Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-28
RULERS OF THE SURF. A Story OF
the Mysteries and Perils Of the Sea
BY ]. W. Muller. Illustrated. New
York: d. Appleton & Co.

4 SMALL but extremely interesting
~ collection of Chinese porcelain,
other art objects and jewels is
now on exhibition in the v. G.
Fischer galleries. The collection
Is brought to this city by Dreicer & CO. of
New York. the sole agents for Gorer of
London. number of the pieces shown
were formerly in the Sir William Bennett
collection. These porcelains and jewels
are what might be described as museum
pieces Like paintings by the old mas
tiers. they can only be possessed by those
having great wealth at their command,
but inspection is free to ALL and to see
such things is. In a measure, 10 possess
them. 1t is difficult to realize the money
value of art treasures. For painting by
Rembrandt. $4,000 is not a great price.
At the Stewart sale in New York about
thirty years ago Mr.. Walters OF Balti-
more gave a small fortune for peach
blow vase measuring less than ten inches
in height. dog collar" of exception
ally fine design and workmanship set
forth in this present exhibition is priced
at $1,000: in New York this winter neck
lace was sold for half million.
There are two causes for such valua-
tion-one rarity, the other beauty-art.
The Chinese porcelain. which are priced
so highly today by collectors and connois-
seurs are several centuries old, and can
not be duplicated, but what is more, they
have extraordinary beauty of form and
color and texture; they are ornamental,
handsome. occasionally exquisite. The
satisfaction in such an object. which is
a work art. is enduring; to one of acute
taste il is perennial delight.
= said that Marco Polo visited nOrcp-
lain factories when travelling in China in
the twelfth century, and. charmed by the
beauty of the product. took some pieces
back with him to Venice. One OF the OBJ
1ects in the royal porcelain collection at
Dresden. IT N claimed. was brought to
Europe by crusader of the same period.
Certainty the Oldest collection of oriental
porcelans in Europe is in the Dresden
Gallery The Sailing collection. for many
years loaned to the South kenSngton
Museum. and the Sir Wolleston Franks
collection. TO be seen in the British Mu-
scum are famous, as Is also the Gran
hidier collection held by the Louvre. In
this country the Metropolitan 1Iuseum has
the Avery collection and the }. Pierpont
Morgan collection, the latter especially
rich I'm decorated porceIains; the Boston
Art Museum has the Ames and other col
iections; the Art Institute of Chicago. the
Nickerson collection: the National Mu-
scum in this city, the IiippesIey collec-
ton. And these but few. For
many years the Waggaman collection was
beautifully displayed in Mr.. Waggaman 5
private gallery in Georgetown, and at the
present time the Edison Bradley collec-
hon is equally notable.
Not a great many pieces are shown in
The exhibition in the v. 6. Fischer gall
leries. but these are fine specimens. There
are three cases holding from six to ten
oieces each. In the center one is a blue
and white jar which came from the Sir
william Bennett collection. and said to
possess great rarity. the cover being sur
mounted by mandarin button. Its in
trinsic interest lies. however. in the quail
lty of its blue, the clarity of the white
and the character of the design.
This was probably produced during the
Ming dynasty, and not unlikely during the
earlier part. On the lower shelf Of this
same case are a pair of imperial ia
mile rose" vases attributed to the Chen
lung period, which lay between 1896 and
1875. They have a graceful shape and a
decoration OF dragons I'm bright colors
on a turquoise blue ground. Between
them is shown what is known as "a thou
sand owered vase" the surface OF which
ls completely covered with mosaic of
many-coIored. fiower-shaped enameling
This vase is unique III having an unin-
tcrrupted surface instead of being d.
vided into panels. In another case is to
be seen handsome black hawthorne