gem went into
! the private collection of William T..
| Walters. the great art collector of .Balti-
| more.
| The specimen that has just been given
| to this government is about eight inches
| high, with a slightly faring mouth and
gracefully sloping shoulders. 1t is in a
| satin-lined box of rare wood and mounted
| on claw-lke stand of green carved
| jade. Nobody in the service of the gcV-
| eminent has been Sordid enough to put
| a money value on It, but it is one of the
| things that is worth just whatever COL
| lector could afford to pay. The colCr is
| darker pink than would be naturally
| associated with the term 'peachblow, :"
| but it is characteristic of all that family
of ware.
History Clouded in Mystery.
| 1t is not known either how the peach
| blow ware originated or why it is made
| no longer. The history of ceramics is
| definite as to the dates when the porce-
lain was produced. but hazy as to the de-
| tails of it's manufacture. 1t was made
| in China between the years 1923 and 1875.
Whether 1t was the secret of a single
| family of potters and died out with them
| or whether it was eliminated from the
arts through some of the dynastic changes
| is not known. There is a story to the
| effect that there was never but single
kiln of pieces made. and that the color
| was the result of mistake in firing
| that could never be reproduced. However
that may be. the ware is rare and price
less enough to be a fitting gift from one
| nation to another.
| The celedon vase is bigger. There is
| less mystery attached to the origin of
| tits ware. but the specimen sent to this
| government is perfect. 1t approximate
| the color of green jade. though the word
| probably comes through the French and
| indicates the color of the sky or the sea
under certain conditions. The porcelain
was first made in the early days of Egypt.
! was carried thence to Persia and
| across Asia to northern China. where the
art of making 1t took root. The peculiar
| beauty of the vase lies in its pure color
and artistic FORM 1t is guiltless of decora-
| ton. needing nothing to enhance it's
| matchless surface
| Ambassador Tong presented the two
| pieces to the State Department just before
his recall. and they were turned over at
| Onca tn tho Smithsonian Institution