The sun., 1919-10-26

average modern etcher. But wherever
she went Miss Peterson could not lose
herself and saw nature through the
samo veil OF personality that she mas
already made known to us.
The next exhibition announced TOR
the Mich Galleries consists of paint
ings by Theresa Bernstein and
etchings by William Meyerowitz.
A rare bit of treasure which in
spires real delight IS the small but
fine collection of Corean pottery
tucked modestly away in one OF the
retired hooks of the American Museum
Of Natural History. The pieces
(there are thirty-two of them) are
exhibited at the rear of the Hail OF
Living Tribes of Asia (on the third
fioor). Even in this setting sur
rounded by lovely and novel obJects
from the Orient, the Corean bowls
and vases and Jars stand out as OF
unusual elegance. For the pieces,
some Of which date back 400 years,
recall some Of the finest phases of the
art Of Corean the art from which
was derived in such large measure
the style and technique of Japanese
art to-day so much admired
In Corea the art secrets OF Persia
and Arabia were caught and adapted,
and through Corea, China and Japan
exchanged art ideas. And one of the
results of the Japanese invasion OF
4 he lint
Japan not only of shiploads Of treas
'ure. but of numbers of potters and
porcelain makers who were estab-
lished in colonies in Japan. From
these centres Corean art Ideas ana
technique went out through Gil
Japan. Many of the motifs which to-
day are so commonly attributed to
Japan originated in Corea - the
chrysanthemum, stars. lightning,
clouds. sun or lightning striking
through the clouds and others. Most
typically Corean, however, is the wave
pattern-a natural decorative devel-
opment for a people whose land Is SO
largely bordered by the sea-
The wave design appears number
of times in the collection at the Amer
ican Museum-on slender vase and
graceful bowl and heavy urn. other
designs are small, conventional flowers,
branches with leaves. slender fishes,
borders of straight and waved lines,
refined scrolfwork. and in one instance
a couple of birds delightfully."- archaic
looking and drawn in a few skilful,
decorative lines. The small collection
exhibits a wide range of shape as well
as of color and decoration and includes
both vessels for utilitarian purposes
and several mortuary Jars made ex-
pressly for holding offerings to the
dead, with whom they were buried.
There is not a piece in the entire group
which does not merit individual study.
Besides the pottery there are two small
cabinets of marble-one red and brown
and the other green and greenish gold
and a lovely round case OF purple
and gray marble. And there is one
exquisite little bowl of lustrous, al
most translucent white milk jade,
charIningly decorated.
The striking characteristic of the
Corean decorations is their restraint
They are sometimes chaste almost to
the point of severity. But with all
their extreme simplicity they are
marked by an elegance and a grace
that is not easily initiated. which is
the better reason for recommending
them for study by our modern design
ers, who so often in striving for dis
tinction OF style forsake refinement for
the f1amboyant To-day the art of the
ceramist has sunk to a low point In
Corea- But it is perhaps not too much
to hope that there will come a revival
based on the rich traditions of the
past.