The sun., 1916-01-31
ORIENTAL ART IN
ITS HIGHEST FORM
Lai-iuan and Tonying Com
panies' Exhibits Are Of Pro-
nounced Interest.
AMERICAN VIEWS CHANGE

The great and continually increasing
! interest In the study OF Chinese and
Japanese art upon the part OF Ameri-
cans is one Of the significant phases In
the evolution of American TASTE Tho
attitude of our forefathers who regarded
Oriental porcelains and carvings as mere
''curiosities" has long been dissipated
and the fsllacy that the Chinese were
inept as painters that was shared even
by 50 astute a person 81 William Haxlitt
, has become itself curiosity" Of
criticism
Not only have the Chinese attainments
in sculpture. metal working and paint
been ranked among tho great perform
ances in art but the Western amateurs
have gradually worked around 20 an
acceptation OF the Chinese and Japanese
standards OF value What the Chinese
regard as precious In their art Is now
accepted as precious by the best Ameri-
can opinion.
The conditions Of the war by no means
Illustrate the activities OF collectors. on
the contrary. there seem 20 be greater
opportunities than before. The houses
that specialize In the arts OF the Far
East are concentrating all Of their efforts
here. chat used to be divided among
several capitals. The Lai-Yuan Com
panys new and novel galleries, the Tony
ing Company's exhibition and the CANA
naka annual auction. just announced BY
the American Art Association. are in
stances in point The effect upon the
public of all of these exhibitions 10
bound to he pronounced
Lai-Yuan q Co. have placed an In.
teresting and large collection on view.
including many ancient bronzes. porce-
lains and carvings that hint AZ lengthy
research in China. The many galleries
are lined with panels from ancient palace
screens that have incised and colored
decoration. The panels of these screens
are hinged and swing open TO display in
effective fashion the objects OF art in
the cabinets that are concealed behind
them. Among the especial rarlties is a
stone head of Goddess of Mercy. carved
In majestic style bronze bowl from
the Chai period, an unusually tail Dog
Fo in turquoise porcelain, Ave feet tall
II the stand be included and many single
color porcelains in the admired glazes
So large and SO perfect a crystal bail
as that to be seen in the exhibition In the
Tonyins Company's gallery is rarely en-
countered. IL Is Ave inches in diameter
and Is absolutely fiawless. The infni-
tesimal flaws in the surface OF some of
the best crystals are sufficient to afford
clues as to the age OF the ball but the
Tonying crystal is In such perfect condi-
ton that the experts hesitate to assign
its date. Its elaborate pede staI in bronze
gilt with incrustations OF semi-preclous
stones s however. known TO be OF the
ICh'ien-Lung period. The design is sum
cienty curious. Two birds. probably
phrniN. are united in a pyram!dal mass
and bear aloft tiny disk upon which the
great crystal ball rests.
In addition to the rugs and many an
tique porcelains the Tonying Company
are showing paintings. One OF these. a
rare makimono. Is a scroll that unwinds
its long length to disclose the portraits
OF sixty celebrated beauties These are
painted with great delicacy Of line and
color and above each beauty are de-
scriptions or poems in Chinese script
that are triumphs OF artistic caligraphy.
Ore OF the features OF the exhibition
OF the work OF Gabriel Nicolet now on
view in the gallery OF the Maison Ad.
Braun ct Gle. is a portrait that has con-
temporary New York interest. II il
called the GOOD Samaritan" and shows
a handsome young woman in the garb OF
a Red Cross nurse seated. knitting. by
the bedside g. a patient. II In painted in
suave finished manner and the beauty
OF the sitter. who. II is hinted. is a we'll
known member Of New York society, Is
in no way slighted.
Mr.. Nicolet. who II a Cheyrilier OF the
Legion dHonneur. 5 skilled as por-
traitist and his painting Of Mrs Gibson
Fahnestock shows that he appreciates
the American type. As an example of
facility Of execution the picture called
THE Butterfly" ranks among his hest.
II shows an exceedingly pretty young
girl in a gown of grays and blues who
wears n gay silken headdress OF yellow
and red. The rich colors of the gown
are echoed in the background In way
TO add tonal charm to the work Two
other we'll characterized portraits among
those shown are those OF Nine. Sicoet
and the Misses Stiefel.
The Daniel Gallery is giving "A first
exhibition of the work OF Denys Wort
man, newcomer Of decided promise.
most of whose subjects have been found
in the harbor at Gloucester. lie uses a
thick impasto. that seems at times un-
necessarily tortured. but the color IL
good. the composition agreeable, and
there Is always "A stir OF life in the work
The stir of air among the trees and
grasses that line the downs in his pic
lures is quite sufficient to make the
spectator forget the constraint of the
paint
C0On TYcuTNC At pATM pCANrJ