Читать книгу The Ceramic Art of Japan - Hugo Münsterberg - Страница 14

1 On Collecting Japanese Ceramics

COLLECTING is a passion as old as mankind. The cave men of the Paleolithic period collected beautiful stones and shells, and their Neolithic descendants made magnificent pottery vessels not only for use but no doubt also for enjoyment. Pride of ownership, delight in the beauty of form and design, the economic value of fine works of art—all these factors were probably as important in those ancient times as they are today. Coming from a family of collectors who could never resist acquiring still another beautiful object, whether it was a Chinese bronze, a Japanese teapot, a Persian carpet, or a fine piece of old furniture, the author can well understand this passion, and it was with secret satisfaction that he heard about a collector of Chinese ceramics who stayed in Berlin during the persecution and bombing rather than part with his beloved collection; and another collector, also from Berlin, who starved during the terrible postwar years rather than sell any of his priceless treasures. Such is the joy of collecting for those who love beautiful objects.

There have been many collectors of Japanese ceramics, and today, with an evergrowing interest in Japan, there are no doubt many others who would like to start collecting. For these people, the question arises as to what type of collection they should form: a question that must, of course, be determined by individual taste. Some people will be content to buy, more or less at random, a few objects that happen to appeal to them, but for those who want to form a significant collection, there is one general observation that can be made, and this is that it is best to concentrate on some particular aspect or type of ceramics. Some collectors, their interest awakened by a study of the tea ceremony (cha-no-yu), may collect nothing but tea utensils or perhaps concentrate entirely on tea bowls, as is not at all uncommon in Japan, where pieces connected with cha-no-yu are particularly prized and in consequence often bring incredible sums. This specialization may be carried even further; for example, there are collectors who are interested in only a certain kind of tea bowl, such as Raku, and who try to get works by all the members of the Raku family. Naturally, this type of collecting is not only difficult but also next to impossible outside of Japan. Other collectors may have no interest in tea things at all, but prefer instead the crude and simple wares of the folk potters. This field offers excellent opportunities for the collector of modest means, since true masterpieces of folk pottery can be bought for very little, and a wealth of marvelous pots, still being made today, are readily available. Here again, the collector who wishes to limit himself to just one type of folk pottery has ample opportunity to do so, for one can form outstanding collections of the works of one particular kiln, such as Tamba or Onda, or one type of folk pottery, such as oil plates.

During the early years of Western contact with Japan, the most popular of the Japanese ceramics was porcelain, which, especially during the late seventeenth and the eighteenth century, was highly esteemed. Not only porcelain in general was collected, but also special kinds of porcelain such as Imari ware, Kakiemon, Nabe-shima, or Kutani as well as porcelain figures that to the Rococo connoisseur had a special attraction because of their exotic flavor. If the refinement and elegance of Japanese porcelains appealed to the age of Louis XV, many modern collectors, influenced by the contemporary interest in abstract and primitive art, have been drawn to the prehistoric pottery of Japan. The grave figures of the ancient tumuli known as haniwa and, more recently, the idols and jars of the Jomon period, are enjoying a tremendous popularity both in Japan itself and in America. In fact there are prominent collectors in both countries who collect nothing but these fascinating remnants of the earliest phase of Japanese civilization. However, since so many imitations have appeared on the market in recent years and since even the genuine pieces are almost invariably restored, it is a risky as well as a very expensive field.

A phase that so far has been ignored by most Western collectors is that of contemporary Japanese ceramics. Certainly the Japanese potters are among the most outstanding in the world today, and by buying the productions of men like Hamada, Kawai, Rosanjin, and Tomimoto, preferably direct from the artist out of his own studio, one is assured of getting not only the best quality but also genuine pieces. If one undertakes to collect the famous potters of the past such as Ninsei or Kenzan, as many Japanese and Western collectors have done, the dangers are great, for the majority of works bearing their seal or signature (some Japanese critics would say at least ninety percent) are school pieces or outright forgeries, since most of the really good genuine works are either in museums or private collections and hardly ever come on the market.

For a museum that wishes to form a representative collection, the best procedure would naturally be to try to get a few choice pieces from each period and type, ranging all the way from Jomon to modern and from the coarse peasant ware of Hongo to the refined porcelains of Arita. If this seems too ambitious an undertaking, one could limit oneself to a particular period or some particular region or kiln such as the wares of the Kyoto area or the Karatsu ovens. For study purposes this type of highly specialized collection is of course the best, and local Japanese museums like those at Arita, which are restricted to the porcelains of that area, the one at Okayama, which specializes in Bizen ware, or the one at Seto, which has nothing but Seto ware, are very valuable for the scholar who wishes to gain a clear picture of the history of a particular kiln.

In forming such a collection it is of greatest importance to buy wisely and with care. Naturally it is very difficult to advise someone on where and when to buy, especially if one does not know what means the collector has at his disposal and whether he is buying in America or in Japan. However, if the collector has little knowledge of the subject and no experience, the safest practice is to buy from an established and recognized dealer. A firm that has been handling Oriental ceramics for many years, sometimes even many generations, will not knowingly sell any forgeries or badly damaged pieces, if only to preserve the reputation of the establishment. Of course even the most reliable and conscientious of dealers make mistakes, but they will usually be happy to exchange the object in question if it proves to be a forgery. It might also be argued that it would be wise, at least initially, to do business with one dealer only—a dealer who, in order to keep his customer and encourage him in his pursuit, will try to locate new pieces for the collector and give him a good buy if he can do so without any loss to himself.

For those who have limited funds and are therefore anxious to save money, going to secondhand or curio shops, especially if they have the good fortune to be able to buy in Japan itself, will prove preferable. But the first thing they must realize is that these stores guarantee nothing and often deliberately misrepresent some of the objects they sell. And it should always be remembered that to get something cheap is no bargain if one does not want the piece and it is no good to begin with. Yet bargains can be had, if one knows where to look and what to look for. Usually, of course, even in these establishments the storekeeper knows his stock and has himself paid a good price for works of outstanding merit, though sometimes a dealer may have a few good pieces that he is unfamiliar with or perhaps not interested in—pieces from a larger collection that he bought as a whole. In the case of Japanese ceramics, this may happen when a dealer buys a group of ceramics consisting largely of Chinese wares, which he wants, with a few Japanese pieces into the bargain. But by and large the bargain-basement collector, as one might call him, will get bargain-basement merchandise, for the dealer who handles dozens of pieces every day is obviously more of an expert than the amateur collector. There is one other occasion when it might be possible to buy very advantageously, and that is when a dealer needs cash, perhaps for some new purchase, or when he has had a piece for a long time and is anxious to dispose of it. The same may also be true of a private person who has some pieces he wishes to dispose of, perhaps because he no longer needs them or because he has inherited them and is not particularly interested in them.

Probably the best place to pick up a real bargain (and also the best place to acquire worthless junk) is the auction room. Here it is important always to examine the pieces while they are on display before the auction actually takes place. It might also be wise to ask the advice of some experienced dealer or scholar ahead of time. Once you have placed your bid, it is too late to change your mind, for every auction purchase is final, regardless of what flaws may be discovered later on. Furthermore, the atmosphere of the auction room, with its excitement and fast pace, often tempts people to buy things they really do not want or prevents them from bidding for objects they would like to have but were too slow to bid for. Yet there is no question—especially if one happens to attend an auction where other people are not interested in what one has come for—that wonderful purchases can be made for relatively little money, and this, of course, is particularly true of objects that are not in fashion.

The question of taste and fashion has a great deal to do with the price an object is likely to fetch. Haniwa, which today are extremely fashionable and therefore bring very high prices, were readily available ten or twenty years ago at a fraction of their present cost, while Satsuma enameled wares, which fifty years ago were enormously popular among Western collectors and brought high prices, are practically worthless today. Unless the collector is so well-to-do that he does not have to consider money, it is best not to go in for something that is very fashionable, but rather to purchase some good wares that, though neglected at the time, are artistically outstanding and of permanent value. Today, for example, Japanese porcelains are relatively cheap, while cruder wares such as Shino and Oribe, which are closer to modern taste, are in great demand and therefore more difficult to get and more expensive when they do turn up. Here again, however, personal preference should be the primary consideration.

Japanese collectors like to buy pottery that has the seal and signature of a famous potter, and if the object in question is also wrapped in a fancy brocade bag and comes in an old-looking box, preferably with inscriptions attributed to famous artists or connoisseurs, then its price goes up astronomically. Although it is true that such a pedigree may often be helpful in tracing its history and may even prove that at one point it belonged to some noble family or famous tea master, by and large this kind of information has little to do with art and may even be quite misleading. For example, at least ninety percent of the works signed by Kenzan are not by him, and antique boxes, even if they and their inscriptions are genuine, are sometimes used for works that have nothing to do with the inscriptions. The best course is always to rely upon the quality of the object itself, to buy what is good because it is aesthetically pleasing, regardless of the inscription or the box. In fact some simple object like the rice bowls of the Korean peasants is often the very ware that connoisseurs like the tea masters consider priceless today.

Color Plate 1. Oribe covered dish. Momoyama period. Private collection, Japan.

Finally, there is the persistent question about the daily use of art objects. The Japanese themselves keep good pieces in boxes until some special occasion, when they remove them from their covers to display them to a distinguished guest or use them in some ceremony like cha-no-yu. This may be a good thing and is no doubt responsible for the preservation of so many of the treasures of Japanese art over the centuries. The Westerner, however, having no such tradition, would do well to display his collection and, if possible, use it—perhaps not every day but certainly on special occasions, for pottery is essentially a utilitarian art. The collector himself will benefit most by doing so, for not only will he derive pleasure and satisfaction from seeing the pieces used, but also he will develop a better feeling for their shapes, glazes, textures, and colors. Only by actually handling ceramics can their true nature be understood.