The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-21
AMERICAN MANIA IN ART DEPICTED BY PAUL BARTLETT

mentioned will he an addition to this
collection Of considerable tn,rortance
on account ~ the rarity IND beauty Of
certain Individual pieces Of ancient
millefiore and varicOlorcd types. The
iridcscent pieces arc also unusually
fine.
The collection Of 2lS carvings. mainly
in Chinese Jade. will he the finest mu-
scum exhibit of the kind in tho United
States after II Bishop collection In
the metropolitan. aud the Mrs. T. u.
Blackstone collection i'm the Field Mu-
scum Of Natural History ut Chicago.
As usual in collections Of Chinese
jade carvings. other semi precious hard
stones calling for the same miraculous
patience n dcNtcrity Of workman
ship ere included in the Woodward
Jade collection. although the fades pre-
~pondera'c. Among other materials
represented are lapis Iazuli. rock crys-
tai. agate. coruclian. amethyst and
chalccdony. Even glass IN not ex-
Guided. because the Chinese treat II AZ
"A hard stone. making their carvings
from the solid block and drilling out
the interior when vessels or snuff bot
ties are In question.
The Woodward collection includes q
wide and comprehensive selection of
all the various classes of objects which
the Chinese have been accustomed to
fashion from Jade and other hard
stones. The following may be men,
toned: Flower vases for temple or
namcnt, for palace decoration and for
the houses of the Mandarin and liter
AIRY classes. ceremonial sceptres. sao-
riiicial vessels, bowls, lihation cups and
wine pots: cylindrical holders for
brushes (Which take tho place of ens
in China water coupe~ paper weights
and table screens. also for tho use Of
the literary class. inscribed slabs and
panels, buckles and clasps. Rirdlc PEN
dsnts. ffgurites. mythologi zeal animals
and symbols. perfume boxes. incense
burners. &c.
The Jade carvings also include vari-
Gus symbolic objects which were
buried with the dead. These are the
most ancient surviving forms of Jade.
occasionally dating to the Han Dy-
nasty 206 II. t.-25 A. ID. Some Of tho
panel carvings are stones
which were originally suspended and
used as gongs or bells. In fact. the
remarkable of jade Is a
peculiar quality. which gives it great
Importance In Chinese estimation: to
such IN extent that SINGERS chimes"
of tw~cnty-four different pieces and
tones were sometimes constructed.
Occasional use is also made Of the
natural form Of the Jade boulders.
which are found in riverbeds. The
general form Of these suggests a
mountain on which landscapes and fG-
ures of NEUROLOGICAL significance are
carved.
With some important exceptions the
dating of the pieces in the Woodward
collection Is generally Of the eigt-
tenth century, and this is generally
the case in similar collections. On the
matter Of dates in Chinese jade We
may quote an interesting statement by
Prof. Berthold I.aufer, associate cura-
tor of Asiatic ~cthnology in the Field
Museum of Natural History at Chi
caCo, who Is the greatest living au-
thor.ty on the subject of Chinese Jade.
Prof. Laufer says in his work on the
subject:
The conventional opinion on tho
de"adenCc of Chinese art during the
last two ConturIteS - not upheld, ever
10y a mere superficial examination Of
the subject. The technical mastery
in the carving Of these Jade pieces 3
as great as, perhaps even greater than,
IN any previous period OF history ana