RE-COLLECTIONS OF AN OLD POTTER: Part Two

A second trip to Southeast Asia and Indone-
sla in 1870 included two side-Lrips to satisfy
the potter in the family .The first was to
Tatwan to visit the National Museum, where
one must viadt each month for several years
in order to see all the treasures taken from
Mainland! China by Chiang Kal-Shek when
the Nationalists retreated from Man's
foros. The museum itself ia built at the en-
trance to caves in the rock face, which pro-
vide a very sale holding area indeed for the
millions of artifacts! Aleo In Talwan were the
visits to local kilns which were more like
factories than any of our focal kilns. A fine
peol translucent white porcelain was being
produced from moulels; then on the classical
forms. artists with great technical skill oop-
ied the intricately painted fine poreclains of
the Qing Dynasty. Even an expert would
have great difficulty choosing the origtmall

Possibly the most exciting expertence for me
was the fact that we were billeted tn the
Grand Hotel where Chiang Kal Shek placed
his visitors. [twas more museum than hotel.
with priceless Chinese mags. furniture ard
porcelains in all the rooms and with red
pillars and gold lacquer fronting our babeo-
nbes.

From Bangkok in Thalkand a second detour
was made—to Chieng Mai in the north. Most
Weatern visitors at the time visited this area
to reach the Golden Triangle. rich with fields
of poppies and such, 1 setthed for day tripe to
craft sites, art lucked out ome day when.
alter visiting silver craftsmen. woodcarvers,
and « rativer primitive silk factory, [ msked
thedriver if there were kilns about. He seemed
to know but one ward of Emalish. “yes”; so off

Page 6

~ 14th Century Thai effigy figures

we went, driving through paddy fiekts at
first, then clouds of red pottery clay and
clouds of white pottery clay. | it belng one day
before the onset of the Spring monsoon).We
drove then through a wide but shallow river
before stopping im a@ thinly wooded. hilly
area. The driver aot out and beckoned us to
follow. This kin had not been in operation for
four hundred years!

It was Sankampecnge a 15th C. site, with
kiln wasters and sherds lying close to the
surface, pushed up by the roots of scrubby
trees. The shost tleht skirts of L970 were not
designed for carrying freight. but with a
backward glance at modesty, mine wes soon
hiked to the waist and filled with the most
interesting of sherds. Noting my delight with
the sherds, the driver negotiated a visit to'the
home of one of the local ‘collectors’. Climbing
the ladder to the home on atilte was also a
feat in short akiets. and attracted the meigh-
bers who carried with them # variety of
mass-produced, stoneware jarlets and small
covered pots. Seen of the villagers had very
food pots, some met so good, In order not to
offend, | bought one pet fram each using
$100 borrowed fran the taxi driver.

Efficient modern celadon kilns exist as well
In the Chieng Mal ana: producing quantities
af excellent monochromes and seme with
underfiace fron decorations. Wares in the
Sankampacn¢ tradition and figures glazed
with celadon or brown slip ales find their way
conte the market but are easy to recognize
once one beoomes femiliar with the origi-
nals,

Later, in a small market teocked behind Wat
Mahexthal Baraar in Bangkok, | discovered

By Jean Fahmi

several effigy figures in the form of mothers
with iniants, produced im the l4ith-16th ¢
Followers of an Animist religten, the people
believed that by breaking the effigies, evil
spirtts would be released, and the mother
then be assured # safe delivery, Most pieces
are recovered with broken necks. One figure
was of a male holding a fighting cock!

I Jeamed from the ‘bicycle boys’, fwhe fell
that | had “given myself for their country”
working a8 2 nurse|, to Pecogniee « repatred
or restored piece of porcelain « a very gener-
ous offering, as their livelthood depended in
pert on dealing with an ignorant public. The
majority of these knowledgeable ttinerant
dealers in antiqee trade porcelains were
from Padang in West Sumatra; a matrilineal
society of Muslims, where boys from the age
of puberty were semt te sleep at the local
mosque. Three generations of women lived in
the magnificent large horned hewses, the
men being welcomed hare once a year for a
few days to arrange an addition to the fiarnilyt

My main source of knowledge, however, was
Mr. Djody, the tep antique dealer in Indone-
ata. Each day om returning to the Hated
Indonesia, hair and clothing wringing wet
from the heat of the operating room. I had
slumped tnte the first available haven—his
air-conditioned shop}—te catch my breath
and regain someenerngy. From Djody 1 beurre
to bargain without being mean; to pecogniee
@ fake, and to apprectate the shape, colour,
and voloe of a good bowl. In the beginning [
didnt know a Ming bowl from one of my own.
[ der rece

TALK AND GUIDED TOUR

Thursday, October 18, 1990
7:40 pm Tour = 8:00 pm Lecture

Vancouver Museum [Planetarium]
1100 Chestnut Street

Jean Fahrni will give an illustrated
lecture about the Jean Mackay
Fahrnt collection recently pur-
chased by the Hong Kong Bank of
Canaca and on joan tothe Vancou-
ver Museum. The evening is spon-
sored jointly by the Asian Arts
Society of Canada and the Mu-
Seum.

Those interested may join Jean at
7730 and experience a guided tour
of the new Asian Galiery and close-
up look seme of the pieces.

October, 1490