The New York herald., 1920-12-28
Rare PorceLainS
of China From
Art House ShOwn
Collection of Thomas b.
Clarke and Associates
Soon to Be Sold.

At the American Art Association
yesterday the great collection OF Chit
nese porcelains belonging to the Art
House. Inc. were placed upon public
view previous to their sale at auction
and proved to be all and more than had
been expected. This sale OF Oriental
art will not only be the most important
event in It's class OF this season but It
VIII take rank among the famous occa-
sions of the past: occasions associated
with the ardent enthusiasms and activi-
ties of the late Charles A. Dana, the
late William N. Laffan. the late Gen.
Brayton Ives and the other leaders
who did so much to put the cult for
Oriental art upon rational basis.
The quality OF the exhibition is ex-
planned by the fact that the Art House
was ipaugurated by the we'll known con-
noisseur Thomas b. Clarke, associated
with whom was the late Edward Runge
and Clarence j. Dearden. The objects
TO be sold. In fact. represent the saga
cious buying in the Orient of Mr.. Runge
up by the later discriminating editing
of them by Mr.. Clarke. Mr.. Dearden
has been connected with the Art House
for some years before Mr.. Runge's s
death. and two years ago, upon Mr..
Clarke's retirement from business, he
assumed entire control of the enter
prise.
The vases and ourios of the Art House
now shown aggregate more than l.2oO
lots. This imposing total is itself OF mu-
scum proportion. and throughout Its
length the student will find matter for
admiration and study. It Is compre-
hensive OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF all
types, single color pieces, decorated
vases. and besides the porcelains there
are jades, agates. wood carvings. ivories,
bronzes, glass. enamels and many net
suke and other small ornaments.
The great distinction of the collec-
ton, however lies in it's single color
specimens, which run the entire Oriental
gamut of color, and are at once sure
and subtle in line. There are powder
blues, celadons, Peau d'Orange, lapis
blues of palatial sizes and of uniform
perfection of glaze that astounds the
more they are looked into. For sheer
mastery of the potter's technique the
Orlentals have seldom been approached
certain fields, the secret of their COM
plete success has been lost even among
themselves, and the ''lost art" for in
stance of the famous ox-blood glaze, In
spite of the new, electrically controlled
draughts of the modern kilns remains
one OF the mysteries.
The gem of the Art House group OF
ox-bloods, besides being calculated to
rouse the sin of covetousness In the
bosoms of most collectors, will also be
prone to stir up the old conjectures as
to how 1t came to be. 1t is splendid
example of the ceramic art of China
when at the period of its greatest OK
cellence, the first twenty-one years OF
the reign of the Emperor Kang-hsi
when the celebrated Lang T'ing-tso di-
rected the imperial kilns. 1t is COM
parable with the celebrated Ruby bot
tie which was one of the gems of the
Morgan collection and remains In the
possession of the present J. Pierpont
Morgan. When Mr.. Laffan wrote his
Notes" OF Mr.. Morgan's porcelains he
said of Langs sang-de-boeufs thai
none like them was produced before
him and none equal to them has beer
produced since, nor is 1t likely that any
will be produced hereafter"
The dispersal of the collection will
occupy six afternoons. beginning Janu-
ary 3.