THE CONOELL COLLECTION OF

FRANCES
SUMMERS
RIDGELY
 BOARD OF
ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM ADVISORS
EVERETT P. COLEMAN, M.D. Chairman
Coleman Clinic
Canton

C. LEPLIE KANATZAR, Ph.D. V. G. MUSSELMAN

MacMurray College Gem City Business College
Jacksonville Quincy

N. W. McGee,. Ph.D. SOL TAX, Ph.D.

North Central College University of Chicago
Naperville Chicago
 STATE OF ILLINOIS
Otto Kerner. Governor

DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION

William Sylvester White. Director

ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM

Milton D. Thompson. Director

HANDBOOK OF COLLECTIONS NO. 1

THE
CONDELL COLLECTION
OF
ORIENTAL ART

BY
FRANCES SUMMERS RIDGELY

PRINTED BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS

SPRINGFIELD. ILLINOIS
1963
(73545—5-63)
1
Our thanks go Helen and Eliza Condell for the
to Misses
Mrs. Sumi Minami, of Tokyo, for
gift of this collection; to
translating the signatures of the netsukishi\ to Charles
Hodge for the photographic illustrations used in the text;
and to Mrs. Elizabeth Carroll Madden for the cover
design.

Museum Director
 Foreword
The Oriental collection described in the papers that follow was
presented to the Illinois State Museum in 1940 by the Misses Helen
and Eliza Condell. For nearly a quarter of a century it occupied the
Oriental Gallery of the Museum on the fifth floor of the Centennial
Building and is now exhibited on the second floor of the new Museum
building at Spring and Edwards streets.

Mrs. Frances Summers Ridgely, Curator of Art of the Illinois

State Museum, has made a study over a twenty-year period of the
Condell Collection, especially of the netsuke and inro. She has had
many of the artists' signatures identified. In 1961 she consulted au-
thorities in Japan. All this valuable information is brought together
in this book.

Through the efforts of Mrs. Ridgely, who was appointed to the

Museum, July 1, 1929, the Art Gallery has been for many years a place
of continual interest to visitors near and afar. Annually she arranges,
from available sources on a rental basis, from six to ten temporary art
shows of great worth to succeed each other through eight months of
the year. Each year, with a few exceptions, she has organized a sum-
mer exhibition of paintings, watercolors and sculpture executed during
the preceding year by North Mississippi Valley artists.

Mrs. Ridgely received her training at the Art Institute of Chicago

and the Department of Fine Arts, Syracuse University. She is the
author of several children's stories, illustrator of others, and author
of one book for children. With the late Dr. F. C Holtz she co-authored
"Clocks from the Hunter Collection" published by the Museum in 1957.
The present volume is a valuable contribution to the field of Oriental
Art.
Thorne Deuel
Springfield, Illinois
March, 1963
 Contents
THOMAS CONDELL 9

CHINESE SECTION
Religions and Symbolism of China 13

Stone Heads from Ancient Temples 17

Textiles: Clothing and Embroideries 17

Ancient Mortuary Pottery 21

Porcelains 22

Bronze and Brass 29

Enamels 31

Ivory, Jade, Quartz and Crystal 33

Chinese Screen 35

Rhinoceros Horn Cups 35

Bodhisattvas from Tibet and China 36

JAPANESE SECTION
Religions of Japan 41

Japanese Buddha 45

Japanese Bodhisattva and Household Goddess 46

Inro and Netsuke 47

Artists' Signatures 56

List of Artists' Signatures 58

Classification of Netsuke 61

Lacquer 62

MISCELLANEOUS
Household Articles of Japan and China 63

Javanese Brass 63

Bibliography 64
 Illustrations
Plate Page
Eliza Condell Frontispiece 3

CHINESE SECTION
Jade Ju-i I 10

Wall Hanging, Cantonese Embroidery II 16

T'ang Mortuary Pottery Statuettes of Kuan Yin Ill 23

Han Mortuary Pottery Bowl IV 24

Ming Porcelain Fish Bowl IV 24

K'ang Hsi Porcelains V 27

Ch'ien Lung Enamelled Incense Burner VI 32

Rhinoceros Horn Cups VII 34

Shou Lao and Kuan Yin, Statuettes VII 34

Tibetan Bodhisattva VIII 37

JAPANESE SECTION
Buddha, Amida Nyorai IX 44

Inro, Open X 48

Netsuke and Inro XI 51

Netsuke and Inro XII 52

Netsuke and Inro XIII 53

Netsuke and Inro XIV 54

Netsuke and Inro XV 55

 ;

Thomas Condell
Thomas Condell, whose Oriental collection now belongs to the
Illinois State Museum, was a member of a family long associated with
Illinois history. A great grandson of Ninian Edwards, the first Governor
of the Territory of Illinois, he was born in Springfield on November
25, 1863.

Young Thomas Condell became interested in collecting in his

early years. Two of his first collections are still kept at the family
home. Like many another boy he collected butterflies; but the Indian
arrowheads which he picked up on the family farm near Springfield
opened a new window on the world for the quiet, studious boy. This
interest finally led to his extensive Indian ethnological collection which
is also in the Illinois State Museum. Spending much time visiting in
San Antonio and on a ranch not far from several Indian villages, he
learned to know the native Americans as well as the traders and dealers
and he knew the staff members of the southwestern museums as well.

As he began to branch out from his first interest

collectors often do,
and turned to the field of Oriental art. He had time on his hands, for
frail health dictated that much time be spent in a warm dry climate;

so he made many trips to the Southwest and spent the time in collecting.

His sisters, Helen and Eliza Condell, were with him on his last and
most enjoyed western trip when, at Santa Barbara, California, he ac-
quired much of the collection which we now have. They returned
to Springfieldon April 4, 1929; and that same day he passed away. His
collection followed him to Springfield and was given to the Museum
by Helen and Eliza Condell as a memorial.
 Plate I. Jade ]u-i (700988). Ch'ien Lung, A.D. 1736-1795.
10
CHINESE SECTlOll

11
 Religions and Symbolism of China
Since religious symbols are important in the decoration of Chinese
art, brief explanations of three religions or philosophies of the last
thousand years are presented here.

Confucius taught the oldest philosophy, primarily devoted to an-

cestor worship, although filial piety was important in China long before

his day (551 -479 B.C.). The virtues were: love, corresponding to
our word humanity; justice; reverence; wisdom, discriminating between
good and evil; and sincerity.

Confucius regarded the country as a large family with the Emperor

appointed by Heaven as the father, ruling as a benevolent patriarch.
He divided society into five relationships: ruler — subject; father —son;
husband —wife; older brother — younger brother; and friend — friend.

He believed that all men were, by nature, good and that goodness
was developed by a study of the classics. S. W. Bushell, in Chinese
Art, quotes Confucius: "As we use a bronze mirror to reflect a present
scene, so antiquity may be pictured as a lesson for posterity." His funda-
mental theory was essentially the Golden Rule which he negatively
expressed by: "What you do not wish done to yourself, do not to the
other man."

Confucius, the great teacher, died believing himself a failure; but

Herrlee Creel, the eminent western scholar of Chinese thought, says in
The Birth of China: "Few human lives have influenced history more
profoundly than Confucius; even in the West his influence has been
great. He insisted upon the supremacy of human values — that men
should think for themselves."

Taoism (pronounced Dowism) was supposedly founded bv Lao

Tzu, but Mr. Creel says that it is not proved that Lao Tzu ever lived.
Be that as it may, he is greatly venerated in China though he may be
a mythical personage.

Taoism is a mystical philosophy consecrated to mysterious natural

forces. Two trinities rule the world, the superior one being of a purely
spiritual nature; but on the second trinity all functions rest. It consists
of Shang Ti, ruling the Heavens; Lin Pao, the God of Birth and Fore-
sight; and Shou Lao who was a transformation of Lao Tzu himself.

15
Shou Lao is the God of Long Life, a bearded old man with a very high,
bald forehead resulting from deep thought. He is often represented
as seated on a water buffalo. A group of demi-gods known as the
Eight Immortals often surround him, but they are also shown singly
as statuettes. In addition the War God, Kuan Ti, was borrowed from
the Confucianists.

The Buddhist coming to China about

religion originated in India,
A.D. 64. According Buddha, the founder, it was important at all
to
times to try to accomplish the good which proceeds from pure and
kindly feeling; to speak the truth; to endure enmity and forgive evil.
This religion renewed many ancient art formulas. Buddha is found
portrayed in porcelain, wood, ivory, and bronze. He often is seated
on a lotus blossom. Even more popular is Kuan Yin, a perfect being,
a Bodhisattva —
the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. The Buddhists also
venerate eighteen Lohan or Holy Ones, the one most usually represented
being P'u T'ai, God of Earthly Joys, whom the Japanese call Hotei. He
is the obese and smiling gentleman with the huge exposed belly. More-
over, on Buddhist altars one frequently finds the so-called Fu dog which
resembles a remarkable mythical lion.

Among Buddhist symbols is the phoenix, the sacred bird which

leaves its celestial home only to bring good news. Some symbols were
borrowed freely from the which is the happiness
Taoists, such as the bat
symbol. The crane, heron and pheasant were objects of veneration.
Symbols of long life, so important to the Chinese, are the willow, fir
tree, bamboo and peach. The deer also symbolizes long life. The
elephant, tiger, lion and leopard represent power and strength. Flowers
denoting the seasons are the plum (Prunus) for spring, tree peony for
winter, lotus for summer, and chrysanthemum for autumn.

There are many more symbols, but it is hard for us to comprehend

them all; and there still remains an inner world comprehensible only
to the Chinese. These symbols are found in various combinations on
porcelains and woven into silks or carved in jade and ivory.

14
 CHINESE
ART OBJECTS

15
 PLATE II. Wall Hanging, Cantonese Embroidery H0080 7 ). A.D. 1852.

16
 Stone Heads from Ancient Temples

In the Condell Collection are seven stone heads excavated from

old temple ruins in Honan Province, China. These heads show changes
in style of carving and in materials used over a long period of time.

AVALOKITESVARA (700867 ) .* The God of Mercy was an

immensely popular Bodhisattva in China. A little later than
the end of the Dynasty, Avalokitesvara exceeded even
Han
Buddha in the esteem of the people, but he did not return
to earth as amessiah as expected.
3rd century A.D., Han Dynasty, 206 B.C.— A.D. 220.

HEAD OF A PRIEST (700872).

3rd century A.D., Han Dynasty.
The heads below were carved at a much later date. They
listed

illustrate changes in carving and style of headdress and the use of softer
material which shows more explicitly the erosion of the elements.

KUAN YIN (700870). This deity, originally portrayed as

a youth approaching manhood but gradually endowed with
feminine attributes, is the patron deity of women and
children.
T'ang Dynasty, A.D. 618-906.

THREE BODHISATTVAS (700871, 700868, 700869). These

are Buddhist saints or near-deities.
All from T'ang Dynasty.

SMALL HEAD OF BUDDHA (700873). Carved in white

marble and smaller than life-sized, this head has great charm.
T'ang Dynasty.

Textiles - Clothing and Embroideries

the changes in the turbulent twentieth century in which we live,

Of
none have been greater than those which came to China with the down-
fall of the empire and the rigid laws governing every
habit of life. The

material things, which were held so precious by the older Chinese,

remain in some scarcity to tell us of their ancient customs, centuries
older than ours.

•
AH numbers in parentheses refer to Museum catalogue numbers.

17
 Clothing, more than all else, indicated the owner's place in the
social order, even that of the emperors following certain laws of design
and decoration. There were imperial robes for various occasions;
designs which princes of royal rank might wear; designs for those of
lesser degree and for eighteen ranking officials divided into nine military
and nine civil groups.

The "Mandarin Squares" on the front and back of their robes

indicated the rank of the officials of the Ming and Ch'ing dynasties. In
a way, these squares might be called the fore-runners of today's status

symbols.

Shortly after the Mongols were overthrown in 1368 and native

Chinese rule was re-established, the Ming court regulated the dynastic
laws determining Ming costume. Symbols represented by birds or ani-
mals, embroidered on or woven into the squares, denoted the rank of
an individual. The birds, assigned to civil officials, symbolized literary
elegance; fierce animals were reserved for military officials. It might
seem, from the arbitrary divisions, that after the ninth rank there were
no persons who rated. Wives wore the insignia of their husbands.

The white crane, peacock or wild goose, silver pheasant and egret,

with some others, marked the civil officials. To the military were
assigned the lion, tiger or leopard, bear, panther, and rhinoceros or
sea horse, to name a few; it is hoped that these officials did not feel
called upon to emulate the characteristics of the animals found on their

precious squares.

In 1644, the Ming Dynasty was overthrown by a powerful bandit

leader who seized Peking. After the suicide of the Ming emperor, the
too-trusting Chinese asked the new Manchu nation beyond the Great
Wall for help in throwing out the bandit-emperor, believing these
Manchus too weak to be dangerous. However, like the "Man who
Came Dinner," once they were in, they stayed in; the native Chinese
to
lost their empire and the Ch'ing Dynasty was founded. With minor
changes the status squares continued until the Chinese Revolution of
1911 consigned them to oblivion. The most note-worthy collection
of these squares was made by Brigadier General J. S. Letcher of the
U.S. Marines. It is now at the University Museum, Philadelphia.*

* Adapted from "Chinese Mandarin Squares" by Schuyler Cammann in the University Mu-
seum Bulletin, Vol. 17, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

18
 Silk was the most important textile used in old China. A certain
day was set aside for veneration of the legendary Empress Hsi-ling-
shih whom the Chinese believed to have first encouraged the growing
of silkworms and to have invented a loom for silk weaving. The Chinese
tried to keep silkworm culture from spreading to other parts of the
world, but like most important secrets it was too big to be kept. The
Chinese word for silk is ssu; and it is preserved in the name of a weave
invented and used only by the Chinese, k'o ssu, which means silk
tapestry.

K'o ssu was woven on a small hand loom on a table with

laid flat
the painted pattern to be followed beneath it. The warp threads were
strung in the usual way. The woof threads in several colors were car-
ried on bobbins which were passed through the warp to the end of their
designed space and then dropped. The next color was taken up, leav-
ing tiny slits outlining the pattern so that each completed design ap-
peared to be inset into the background. If a flower or butterfly was
a part of the design, elaborate detail could be carried out in the weave.
Occasionally detail was achieved by minute painted lines; however, this
was not in the best tradition. K'o ssu was the most prized weave of
the Chinese.

Two k'o ssu robes for men (700811-700812) are a part of the
Condell Collection. The background color in each robe is slate blue.
Each has nine front-facing, five-clawed dragons woven into the design.
The lower borders of inclined lines represent waves surrounding the
sacred mountain, Mem, symbolizing the earth. Scrolled clouds meet
the waves and are carried through the body of the garments. Taoist
emblems decorate one robe: the fan, peach, flower basket, castanets
and the bamboo tube. Buddhist emblems predominate in the other:
the sea shell, mystic diagram, parasol, and peony. Nine front-
fish

facing, five-clawed dragons were worn by emperor and empress; princes

of the first rank wore nine dragons in profile.

A woman's robe has circular k'o ssu medalions inset into a warm
rosebackground (700827) As it is a summer garment the medallions
.

are gay with butterflies and flowers. Another spring robe in dark
green satin (700828) is elaborately embroidered in white cherry blos-
soms, white cranes and many-hued butterfles. It was worn by Princess
Ch'un before the Boxer Rebellion.

Chinese embroidery-makers used a great variety of stitches, includ-

ing the Peking stitch or seed stitch which was at last outlawed because

19
many women lost their sight in making it. Still in use are the satin
stitch, loop or chain, buttonhole, quilting and a most effective couched
twist, made by twisting two threads together to form a fine knobby cord
which is applied or couched to the material by an overstitch in con-
trasting color.

Separate motifs were often worked on

stiffened paper or gauze to
be appliqued to the ground fabric. Long, narrow strips of embroidery
were made to renew the sleeve bands of precious old silks. Chinese
embroidery is noted for its naturalism. Rolls of material went to Canton
where measurements for cuffs, neck lines and the body of garments were
laid out, embroidered and left in the piece, to be attached to garments
and finished by the purchaser.

The Museum's Oriental section is an enormous

focal point of the
hanging (700807) which in 1852 graced the balcony
scarlet satin wall
of an inner courtyard in the palace of Lieu Jing-San, the Governor of
Canton Province. (Plate II)

A broad band across the top shows a central dragon with four
claws, called a mang, flanked on each side by a phoenix. Below this
is a wide border filled with Buddhist emblems of good fortune. On the
inner border the top is decorated with the Taoist Trinity on whom all

earthly functions rest. Down the sides of this inner border are the
Taoist Eight Immortals; the base shows large Fu dogs. Symbols of
the two religions used together are not unusual as both Chinese and
Japanese people may practice more than one religion.

The embroidered with the names of many

large center panel is

friends and relatives of Lieu Jing-San who were the donors of the
handsome hanging. Their commendations for Lieu's achievements and
congratulations on his 72nd birthday and that of his wife, Mung, fill
the remaining space. Height, 14 feet; width, 9V2 ^ eet - 19th Century.

A piece of unusual length, made to be hung horizontally as a

frieze(700866), measures l4y2 feet by 3V2 ^ eet The backing of red
-

felt is entirelycovered with long satin-stitch embroidery in yellow.

The strip divides lengthwise into a wide panel below a narrow upper
band showing Taoist emblems interspersed with flowers, clouds and
bats, all done in varying blues. The designs on the wide lower panel
are chiefly from the Hundred Antiques (Po Ku) which refer to an
infinite variety of ancient symbols used in the decoration of Chinese
art objects. It is attributed to the Ch'ien Lung Period.

20
 ,

Ancient Mortuary Pottery

In Shensi Province, northwest China, many funeral vessels have
been recovered from ancient graves. In the Condell Collection are five
of these pieces dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220).
They made, of soft reddish paste and covered with a thin
are heavily
green glaze which has gained a silvery patina from long burial in the
earth.

Much Han found in miniature, replicas of utensils

pottery is

thought to be useful to the departed and made on a small scale. A

small clay stove (700893) has a chimney, fuel opening and holes for
the cooking pots. Tools for preparing a ghostly meal a sheep's head —
— were a knife, spoon and poker, all modelled thoughtfully near the
fuel opening. The stove is 6 inches high and 8 inches in length. Per-
haps grain once filled the miniature Chinese granary with an over-
hanging roof-like top (700896). Height, 9 inches; diameter at the
top, 7 inches. With the addition of the small incense burner (700894)
the celestial voyager must have been prepared for most emergencies.
The burner is called a "hill censer." The "hill," rising from the waves,
represents the Taoist Isle of the Immortals. Height, 8 inches.

A remarkably nice, straight-sided bowl (700895) has three sturdy

feet and a cover decorated with raised concentric rings. (Plate IV, A.)
Tigers' heads which hold rings in their mouths give the impression of
handles though they are ornaments only. Height, 7% inches; diameter,
71/2 inches. Similar heads with ring handles are on a heavy vase, 11%
inches tall, the largest piece of pottery in the group (700897).
This
piece, with wide rim and sturdy sloping neck, curves out to a diameter
of 9 inches, meeting the broad curve of the body just above the simu-
lated handles. This vase possibly followed the lines of an older bronze
which had been made with movable rings for household or temple use.
While theselast two pieces were found in burials, thev are not miniatures

by any means.

Later mortuary pieces are a small plain saucer of the T'ang Dy-
nasty (700995), diameter, 7 1/? inches, and necked amphora
a slender
(700890) height, 14 inches. The latter
, has carved serpent handles and
a deep brown glaze spilling over the lower part of the light body.
There is also a small libation pitcher (700878) of the late Sung Dynasty,
smooth and plain, height, 61/2 inches and greatest diameter, 4 inches.
All of these pieces are of light tan clay with a colorless glaze.

In the collection are two large T'ang Dynasty figures of Kuan Yin,
Goddess of Mercy (700891, 700892) attractively modelled, with folded
,

21
arms. They are unglazed, but their warm beige clay was once en-
hanced with color as traces of it One figure has the curious
remain.
ju-i feet; but the feet have been broken from the other. Kuan Yin is
even more popular in China than Buddha, receiving special offerings
from childless women in hope of maternal fulfillment. (Plate III.)
Height of each figure, 28 inches.

Far removed from cemeteries, living always in the bright sunshine,

is our favorite piece, a demon, probably K'uei Hsing, who was once a

roof tile with a purpose (700994). By his threatening posture, he

kept evil spirits away from the building he guarded. The forcefully
modelled figure is glazed in bright yellow and brown; his robe is rich

green. From Chinese recognized the value of pot-

earliest times the

tery decoration for architectural purposes, in this case combining beauty

with hoped-for usefulness. K'uei Hsing is 14 inches tall. Ming, A.D.
1368 - 1644.

Porcelains

Marco Polo, returning from his visit to China about 1280, brought
the accounts to the medieval world in Europe of a wonderful
first

substance which he described as "porcellana" —

a term which the Ital-
ians used when speaking of the smooth, hard, shining, cowrie shell.
However, it was not until the 16th century that the word "porcelain"
became exclusively associated with ceramics.
In contrast to earthenware and stoneware, porcelain attains great
hardness; and often when struck it has a bell-like tone. For centuries
European factories struggled to solve the secrets of its manufacture,
finally achieving a type of porcelain but never equalling that produced
in China.

MING DYNASTY, A.D. 1368-1644.

When Mongols were expelled from China in 1368, gov-

the
ernment passed to the dynasty called Ming, "the radiant." For
the three hundred years of this dynasty, the arts, including por-
celain manufacture, enjoyed a continuing, undisturbed develop-
ment which was never achieved in the European countries. The
Renaissance, for example, began in Italy about 1300, spread north-
ward, and in some areas extended into the 1800's but was often
interrupted by war and other changes.

22
PLATE III. Statuettes of Kuan Yin. Mortuary Pottery ("00891 and 700892). Tang, A.D. 618-906.

23
 PLATE IV. A. Covered Bowl, Mortuary Pottery ( ^00895 ) . San, 206 B.C. —A.D. 220

B. Fish Bowl ( -00829). Ming, A.D. 1368-1644.

24
 PORCELAINS OF THE MING DYNASTY:
A Fish Bowl (700829) is 13 inches high and 24 inches in
diameter. (Plate IV, B). Such large bowls were used as gold-
fish tanks or to contain water plants in Chinese gardens. Because
of their great size they were difficult to fire perfectly. Legend
says that a human sacrifice was made to allay this difficulty. One
version says the potter threw himself into the fiery furnace; the
other, which seems more likely, is that he sacrified his wife in this
manner. Perfect success followed. However, the original bottom
of this bowl has been replaced. A tall wood stand accompanies
this white bowl with large figures in blue. Ming, 16th century.
One of our oldest porcelains is a vase with slender neck and
bulbous body (700853) the white background is decorated with
;

a tiny landscape and bird in "Mohammedan blue", ungraduated

in color. Height, 8 inches. Ming.

A
ginger jar (700874) has deep blue scrolls on a white
ground. The cover has been replaced with carved wood. Height,
7% inches. Ming, early 16th century.

CH'ING DYNASTY, A.D. 1644-1912

The Manchus, taking advantage of an opportunity, seized

the dissolving MingOnce the fighting was over, they had
empire.
the wisdom and foster ancient Chinese culture. K'ang
to preserve
Hsi, the second emperor of the Ch'ing dynasty and one of the
world's great rulers, reigned sixty years. He restored the war-
ravaged fine arts, extending his favor to porcelain manufacture
at Ching-te Chen where the imperial factory had burned during
the fighting. From about 1680 the importance of this factory was
felt all the way to Europe.

reign of k'ang hsi, A.D. 1662 - 1722

A covered jar
(700821), has the original cover replaced
with carved wood. On white, the blue design shows an empress
receiving officials in her garden. Height, 11 inches. (Plate V, C)
K'ang Hsi.

A white jar (700824) with fine blue f retwork on the upper

half is further decorated by a heavier blue curving plant design
over it. Large leaves extend below this, almost to the base.
Carved wood cover and stand. Height, 10 inches. K'ang Hsi.

25
 A beautiful ginger jar (700856) carries blue conventionalized
dragon and cloud medallions on its white surface. The rock and
wave design decorates the base. Wood cover, with carved white
jade knob, and stand. Height, 9y2 inches. K'ang Hsi. (Plate
V, A.)
A cylindrical jar (700859) with all-over design in blue has
four reserve panels in white, decorated with human figures. On
wood stand. Height, 9^2 inches. K'ang Hsi.
A jar (700857) has a white ground with a design of lotus
blossoms in medium blue over conventionalized cloud forms.
Wood cover and base. Height, 10l/2 inches. K'ang Hsi.
A jar (700855), with a beautiful design in blues, shows
a woman of high rank with attendants in a garden. Wood cover
and base. Height 101/2 inches. K'ang Hsi.
Differing greatly from the other pieces is a broad, low jar

(700854) with a blue background covered with white Prunus

blossoms. Deep blue lines pierce the background irregularly to
represent crackling ice. The design represents the coming of
spring. The earlyblooming Prunus always means spring to the
Chinese. Height, 7% inches. K'ang Hsi.

One of the most attractive jars (700993) is exceptionally

fine in the quality of its glaze. Against the clear white background
a design of bamboo and chrysanthemums in blue surrounds an
eroded rock which is in the color called peach bloom. Wood
cover and stand. (Plate V, D.) Height, 10l/2 inches. K'ang Hsi.

A
shallow plate with upcurved edge (700999) bears a medal-
lion in deep blue peonies over the entire center. The border is
of conventionalized ju-i heads with an outer rim of Taoist em-
blems and clouds. Diameter, 12 inches. K'ang Hsi.
A most attractive plate (701000), also with upcurved edge,
is in cafe-au-lait with a tiny landscape and bird painted in black,
warm brown, and green. Diameter, 12 inches. Attributed to early
K'ang Hsi.
A
REIGN OF YUNG CHENG, A.D. 1723 - 1736.
Yung Cheng, the son of K'ang Hsi, reigned very briefly. He
too was a patron of porcelain manufacture, engaging among others,
the great T'ang Ying for the imperial factory. Many new inven-
tions in colored glazes were perfected, among them the reds to
pinks, known as "famille rose." Panels in reserve against colored
26
PLATE V. Porcelains: A. Ginger Jar ("00856). B. Shallow Bowl ( 01000). C. Covered Jar
(700821). D. Covered Jar ("00993). K'ang Hsi, A.D. 1662-1 22.

27
 backgrounds held paintings of line drawings of flowers or religious
symbols.

A (700862) with a pink background is covered with

jar
green and rose floral sprays in enamel decorations. Two large
and two small reserve panels in white, regularly spaced, frame out-
line drawings of the Hundred Antiques. Wood cover and base.
Height 10l/2 inches. Yung Cheng.
A polychrome or rive-color jar (700863) shows immortal
sages surrounded by clouds and the happiness symbol, the bat.
Wood cover and base. Height, 10% inches. Yung Cheng.
A tall, octagonal, open jar (700998) is predominantly colored
in rose. The eight reserve panels are decorated alternately with
polychrome designs of flowers and landscapes in enamels. Height,
191/2 inches. Yung Cheng.

reign of ch'ien lung. A.D. 1736-1795.

Porcelain-makers of China became so skillful that, with the
help of their decorators, they imitated such materials as marble
and brass, cheapening the honest effect of porcelain which had
such beauty in its own right.

Awhite jar (700858) has blue conventional floral sprays

on two sides which gradually change into archaic dragon forms.
Height, 7 inches. Ch'ien Lung.

A jar in blue (700860) bears floral scrolls of white chrys-

anthemums. Height, 9 inches. Early Ch'ien Lung.

A porcelain vase (700992) shows an attempt to imitate brass

and enamel. Height, iy2 inches. Ch'ien Lung.

Avase imitating pink marble (700989) is veined with rose

and gray-green. Height, 7l/2 inches. Ch'ien Lung.
Avase has "tea dust" glaze (700991), a special dull brown-
green glaze greatly admired by the Chinese. Height, 8l/2 inches.
Ch'ien Lung.

Twosquare "millefleur" vases (700992) are entirely covered

with a "thousand flowers" as the name indicates. Height, 12
inches. Undetermined date.

An octagonal porcelain lantern and stand (700823) has

pierced sides to emit the light. Eight small round medallions in

28
 reserve in white contain Chinese figures. The entire lantern is

decorated in polychrome enamels. Contemporary.

P'u T'ai, God of Earthly Joys (700784), a statuette in the

white procelain of Fukien. On a teak stand. Height, 6 inches.
Chia Ch'ing, A.D. 1796 - 1820.

Shou Lao, God of Long Life (700783). A seated figure

representing LaoTzu himself, dignified and smiling, holding the
peach, an emblem of longevity. His many overlapping robes are
in polychrome colors. Height, 5^2 inches. Undetermined date.

Bronze and Brass

Bronzes of China were noted for artistic and technical excellence
from earliest time. Catalogues of bronze collections exist that were
written during the Sung Dynasty, A.D. 960 - 1280.

Excavations at the Great City Shang in Honan Province near

Anyang produced beautiful ritual vessels which are assumed to be of
the Shang Dynasty, 1751 1111 B.C. None of these is given a date
-

earlier than 1311 B.C. Shang is the first dynasty whose history is sup-
ported by archaeological investigation.

Evidently these ancient bronze pieces were made for ritual use,
for even in the great houses, household utensils seem to have been
pottery. The bronze vessels were dignified in styling and massive in
proportion. Those credited to the Chou Dynasty which followed Shang
show much finer quality of design. Through long burial in the earth,
the pieces acquired a patina or coloring over the entire body due to
chemical action of the soil on the disintegrating bronze surface. The
patina varies from a rustry orange to the highly appreciated light green
and is often of considerable thickness. No archaeologist would think
of removing this evidence of antiquity, and some unscrupulous but
hopeful forgers have tried to imitate it.

Many fragments of molds were found also, both in terra cotta and
stone. Weapons may have been cast in sand. The elaborate pieces
seem have been modelled in wax, completely embedded in clay by
to
continually pouring a thin mud over them, drying and then firing the
clay in great heat. The heat caused the wax to melt; small vents in
the mold permitted it to run out, leaving a complete impression on the
inside of the fired clay mold. This is called the "lost wax" method.

29
 Bronze is a combination of copper hardened with tin, the propor-
tions varying according to the destined use of the article. Weapons,
as spear heads, knives, and swords, required greater hardness than
ceremonial vessels. With differing proportions of the metals there
was, of course, much variation in color.

The bronzes in the Condell Collection are not of the greatest age,
none being older than Ming.

A (700875), a copy of the type seen in ancient

vase, black bronze
pieces of the Han and Chou dynasties but much later in date, is evi-
dently for temple use. The corners of the upper section are enfolded
into conventional leaf form while the sides of the lower section show
archaic scrolls in low relief. Sacred flames are symbolized on the sides
of the base and mid-section. It is four-sided and rhomboidal in
shape. Height, 12 inches. Ming, about the end of the 14th century.

A bronze incense burner (700880), inset with pearls and coral,

features the Buddhist elephant. Heads and trunks of elephants form
knob on the cover is in the shape of a reclining
the supporting feet; the
elephant. A pierced scroll on the cover permits incense to
floral

ascend. Height, 17 inches. Ming, 17th century.

A bowl of black bronze in lotus design (700881) rests on a carved

teak base in the form of a lotus leaf. Attributed to Ming, 17th century.

A tripod (ting) (700848) for which is

sacrificial offerings
often called "tripod of three victims" because of the recumbent animals
on the cover, in this case, three oxen. The supporting feet are hooves
of oxen and are joined to the vessel with ox heads. Heavy handles
complete the piece. Attributed to early Ming.

The from the Temple of Agriculture, Peking, (700877)

brass bell
bears an inscription indicating that the bell was cast at the order of
Emperor Ch'ien Lung ( 1736 - 1795 ) The model goes back to the Chou
.

Dynasty (1122 255 B.C). Man hoped to keep in touch with natural
-

forces by using in his rites these heavy cast bells which are beautifully
modelled and ornamented. The hanging, resonant bell was struck
near the edge with a mallet. Height, 12 inches. Probably Ch'ing.

A brass brazier a small flower-shaped bowl for temple

(700849) is

use, with a separate brass base. Height, 5]/2 inches. Ming, 16th Century.

30
 Enamels
The art of enameling
thought to have reached China by way of
is

Arabia. There are two types of enamels in the Condell Collection.

Champleve is the older. Cloisonne was developed later and is the one
with which we are more familiar.

Cloisonne is sometimes called "cell enamel." Each small cell or

cloison enclosed in a very narrow band of copper, silver, or gold,
is

soldered upright to the background metal. This tiny band must follow
each intricate part of the decoration to make the cells that form the
design.

The craftsman then fills each cell with moistened enamel colors
that have been ground to finest powder. The piece is then fired. The
process is repeated several times to
fill the cloisons completely and to

remove pitting from the surface. Then comes patient polishing with
pumice stone and cleaning with charcoal. The edges of the metal bands
form a fine network over the finished piece.

In the Condell Collection is a large cloisonne incense burner

(700986). This temple piece of copper is entirely covered with vari-
colored enamels. The
rectangular body with extending rim has a cover
made in three tiers; the center and upper ones recede and are pierced
in longevity characters to permit the pungent incense to escape.
The
surmounting knob a brass Fu dog.
is The supporting feet are at-
tached to the body by brass heads of Fu dogs. Rich turquoise blue
enamel forms the background color, elaborated with floral scrolls in
royal blue, greens, and orange-red. The bat, a symbol of happiness,
is prominent in the decoration. Attributed to Early Ch'ien Lung, A.D.
1736-H95. Height, 30 inches; width, 23 inches, length, 26 inches.
(Plate VI.)

In champleve or "pit enamel", the walls to enclose the colors are

fashioned in the metal background itself, either modelled into the
original casting or hollowed out with graving tools. This is the more
primitive and older method. It is seldom found today.
The Condell Collection has a small wine pot in champleve enamel
(700996) It is rectangular, with angled corners set back, a fixed loop
.

handle and small feet. The sides are covered in deep blue enamel.
Over the blue ground are dragons and clouds in rose and white. From
we assume that wine was to be poured from it
the tiny size of the pot
sparingly indeed. Height, 61/2 inches. Ch'ien Lum*.

31
 _
PLATE VI. Incense Burner, Cloisonne En2mel. Ch'ien Lung, A.D. l 36-n95-
32
 Ivory, ]ade, Quartz and Crystal
Shou Lao, The God of Long Life (700786) carved in ivory, holds ,

the sacred peach, the fruit oflife. In his left hand he has a staff with

dragon head. The carver took full advantage of the graceful curve
of the elephant tusk and the grain, polish and veining of the lovely
material with which he worked. There is no material more satisfactory
to refined taste than ivory with its seductive body and warm tones.
Height, IOI/2 inches. (Plate VII, B.)

No people are more skilled in carving than the Chinese lapidaries

who delight in the use of hard stones of many varieties. Jade is among
the minerals which they often employ. Immense patience is required
to fashion jade, to give it the smooth flowing lines so much admired.
It is structurally composed of an interwoven mass of very fine fibers

on which its singular toughness depends. This fibrous structure makes

jade more difficult to fracture than any other mineral substance. After
the desired shape has been roughly sawed, it requires prolonged polish-
ing of all surfaces by going over them again and again. The final
polishing tools are fine-grained wood, dried gourd skin and ox leather
charged with ruby dust paste, one of the sharpest abrasives known.
A scepter (/#-/) (700988) is an emblem of long life and good
fortune. While often spoken of as a scepter, a ///-/' conveys the idea
that the emblem will aid in the fulfillment of any wish. The head
of this precious piece is in the form of a conventionalized fungus,
made of sage green jade overlaid with profusely carved gray-white
jade. Clouds surround the God of Long Life, Shou Lao, holding the
sacred peach. The long curving handle is embellished with Taoist
emblems very effective in gray-white against the sage green ground.
A piece of this exceptional size and material undoubtedly belonged
to a person of importance; in less precious material, or even carved in
wood, it might belong to the lowliest peasant. It was a favorite wed-
ding gift. Attributed to Ch'ien Lung Dynasty, A.D. 1736 - 1795.
Length, 20l/2 inches; head, 5 x 61/2 inches. (Plate I)

A statuette in rose quartz of Kuan Yin (700787) well represents

the deity which receives the devotion of women and children. An un-
usual warmth of color pervades the graceful small figure on its teak-
wood pedestal. Height, 7 inches. (Plate VII, C.)
A pair of crystal snuff bottles (700825) hollowed from crystal
would test the patience of any western lapidary to duplicate such things
of beauty. On the inside they are painted meticulously with small
military figures on horse back. The painting had to be done bv using
33
 .

Plate VII. A. Cups of Carved Rhinoceros Horn (700987). B. Shou Lao, Ivory (700"/
C. Kuan Yin, Rose Quartz (700787)
34
tiny brushes with curved small handles. Jewelled stoppers complete
the pair. Height, 3I/4 inches.

An ornament of metal and semi-precious stones is a

interesting
Mongolian necklace (700876). This large collar-shaped ornament
of heavy gilded brass was made to be suspended around the neck by
gold cords which permitted it to be lowered to hang on a man's chest.
Two facing dragons in brass hold the sacred jewel in their jaws. Vari-
—
colored stones are inset agate, malachite and turquoise matrix. At-
tributed to Ch'ien Lung Dynasty.

Chinese Screen
The single-paneled screen (700841) with lacquered surface has
—
an applied decoration of semi-precious stones white and green jade,
agate, lapis, ivory —
and porcelain, carved lacquer, mother-of-pearl and
crystal. The design
from the "Hundred Antiques", an infinite variety
is

of ancient symbols. The screen is mounted in a heavily carved frame

of teakwood in bat and cloud designs. Height, 34 inches; width, 33
inches. Attributed to Ch'ien Lung Dynasty.

Rhinoceros Horn Cups

There are thirteen rhinoceros horn cups (700987) in the Condell
Collection. While some western museums own more of them, thirteen
is a goodly number to have, for they are so valued in China that they

are seldom permitted to leave the country. A formalized design of

a rhinoceros horn cup is a symbol in the Taoist Eight Precious Things.

The horn has a pleasant and yielding texture suited to the carving
of elaborate designs. Colors range from translucent yellow, amber and
dull red which are made into cups; the opaque blacks are shaved and
powdered for medicinal use. The carving was done chiefly in Canton.
As early as the Han Dynasty there was a wide-spread belief in Asia
that the powdered horn of the rhinoceros was an antidote for poisons
and that the cup reveals the presence of poison by exuding a white fluid,
a warning of danger in a part of the world where assassination was a
distinct possibility.

The two-horned Sumatran rhinoceros and the single-horned Indian

rhinoceros have been almost exterminated because of the curious super-
stition regarding the value of the horn as a warning. It is said that
poachers in Africa receive exhorbitant prices for the horn, chiefly
from Chinese buyers. It seems a pity that these huge animals might
be doomed just because of their unusual facial ornament.
35
 The cups range in height from 2l/2 to 8 inches. Twelve are on
carved teakwood stands. (Plate VII, A).

Bodhisattvas from Tibet and China

In a corner of the Oriental gallery is a Bodhisattva of heavily
gilded brass (700844). In traditional Buddhist manner, he is seated
with crossed legs on a conventionalized lotus, the sacred flower of the
Orient. His beautifully modelled hands are in the position of expound-
ing the Law, but they hold the stems of flowers which are on his shoul-
ders. His elongated ears signify that he hears all things. The serene
smiling face surmounts a body clothed in carved brocade-in-brass. The
heavy, supporting, brass standard bears representations of the sacred
Fu dog in high relief. These dogs appear to support the top of the
standard. An etched design of Buddhist emblems bands the base.

A disciple of the great Gautama Buddha, he is a Bodhisattva, a

semi-deity of the Buddhist religion. He waits for countless ages on
the threshold of Nirvana (spiritual emancipation) where he listens to

the prayers of men. When he achieves Nirvana he will be an associate

deity with Buddha. No one here knows his name, the adventures that
have been his, nor how he was from a quiet monastery in Tibet
spirited

to reach Santa Barbara, and then to become a part of the Condell Col-
lection. We can not imagine the strange rituals he has witnessed nor
the turbulence he has seen since he began his life of contemplation in
the mid-eighteenth century. He is the Museum's Man of Mystery.
(Plate VIII) Height, 18l/2 inches; width, 15 inches, depth, 10 inches.

Tibetans, custom of other Buddhist countries,

following the
buried their distinguished dead in massive tombs which they called
tchorten (700846). Through small glass windows high in the walls
of thetomb could be seen the embalmed, gilded figure seated in oriental
fashion in a small room in the monument. Small reproductions of such
tombs were used as reliquaries or placed on the altars of the monasteries.
The tchorten or stupa in the Condell Collection is quite small, is of
brass and dated about 1750. Height, 6y4 inches; base, 41/2 inches square.

Among the earliest dated Buddhist images in China, those of

Maitreya, a Bodhisatta, predominated. As early as 303 A.D. his ar-
rival on earth and his approaching Buddhahood were expected. He
was often called the Buddhist messiah, and he was greatly venerated in

China. The Condell Collection contains a pair in bronze (700785).

Height, 8 inches.

36
Plate VIII. Bodhisattva (700844). Tibetan, hsth centui

37
JAPANESE SECTlOn

59
 Religions of Japan

Shinto, "The Way of the Gods", is the earliest religion of the

Japanese. It fosters love of country and loyalty to all Japanese ideals.
Shinto claims no founder. Itgrew from worship of the power of
natural forces —the sun and moon, water, even trees and mountains.
There are thousands of public Shinto shrines as well as those in homes.
The ritual exemplifies simplicity as do the shrines and their furnishings.

There are three sacred objects: a bronze mirror; a sword; and a

string of semi-precious jewels —
agate, jade, and amber which are round-
ed, kidney-shaped and highly polished. The mirror has a peculiar
sanctity in the Far East. The magic mirror makes hidden spirits visible
and reveals the secrets of the future. It represents purity, righteousness,
integrity and wisdom. The sword symbolizes valor, firmness, justice.
The jewels stand for benevolence, gentleness, obedience and affection.

The outward Shinto symbol, the torii or gate, is well known to

every visitor to Japan. With two bars across the top, usually with up-
curved ends, a torii forms the entrance gateway to the Shinto shrine.

The arrangement of even a great Shinto temple is of hand-

entire
some and simplicity. Usually the shrine itself is raised a few
restraint
steps. The small doors which enclose the shrine swing outward. Before
these open doors, kneeling on the steps, the Shinto priest performs a
simple ritual. priest is a man of great dignity, dressed in a heavy
The
white robe with enormous sleeves; his small shining black hat seems
to be woven of thin bamboo strips. Three people seated nearby on
the floor near the shrine play on stringed instruments. Often a beauti-
fully dressed girl in a long, bright kimono goes through a measured,
posturing dance preceding the rites of the priest.

Despite all this simplicity, there are more gods connected with
Shinto than the western mind can comprehend. The greatest of these
is Amaterasu, the sun goddess, who was long considered the ancestress
of the emperors of Japan.

In a room of each house is a "god-shelf" on which stand tablets or

strips of paper, inscribed with the names of special deities, as the sun-
goddess, the food-goddess, or the deity of a particular occupation or
locality. There may be a small shrine (miya) containing a mirror,

41
pieces of sacred rice straw from a public shrine, holy texts and charms.
Usually there is daily devotion by offering a prayer before the shrine.
On special occasions small tapers or lamps are lighted; sometimes
special offerings are made with prayer and the usual clapping of hands.

In another room same household in the "spirit chamber"

in the
may be tablets to the family ancestors. This aspect was introduced by
Buddhism and Confucianism. There are small household shrines con-
taining Buddhist deities in some homes.

When Buddhism Japan in the sixth century A.D., it

came to
brought elaborate ceremonials, lavishly decorated temples and many
images, as Confucianism had brought others. Buddhist symbols are
very prominent in the art of the country.

Buddhism brought many gifts to Japan. It introduced sculpture,

wood it were taught ceramic manu-
carving and bronze casting; through
facture, painting and weaving. It introduced the manufacture of sugar,
ink and paper; it promoted silkworm culture and improved agriculture.

In Japan these religions lived fairly peacefully together for hun-

dreds of years; however, Shinto continued to be the official or political
religion until the end of World War II.

A traveller in the Japanese countries sees small slips of paper tied

to certain shrubs in a temple court yard to carry prayers aloft, a custom
similar to that of our Southwestern Indians who use prayer sticks with
feathers on them to waft their prayers to the Great Spirit.

A much more definite and practical approach to a deity is another

practice of the Japanese. The supplicant may at some temples pull a
bell cord hanging from a tower outside the shrine to attract the attention
of a god who may have been very busy at his heavenly tasks and so needs
to be notified that a supplicant is waiting below.

While the great number of patron saints and gods mystify the
world of the West, it is probable that people of the Orient are equally
bemused by the many divisions among Christian religions Catholic, —
Protestant, and Greek Orthodox, to name a few of the principal groups,
with further subdivisions among them all.

42
 JAPANESE
ART OBJECTS

43
,.*

PLATE IX. Buddha, Amida Nyorai, Japanese, 18th century.

44
 Japanese Buddha
The large, golden Buddha (700840), enthroned on a lotus flower
with the eternal flame behind him, is attributed to the late 18th century.
He sits in the attitude of serene contemplation, but two centuries are
far short of the time which he needed to reach the exalted state of
Buddhahood.
In Buddhist Images, Aisaburo Akiyama says: "The Buddha rep-
resented here known as Amida Nyorai by the Japanese. He is the
is

Lord or Chief Buddha of the Jodo (Pure Land of Bliss or Paradise)

which he founded in the western quarter of Heaven; he is engaged day
and night in his merciful work of salving all beings. ... He is gen-
erally represented as a being of golden skin and benevolent countenance,
sitting up or down on a pedestal of lotus flowers."

Buddhism arose in the region of Bihar, India, near the Himalayas

in the sixth century B.C. One of the world's great religions, it has no
early documentary history; forwas founded before the day of written
it

records except those of pre-Buddhistic Hinduism. As early history was

by word of mouth, dates on the life of Gautama Buddha, the founder,
differ. All agree that he was the son of a king of the Sakyas, a warrior
caste claiming to belong to the Gautama clan. Though he was reared
in luxury, he left his home and family at 29 and after six years of pov-
erty and effort, including self torture, which he later rejected, attained
enlightenment. The word "Buddha" means "enlightened." He found-
— —
ed an order of monks later an order of nuns and spent the rest of
his earthly life preaching. According to Dr. Albert Schweitzer in
Christianity and Religions of the World, Gautama Buddha died about
485 B.C. His followers formerly covered a large area of India and
today they are widely spread in Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia,
China and Japan.
Buddha disagreed with Brahmanic thought on the theory of and
the fear of remaining in the cycle of reincarnation. Dr. Schweitzer
calls Gautama Buddha a reformer, likening him to Martin Luther.
Both these men struggled with the problem of redemption. Luther
was concerned as to how forgiveness of sin may be attained, the Buddha
about liberation from the misery of constantly repeated rebirth rein- —
carnation. It could be that the Buddhist thinks of reincarnation as a

chance that each future life may be better and that endless rebirth is
a means for progressing to Nirvana.

The Buddha taught proper for the monastic calling to be

that it is

concerned with the accomplishment of good which proceeds from pure

45
 s

and kindly feeling. One must speak

the truth. One must endure
enmity and forgive He
"By non-anger, let anger be over-
evil. said,
come; let evil be overcome with good."* St. Paul, hundreds of vears
later said: "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
(Plate IX.) Height, 48 inches; width, 24 inches; depth, 24 inches.

A Japanese Bodhisattva and a

Household Goddess
It is a Japanese custom to place a figure of the Buddha and of a
number of the Bodhisattvas in black lacquered shrines, ranging in size
from tiny affairs of not more than an inch to those which are many feet
in height. The encircled figure is carved with greatest care as to details
of proper costuming and accessories. The small shrines have doors
that close; they may be used at home or carried by travellers or itinerant
monks. It is said that sometimes they are used as pillows, which
would be quite possible in the case of the small one in the Condell
Collection which is inhabited by Jizo Bosatsu, for this case has rounded
edges.

Jizo Bosatsu (700842) is a patron of travellers, helper of all in

and pregnant women. He carries a pil-
trouble, protector of children
grim's staff which has rings aroundit. These staffs are often carried
by mendicant monks or priests to announce their coming as the rings
make a metallic sound. Jizo Bosatsu is a very popular Bodhisattva who
works hard at all times, imparting his limitless benevolence to anyone
who is in need of it. Height, 11 inches.

Benten (700843) is presumed to be the occupant of the other

smaller shrine. She is the only feminine member of a group of lesser
deities called the Seven Gods of Good Fortune which are all household
gods. She is the Japanese version of an older Brahmanic goddess. She
wears a flowing gown and a tiara on her crown should be a white snake
;

—
which is a messenger servant a woman condemned for a thousand
years to wear that guise for her sins. The snake is absent from Benten'
headdress, possibly because of adventures which she met in her long
journey from Japan.

While the household gods came into existence to aid in the effort
to obtain temporal blessings, they possess very human attributes and
demand neither slavish worship nor self denial. The Japanese did not
hesitate to have an occasional small smile at the expense of these semi-
deities. Marcus Huish shows an ivory carving of all seven gods after

* Schweitzer, Albert: "Christianity and Religions of the World'

46
a night's revel, much disheveled. Benten has been furnishing the mu-
sical accompaniment for their night on the town. She seems to have
always been the musician, playing on her stringed instrument, a b'twa.

Inro and Netsuke

Pride of the Thomas Condell group of a hundred
Collection is a
and Japanese inro with their attached netsuke (pronounced
fifty

net'ske). At the time when the usual Japanese dress was the kimono,
a provision for carrying personal articles was to fasten them by cords
slipped under the belt or obi, for the kimono had no pockets. Though
money and tobacco pouches were worn in the same way, we are here
concerned only with the inro which held seals or medicines.
The inro, usually of decorated lacquer, looks much like a western
cosmetic case. In reality it consists of several tiny
compartments fitted
smoothly together. Through perforated channels at the end of each
compartment a cord extends around the inro; the cords go through a
sliding bead called an ojime, (pronounced oje-me) which allows the
inro to be opened or closed. The joined cords are tied into the netsuke
which is an ornamental medallion or a delightful carving. When the
cords are slipped under the obi, the netsuke hangs over the top, holding
the inro safely in place. (Plate X).
To western eyes the inro is indeed beautiful, but the Japanese
regarded the carved netsuke as the object of value. The dangling inro
was expendable and became worn, but the netsuke was an heirloom
passed from generation to generation. who love beauty, delicate
All
finish, finecarving and exquisite representation of natural objects will
rejoice in these small carvings which vary in treatment from complete
naturalism to the curiously grotesque.

Onsuch carvings as these, the Japanese lavished the greatest inven-

tive skill and imagination. Netsuke were made from wood, polished
or lacquered, ivory, stag horn, metal, jade, coral or crystal. They were
decorated at the whim of the carver who might be an humble crafts-
man or a famous artist. Many
of the Condell pieces are signed, often by
noted artists; others, equally fine, bear no signature. Bowers, in his
book, Japanese Marks and Seals, says: "Rare specimens do not bear
signatures of the makers for it was not the custom to sign or, indeed,
mark any way whatever such objects of art when they were produced
in
for the patron prince of the artist." It would seem that this statement
might be qualified to say that many artists felt that signatures were
unnecessary as they usually worked for great patrons and modestly
wished in no way to enhance their own importance.
47
 Plate X. Red Lacquer Usuishi) Inro, unsigned (No. 60).
48
 A netsuke may be carved in the form of one of the gods, an old
fisherman, a mouse, a crab, a spray of flowers or fruit, or perhaps a
mushroom. Like the inro, it may well-known story, poke
illustrate a
fun at a legendary hero or a small demon (an
oni). Whatever the
subject, the first requirement was that the netsuke be a compact ar-
rangement without sharp edges to catch in clothing, next that it have
a sculptural feeling. Every part, even that which is usually unseen,
is finished in complete detail.

Mr. Yuzuru Okada in his book, Netsuke, a Miniature Art of

Japan, traces something of the history of these bibelots. Here we
begin with the inro. In the late 15th century, three or four tiers of
small compartmented boxes were popular shelf ornaments. These
were chiefly Chinese imports called inro or containers tor seals,

always dear to the Oriental heart, for they were used then as now to
stamp signatures on documents and paintings. These tiers of boxes
may have inspired the Japanese to fashion small cases, similar in design
to wear at the side. Early inro were simple black lacquer boxes fitted

with compartments. The netsuke was equally simple: a shell, a short

stick or a small gourd sufficed.

Number 74, in the Condell Collection, (not illustrated) we believe

to be very old. It is made of a section of twisted bamboo stem, having
two compartments. Silver rings hold the cord without channels; a silver
ring takes the place of the ojime; and, appropriately, the netsuke of
ivory is bamboo twig. There
carved to represent a nodal section of a
is a slight decoration in gold lacquer showing a bamboo twig. Nothing
could be more simple nor more unified in plan and execution.
By 1650 had become highly decorative and the netsuke
the inro
a real ornament. Netsuke carving, beginning as a pastime among carvers
of Buddhist images, was no longer an occasional pursuit: It had become
a flourishing vocation. In the Genroku era (1688- 1703) inro were
lavishly splashed with gold dust, calling for equally elaborate netsuke
of coral, amber or jade. The increasing use of tobacco around 1750
also called for elaborate personal fittings.

From 1800 to I860 was the peak of enthusiasm for these elaborate
accessories of dress, followed by a decline in their use and popularity.
Pipe cases had become popular and the tobacco pouch could be tied
pouch went out of favor as cigarettes in cases
to the case; in turn the
became the vogue. Western clothing with pockets replaced the kimono
for street wear. Netsuke and inro became beautiful keepsakes and
carvers became few. Fortunately, at this point the little carvings
reached the attention of foreign collectors. The lovely old pieces
49
flowed out of Japan and into collections in Europe and the United
States, and the carvers were back in demand.

Stories and Legends

Tales and legends which the Japanese have loved for years are
often illustrated on both netsuke and inro. A
few of those similar to
our own stories are retold here.

Tales of magic are "Chokwaro and his Magic Mule."

common, as

This animal would be a wonderful means of transportation today; it

carried Chokwaro thousands of miles daily, without food. At night
the mule needed no stable; it just shriveled and spent the night in
Chokwaro's Magic Gourd. Next morning when Chokwaro spat in
the gourd, out came the mule, soon swelling to life size and ready to
travel. (Plate XI, No. 29, inro by Koma Kyuhaku.)

One of the best loved stories reminds us of Pandora and the box
she opened which loosed so many troubles on the world. This is the
story of the "Tongue Cut Sparrow." He was punished by a cruel old
woman who found him eating in her pan of starch and cut out his
tongue. The poor bird fled to his home in the woods, where the woman's
husband found him after a long search. The kind old man was wel-
comed into the sparrow's home, entertained lavishly and given a choice
of two covered baskets as a farewell gift. He chose the lighter basket
and, when he opened home, found it filled with gold and silver.
it at

The greedy wife then went to the sparrow's home, was entertained
sparingly, and offered no gift. She, however, asked for one and was
given a choice of baskets. She staggered home with the heavier one
as we might expect, opened it and was overcome by goblins and mon-
sters pouring out of it. (Plate XL No. 141, inro and netsuke by

Kajikawa II.)

The next story seems to be the Japanese version of our tale of Rip
van Winkle. Urashima, who had rescued a tortoise from the sea, later
went to live at the palace of Ryujin, the Dragon King, who lived beneath
the sea. He became a favorite of Ryujin's daughter who was the tor-
toise he had rescued! After three happy years, he became homesick
and against all pleading returned to the shore that had been his home.
He was puzzled; no one remembered him though he had been young
and handsome; no one recalled his family; they had been dead for three
hundred years! Each year he had spent in the Dragon Palace had been
a century on earth. In bewilderment he opened the small box that his
princess had given him with the warning never to peer into it if he
wished to return to his under-sea home. A wreath of smoke rose from
the box and Urashima instantly turned to a very old man.
50
PLATE XI. No. 99, Netsuke and Inro, Hanabusa. No. 134, Ivory Netsuke, Ojime and Inro.
unsigned. No. 141, Netsuke and Inro, Kajikawa II. No. 29, Inro, Koma Kyuhaku.
No. 46, Inro, Kan.
51
 PIAT3 XII. No. 139, Netsuke, Shoichi. No. 135, Inro, Kyuharu. No. 68, Netsuke, Shunko;
Ojime aid Gyokuzan. No. 10, Netsuke, Saichizan; Ojime, Giichi; Inro, Shiomi Shosei.
Inro.
No. 137, Netsuke, Anraku, Ojime, Shoichi; Inro, Kajikaiva I.

52
PLATE XIII. No. 87, Netsuke, Ojime and Inro, Mhikoku I. No. 100, Ojime, Gyokuzan.
No. 49, Inro, Jokasai. No. 54, Netsuke, Kaigyokusai Masatsugu.

53
 Plate XIV. Nc..121, Ojime Masayuki Kato: Inro, Yokel. No. 58, Inro, Kwansbosal.
;

No. 51, unsigned. No. 60, unsigned. No. 62, Netsuke, Kyokusal.
No. 52,Netsuke and Inro, Gyokuzan.

54
 Rttsuo.
i w n Wood Netsuke, unsigned: Inro.

5)
 Scenes of everyday life of the present and also reaching into the
historic past are shown on Kajikawa Hikobei in Plate XII, No.
inro.

137, shows Tokaido Road, stretching from Tokyo to

stations of the
Kyoto. At the time of the great Daimyos, Kyoto was the residence of
the Emperor, and at least each alternate year the Daimyos must journey
to Kyoto to honor him. At the guarded stations on the long highway
the groups made ceremonious entry, the feudal lords in their best
regalia with retainers and horses bedecked. It must have been a cere-
mony worth seeing. Shuzan shows the gathering of the troops of
Yoshitsune, a legendary hero, before Yashima in Plate XV, No. 143.

No. 49) in a most beautiful inro, depicts court

Jokasai, (Plate XIII,
musicians and a dancer performing one of the Noh dances which have
been the entertainment of nobility and the court since 1368. At first

these dances were purely religious in content, to conciliate important

Shinto deities. The plays are brief, of grave and serious nature, but
are interspersed with short comic interludes, dances and processions, as
a relaxation for the audience.

The leading performer supported by a chorus and the rhythmic

is

music of three drums and a flute. All performers are male, some taking
the part of women. Leading characters are masked; and as the action
proceeds, the mask may be exchanged for another of different facial
expression. The elaborate costumes of most elegant materials are
replicas of those worn in ancient times.

Artists' Signatures

Signatures of the artists often puzzle the connoisseur, for if a noted

artist was succeeded by a pupil, the successor was privileged to sign

the name of his teacher but he seldom added a distinguishing mark of

his own. Thus there is no way to distinguish between their works
except by the style of the piece or by the way the signature is affixed.

This is sufficiently complicated but there is more; an artist may use

a pseudonym or several of them. An illustration of this appears in

the work of HARITSU OGAWA, one of the most distinguished artists.

He sometimes signed his work "Ukanshi"; but on Plate XI, No. 46,
his signature is "Kan." Number 46, of lacquer inlaid with seashells
and stones, is created in the style for which he was unique. In the col-
lection are three others (Numbers 1, 50, and 11) all of which he signed
"Ritsuo." (Plate XV, No. 11).

56
 Among the great artists in this collection we list only a few:
KAJIKAWA is the family name of a line of expert lacquerers who were

in theemploy of the nobles for generations. The first, Kajikawa Hikobei

(Plate XII, No. 137), and his pupil, Kajikawa II (really named
Kiyupiro) were celebrated for gold-lacquered inro and netsuke. Work
,

of Kajikawa II is shown on Plate XI, No. 14 1. There are also other

Kajikawas!

GYOKUZAN I (Plate XIII, No. and Plate XIV, No.

100, ojime,
62, netsuke and inro) carved beasts, fish and masks in wood. Gyokuzan
III was one of the greatest ivory carvers. His great specialty was the
carving of ivory skulls.

MINKOKU, late eighteenth century, used the pseudonym of

Genryosai. He was a master in both wood and ivory carving while
Minkoku III added metal engraving to the accomplishments of the
family. (Plate XIII, No. 87, three pieces by Minkoku I)
Most distinguished of all, SHUZAN YOSHIMURA, a native of
Osaka, who carved in hinoki wood, never signed his work. Many a
hopeful would like to think a fine unsigned piece he owns was the
product of this master, but that is a feeble hope indeed. In this collec-
tion are two very handsome inro (Plate XV, Nos. 143 and 144) by
another Shuzan, also of Osaka. Both of these were illustrated in the
catalogue of the famous Seymour Trower Collection.

KAIGYOKUSAI MASATSUGU was another prominent artist of

Osaka. Belonging to no school but observing from life, he developed
his unique style in wood and ivory carving. Until he was twenty he
signed his work "Masatsugu"; he changed his pseudonym at thirty and
again at fifty years; in all he is known by four names! (Plate XIII,
No. 54, ivory netsuke of Chokwaro).

SHUNKO, late eighteenth century, carved human beings and ani-

mals in wood. His netsuke (Plate XII, No. 68), a perfect small rat

in wood, is one of the collection's most delightful pieces.

ZESHIN SHIBATA, a court artist and master painter, was famous

for his gold lacquer painting as well as for the great age that he attained.
Born in 1807, he lived until 1918. (Not illustrated.)

From the above section, it is not hard to understand that we would

have been unable to present the long, accurate list of signatures which
follow had it not been for the valued help of Mrs. Sumi Minami of
Tokyo who translated the signatures for us during a brief visit here.

57
ARTIST'S NAME
ARTIST'S NAME
 . . .

Classification of Netsuke
According to their shape and treatment, netsuke may be divided
into various groups. While the Thomas Condell Collection has ex-
amples of the following, there are others.

KATABORI netsuke are the most numerous and of great variety.

They may represent legendary, historic, or naturalistic figures; they may
be inanimate objects as fruits, nuts, or vegetables; there are animals in
endless variety. (Plate XII, No. 68, a rat carved by Shunko; No. 10, a
walnut carved in wood by Saichizan, at one time in the Hawshaw Col-
lection, London.) (Plate XI, No. 46, represents the legendary Fukuro-
kuju carved in ivory)

KAGAMA-BUTA or "mirror lid" netsuke are hollowed discs of

ivory or horn having a lid of carved or engraved metal, either bronze,
gold, silver or copper. The cords are tied beneath the lid, concealing
the knot. These mirror-lid netsuke were made by metal workers for
those who carried swords with elaborate metal handles. (Plate XIV,
Nos. 58 and 121).

MANJU netsuke resemble a Japanese bun or cooky in shape.

These may be a single piece or two hollowed discs which fit together.
They are seldom signed as they were made for the trade. (Plate XIV,
Nos. 60 and 62 )

RYUSA which are most attractive, are almost always

netsuke,
manj u-shaped, hollowed to make them lighter, and elaborately carved
with fruit, flowers and grasses in openwork patterns. They were de-
veloped by Ryusa, and so have received his name. (Plate XIV, No. 51 )
The netsuke, slightly irregular in shape, is of ivory carved with plant
forms and the crest of the Empress —three leaves of the Paulownia tree.

SEAL netsuke are small figures or animals mounted on a flat base

which is used for the seal inscribed with a special form of writing called
tens ho. The seal usually carries an expression of good wishes, as
"Happiness and Long Life." (Plate XII, No. 137)

MASK netsuke, in wood or ivory, are made like those worn in the
Noh dances or like one of the many legendary demons.
TRICK and TOY netsuke have movable parts: rats in traps, in-
sects and even movable ivory worms. In the human figure, the tongue
or head may move. We have both this type and the one listed above,
but they are not illustrated.

61
 Lacquer

Lacquer originally came from China but was brought to its greatest
perfection by the Japanese. The lac tree is scored; the white, resinous
sap being drawn from the tree at night. The substance quickly turns
black on exposure to the air. Brought to market in a semi-fluid state
or as dried cakes, the raw material must go through many processes
of straining and cleaning before becoming the wonderful, useful liquid
it is. To obtain the beautiful colors we know, it is mixed with various
chemicals.

A wood base, often thinned to a layer as fine as a sheet of paper,

is made ready to receive the first layers. From three to eighteen layers
of lac are used, dried thoroughly between coats. The lac must be
applied by a skilled artisan; there must be no rough spots or thick places.

The first layers are not colored unless the finished piece is to be
deeply carved. The last layer will be in color, from black to brown or
red, or luminous gold. The artist then makes his careful sketch on the
piece, preserving the sketch with a clear coat of lac. Then comes the
very delicate business of decoration.

The finest of lacquers were made in the 16th and 17th centuries,
but the decorators of the 18th century show more technical facility
in the use of this delicate and useful product. The finish must be
smooth and clean. A covered box or an inro must open and close with
ease; it must never stick or warp. It must be light in weight and tough
to endure much wear.

In the collection is a lacquered stand (700830) in rich red; the

round top has a black center surrounded by a deeply carved red border
of dragons in clouds. The three legs bear on their shoulders carvings
of the mythical animal called the ktrin. 19th century. Height, 15
inches; width, 16 inches.

There is also a large, smooth black lacquer vessel with handle and
spout as one unit (700879). It is handsomely decorated in gold lac
with the crest of the Japanese Empress which is formed of the leaves
and flowers of the Paulownia tree. The knob on the lid and trimming
on the spout-handle are in brass. Early 19th century. Height, 6\/2
inches; diameter, 8 inches.

62
 Miscellaneous Japanese Household Articles
Pipe cases (etui) of carved bone or of bamboo stripped in fine
threads from the smooth skin show an accomplishment in hand work
now disappearing from Japan (700884, 700885, 700898). Into these
cases were fitted tiny brass pipes holding about three whiffs of tobacco.

Cup stands woven of fine bamboo threads were used to protect

polished surfaces which might be marred by hot sake drunk from flat

saucer-shaped cups (700899).

Clever planning of space and convenience must have been quite

a factor in making the compact smoking used by the Japanese
sets

(700888, 700887). Included in the rather small space one finds a tiny
brass pipe, a covered metal bowl for a lump of burning charcoal and
a covered disposal vessel. There are also brass baskets (700886, 700889)
carefully planned for heating sake or tea. There are covered cylinders
for hot water and a cylinder for heating it with charcoal. These could
easily be carried by travellers.

At wedding ceremonies, wine was poured alternatelyfrom two op-

posite spouts of a large gilded brass vessel (700997). Both the bowl
and the long handle are carved in a complicated design incorporating
the stork, pine tree and long-tailed turtle, all emblems of good fortune.
This wine server bears the crest (in on) of the Toda family. Early 18th
century. Height, 7 inches; diameter, 8 inches; Handle, 18 inches.

Javanese Brass
A round censer hanging from a chain (700883) and two tall lamps
for burning oil (700884, 700885), of hand-hammered brass in curious
and interesting shapes, complete the list of the Condell Collection.
Censer, diameter, 8 inches. Lamps, height, 18 inches.

63
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64
ILLINOIS
Xa/td ofXinco&v t