November 1, 1938
The Exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Chinese Bronzes, Jades and Ceramics on loan from the E. R. Randon Collection which was scheduled to close December 11, has been extended to run through January 8.
The collection includes a large group of archaic jades of first importance, many small bronze animal fizures from the Ordos region on the borders of Mongolia, several early Chou Dynasty bronzes of the period 1122-249 B.C. There are A few earlier pieces from the Shang Dynasty (1760 to 1122 B.C.) Among the porcelains is one of the finest Sun Dynasty Chun were plates, an important group of T’ang multicolored ware, and an excellent Sun pieces. There is also a Shang Dynasty jade cicada. with blue glaze, of which it is one of the earliest examples.
With the exception of a few large pieces of pottery and bronze, most of the objects are small and require close examination. For this reason the entire collection has been grouped by dynasties in illuminated show cases. Tao dynasties represented are: Shang (1766-1122 B.C.), Chou (1122-249 B.C.), Han (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) Northern Wei (386-557 A. D.), T’ang, (618-906 A.D.), and Sung (960-1280 A.D.).
The collection well illustrates the opulence of Chinese decorative craftsmanship, a richness achieved partly by shrewd utilization of the qualities of different materials, partly by the fusion of style and function in the forms of a variety of useful objects, and partly by the treatment of living subjects used as decorative motifs, This treatment is marked by accuracy of observation often in minute detail, a gusto for the life of the thing itself, a flair for emphasizing the characteristic, which has sometimes the aspect of intense realism, sometimes of fantasy, sometimes of wit and humor something like the spirit of cartoon, and always the craftsman’s acute consciousness of the life in his own hand which shapes the movement of the living line or solid form.
In addition to pottery both glazed and unglazed, bronze and jade, the materials illustrated by this collection are gilt, cloth, gold, wood, marble, agate and other stones. The objects are bowls, ewers, dishes, cups, jugs, candlesticks, vases, jars, incense burners, boxes, ceremonial vessels, ladles, mirrors, belt hooks and buckles, harness and chariot fittings, placques, knives, pins, spearheads, seals, tablets, and many others. Among the subjects are the horse, boar, ass, stag, ram, buffalo, elephant, cicada, pig, boar, hedgehog, lion, door, bullock, cow, frog, monkey, dog and mythological dragon; flowers; fish, birds, including the crane, goose, cock and duck; and human figures as dancers, warriors and Bodhisattvas.
In pottery this richness of Chinese decorative imagination finds an additonal expression in the use of colors, textures of glazes and ornament by incision and relief. One tiny covered box on three foot covered with a bronze brown and a cream glaze suggests a familiar classic type of glass in the zigzag drawing of the wet glaze to form aprcciso and lively pattern. Such a familiar scheme of pottery glaze as yellow green, forest green, brown and cream white, to be found on a great variety of crude glazed pottery all over the world, takes on qualities of style and luxury in Chinese hands, and such simple combinations as brown and black; brown, blue and white; brown and white; or yellow and brown, have a smartness in the hands of a Chinese craftsman that they would not always have in other hands.
Brooklyn Museum Archives. Records of the Department of Public Information. Press releases, 1938. 11-12/1938, 245-6. View Original
November 1, 1938
Chinese bronzes, jades and ceramics on loan from the collection of Mrs. E. R. Randon are on exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum through December 11. The collection includes a large group of archaic jades of first importance, many small bronze animal figures from the Ordos region on the borders of Mongolia, several early Chou dyanasty bronzes of the period 1122-249 B.C. There are a few earlier pieces from the Shang Dynasty (1766 to 1122 B.C.) Among the porcelains is one of the finest Sung Dynasty Chun ware plates, an important group of T’ang multicolored ware, and many excellent Sung pieces. There is also a Shang dynasty jade cicada with blue glaze, of which it is one of the earliest examples.
With the exception of a few large pieces of pottery and bronze, most of the objects are small and require close examination. For this reason the entire collection has been grouped by dynasties in illuminated show cases. The dynasties represented are: Shang (1766-1122 B.C.), Chou (1122-249 B.C.), Han (206 B.C.-220A.D.) Northern Wei (386-557 A.D.), T'ang (618-906 A.D.), and Sung (960-1280 A.D.).
The collection well illustrates the opulence of Chinese decorative craftsmanship, a richness achieved partly by shrewd utilization of the qualities of different materials, partly by the fusion of style and function in the forms of a variety of useful objects, and partly by the treatment of living subjects used as decorative motifs. This treatment is marked by accuracy of observation often in minute detail, a gusto for the life of the thing itself, a flair for emphasizing the characteristic, which has sometimes the aspect of intense realism, sometimes of fantasy, sometimes of wit and humor something like the spirit of cartoon, and always the craftsman’s acute consciousness of the life in his own hand which shapes the movement of the living line or solid form.
In addition to pottery both glazed and unglazed, bronze and jade, the materials illustrated by this collection are gilt, cloth, gold, wood, marble, agate and other stones. The objects are bowls, ewers, dishes, cups, jugs, candlesticks, vases, jars, incense burners, boxes, ceremonial vessels, ladles, mirrors, belt hooks and buckles, harness and chariot fittings, placques, knives, pins, spearheads, seals, tablets, and many others. Among the subjects are the horse, boar, ass, stag, ram, buffalo, elephant, cicada, pig, boar, hedgehog, lion, door, bullock, cow, frog, monkey, dog and mythological dragon; flowers; fish, birds,including the crane, goose, cock and duck; and human figures as dancers, warriors and Bodhisattvas.
In pottery this richness of Chinese decorative imagination finds an additonal expression in the use of colors, textures of glazes and ornament by incision and relief. One tiny covered box on three foot covered with a bronze brown and a cream glaze suggests a familiar classic type of glass in the zigzag drawing of the wet glaze to form a precise and lively pattern. Such a familiar scheme of pottery glaze as yellow green, forest green, brown and cream white, to be found on a great variety of crude glazed pottery all over the world, takes on qualities of style and luxury in Chinese hands, and such simple combinations as brown and black; brown, blue and white; brown and white; or yellow and brown, have a smartness in the hands of a Chinese craftsman that they would not always have in other hands.
Brooklyn Museum Archives. Records of the Department of Public Information. Press releases, 1938. 11-12/1938, 182-83. View Original
December 10, 1938
The Exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Chinese Bronzes, Jades and Ceramics on loan from the Mrs. E. R. Randon Collection which was scheduled to close December 11, has been extended to run through January 8.
The collection include a large group of archaic jades of first importance, many small bronze animal figures from the Ordos region on the borders of Mongolia, several early Chou Dynasty bronzes of the period 1122-249 B.C. There are a few earlier pieces from the Shang Dynasty (1766 to 1122 B.C.) Among the porcelains is one of the finest Sun Dynasty Chun were plates, an important group of T'ang multicolored ware, and many excellent at Sun pieces. There is also a Sang Dynasty jade cicada with blue glaze, of which it is one of the earliest examples.
With the exception of a few large pieces of pottery and bronze, most of the objects are small and require close examination. For this reason the entire collection has been grouped by dynasties in illuminated show cases. The dynaties represented are: Shang (1766-1122 B.C.), Chou (1122-249 B.C.), Han (206 B.C.-220 A.D.), Northern Wei (386-557 A.D.), T’ang (610-906 A.D.), end Sung (960-1280 A.D.).
The collection well illustrates the opulence of Chinese decorative craftsmanship, a richness achieved partly by shrewd utilization of the qualities of different materials, partly by the fusion of style and function in the forms of a variety of useful objects, and partly by the treatment of living subjects used as decorative motifs. This treatment is marked by accuracy of observation often in minute detail, a gusto for the life of the thing itself, a flair for emphasizing the characteristic, which has sometimes the aspect of intense realism, sometimes of fantasy, sometimes of wit and humor something like the spirit of cartoon, and always the craftsman’s acute consciousness of the life in his own band which shapes the movement of living line or solid form.
In addition to pottery both glazed and unglazed, bronze and jade, the materials illustrated by this collection are gilt, cloth, gold, wood, marble, agate and other stones. The objects are bowls, covers, dishes, cups, jugs, candlesticks, vases, jars, incense burners, boxes, ceremonial vessels, ladles, mirrors, belt hooks and buckles, harness and chariot fittings, placques, knives, pins, spearheads, seals, tablets, and many others. Among the subjects are the horse, boar, ass, stag, ram, buffalo, elephant, cicada, pig, boars, hedgehog, lion, deer, bullock, cow, frog, monkey, dog, and mythological drahon; flowers; fish, birds, including the crane, goose, cock and duck; and human figures as dancers, warriors and Bodhisattvas.
In pottery this richness of Chinese decorative imagination finds an additional expression in the use of colors, textures of glazes and ornament by incision and relief. One tiny covered box on three feet covered with a bronze brown and a cream glaze suggests a familiar classic type of in the zigzag drawing of the wet glaze to form a precise and lively pattern. Such a familiar scheme of pottery glaze as yellow green, forest green, brown and cream white, to be found on a great variety of crude glazed pottery all over the world, takes on qualities of style and luxury in Chinese hands, and such simple combinations as brown and black; brown, blue and white; brown and white; or yellow and brown, have a smartness in the hands of a Chinese craftsmen that they would not always have in other hands.
Brooklyn Museum Archives. Records of the Department of Public Information. Press releases, 1938. 11-12/1938, 230-1. View Original
