Applications invited for the Tagore National Fellowship /Scholar ship Applications / nominations for the award of Fellowships/ Scholarships under the scheme of Tagore National Fellowships for Cultural Research on Chinese and Japanese Collections are invited from both Indian nationals and foreign citizens. For further details please refer to the website of the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India A brief on the Chinese on the Japanese collections available in the Salar Jung Museum furnished below : CHINESE & JAPANESE COLLECTION IN THE SALAR JUNG MUSEUM, HYDERABAD The Chinese and Japanese art collection in the Salar Jung Museum is sizable and varied and could easily ranks as the foremost of its kind in South East Asia. The stupendous collection of applied and decorative arts of the most varied nature viz. Lacquered wooden furniture, Porcelain, Glass, Jade, Enamelware, Ivory, Embroidered textiles, Lamps, Snuff bottles, Netsuke, Swords and Ceremonial metal banners etc. The account of Chinese art in the Salar Jung Museum should necessarily commence with the remarkable collection of Chinese Porcelain dating from 12 th to 19 th centuries and it stands in comparison with Chinese porcelain collection of world repute outside China, at the Topkapi Sarayi Museum at Istanbul in Turkey and the Ardebil
collection at Teheran in Iran. Porcelain is one of the greatest discoveries of the Chinese during mid 10 th century. CHINESE COLLECTION The earliest examples of Chinese porcelain collection in the Salar Jung Museum are from Yuan period (1260-1368) AD and collection are mostly celadon ware. Yuan dynasty followed by Ming period (1368-1644) and the collection are a large group of celadon plates decorated with incised diaper pattern. The Blue and White collection of the Museum is mostly assignable to the period of emperor of Wan Li (1563-1620)of Ming dynasty consists mostly of jars and plates. Ming dynasty followed by Great Qing or Manchu dynasty, was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912. The famous porcelain of Qing period (1644-1911)in our collection are blue and white. Other types of ceramic of this period are famille verte where the decoration in green colour is predominating, famille rose takes its name from an opaque ruby pink enamel, famille jaune where the predominating colour is yellow and famille noire where black colour is prominent. Two types of ceramics are extremely popular at the time of Qing dynasty such as famille verte ware during the reign of emperor K ang xi (1654-1722) and famille rose ware during emperor Qianlong (1711-99). Salar Jung Museum is having a fascinating group of porcelain, mostly comprising Buddhist and animal figures known as white of China or Blanc de Chine in European market, produced at Dehua kilns, in the province of Fukien in Southern China in 18 th centuries. The collection of Chinese ivory in the Museum is very interesting for its intricacy and skilful carving. Mostly it comprises figures, a few elaborately carved tusks, lacquered ivory figures and a pair of mythological figures mostly datable to 18 th to 19 th centuries.
The Museum has two lacquered screens datable to 17 th century are brilliant in their execution; one depicting country yards, pavilions and figures beautifully painted, and the other depicting the Taoist heavens showing the Taoist immortals brilliantly lacquered and inlaid with ivory, jade, lapis lazuli and agate. The other objects are lacquered boxes and vases from the well known centers of Canton and Fukien province of China datable to 18 th and 19 th centuries. Chinese silk embroideries form a delightful group in the Museum s collection. The Museums collection comprises embroider is depicting subjects from Taost legends, ceiling fans with kylins, phoenixes and dragons and those of colourful birds, datable to 18 th and 19 th century. A pair of very exquisite embroideries done on a thin network of silk embedded in two sheets of glass depicting parrots, cranes, and other birds datable to 18 th century. Among the Chinese bronzes and the Museum can cite very few examples from its slender collection. The Museum has among its collection figures of Buddhist deities and ritual vessels datable to 18th and 19 th centuries. A carved bronze bowl bearing inscriptions of Tien Shien monastery of mid. 17 th century and a beautifully executed standing figure of Kuan Yin belonging to Yongzheng period (1678-1735) are noteworthy. Jade is ranked by the Chinese as the most precious of precious stones. The Museum has in its possession examples of 18 th and 19 th century Chinese Jade carving. Among the objects, an elaborately carved Jade box and a stand in the form of three entwined dragon lizards of the Qianlong period (1711-99).
Blue and white porcelain, China Blue and white porcelain, Dutch East India Company, China Bodhisatva, Dehua porcelain, China Buddha, Dehua Porcelain,China
Chinese Celadon ware Dragon, Porcelain, China Enamel Ewer,China Embroidery work, China-III-13
Enamel Ewer,China, VII 33 Glass Snuff bottle China, II 38 Ivory Goddess Figure, China, IV - 192A Pagoda,Wood,China, VIII - 352-1
Jade Snuff BottleChina, II 42 Laughing Buddha, Chhina Metal Pagoda,China, IV 76 Plate,Emperor Wanli, Ming Period,China Tea Poy, wood, China, II -136
JAPANESE COLLECTION Though Japan is looked upon as a natural corollary to China from the standpoint of culture and art history, it has evolved into a separate entity itself in the realm of art as well as culture. The Japanese collection in the Museum has its own identity and distinction though it may not come up to the Chinese collection in the matter of sheer numbers or the variety of media. Yet the collection is varied and comprises porcelain, enamels, woodcuts, water colour paintings, embroideries, lacquer work, ivories, and Samurai swords and daggers. A considerable amount of Japanese porcelain in the Museum consists mainly of Blue and White, Imari and Satsuma ware. The Japanese porcelain industry could be established on a firm basis by the beginning of the 17 th century. The earliest pieces in the Museum s collection are Blue and White porcelain of Arita datable to 17 th century. The collection of Imari porcelain in the Museum is interesting. Among a good number of examples of this ware in the Museum mention may be made of a bowl decorated with flowers and flowering shrubs and birds in iron red and under glaze blue dated to late 17 th century. The Museum collection mostly consisting vases and plates can be dated to late 18 th or 19 th century. The Museum has an abundant collection of the popular brocade Satsuma ware consisting of many huge vases, bowls and plates, and also small delicate tea sets. Most of the Satsuma ware seen in the Museums and two beautiful examples could be cited here; a small tea jar with 1000 butterfly patterns and a small bowl decorated with 1000 chrysanthemums all over. The cloisonné enamels of Japan form a very rich collection in the Museum comprising many beautiful specimens. The Museum s collection mostly comprises vases, trays and huge vases of highly decorative nature, most important of them being a small
set of vases showing the process and development alongside with pigments and silver and brass wires used for cloisonné. The collection of woodblock prints or woodcuts in the Japanese section of the Museum is very significant to understand and appreciate the spirit of Japanese art. The woodcut is the national mode of engraving for Japanese and has been carried to a pitch of marvelous perfection. The art of the woodcut was introduced into Japan from China in the wake of Buddhism. The Museum possesses a good number of works by such acclaimed masters as Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi. Ando Hiroshige (1797 1858) depicted in countless sets of prints every aspects of his own country in every weather with extraordinary intimacy and freshness. The print illustrating Kariuzawa in the Museum s collection bespeaks volumes of the skill of this great master. This scene depicts the outskirts of a village at the time of dusk with smoke gently rising from two fires. The collection of Japanese water colour paintings on silk was well as paper is interesting from the viewpoint of themes in folk-lore and nature and also for their delicate rendering. Japanese embroideries in silk are no less fascinating in the Museum s collection. In the 19 th century this art became more realistic, and less abstract and subtle. The embroideries in the Museum s collection mostly belonging to 19 th century comprise many breath taking examples, specially the one depicting the Kegon waterfalls near Nikko in Japan and another screen depicting spaniels in a garden with the centering of eyes. The Japanese lacquer work easily surpasses that of China in every artistic aspect and its application to various purposes is much more extended in Japan than in China. The Museum has a few good examples of lacquer work which indicate the perfection, refinement and beauty of Japanese workmanship.
Though the Japanese themselves never had elephants their skill in ivory carving is phenomenal. The collection of Japanese ivory in the museum consists of ornamental figures as well as netsuke (toggles or buttons). The art of netsuke carving in ivory was introduced in the 18 th century in Japan. The netsuke is usually a boss or toggle used for thrusting the sash to balance the fan, tobacco purse, pipe case, medicine chest, or pen and ink, to which it is attached by a silk cord or more rarely a little chain. A remarkable collection of Japanese swords and daggers are also to be seen in the Museum. The Museum possesses Samurai swords with ivory sheaths, representing the Katana (large sword) as well as Wakizashi (small sword) and one of them even having a Kodzuka (a small knife used as a missile weapon) fitted into the sheath of a large sword. As the fantastic collections of Chinese and Japanese art objects have been kept in galleries and stores of the museum. There is no proper work has been done and there is no catalogue is available on museum collections. Salar Jung Museum needs an expert to prepare a separate catalogue on Chinese and Japanese art objects by doing proper research. Buddha, Wood, Japan Cloisonné Vase, Japan, VII -15
Embroidery work, Japan, VIII 42 Cloissonne vase, Japan Hnd fan,mother of Pearl, Japan, XIII 26 Ivory Group Figure, Japan, VIII 266
Ivory Pagoda,Japan, VIII 254 Imari Porcelain, Japan Japanese Embroidery work Japanese Cabinet Japanese Painting Japanese Furniture
Japanese Porcelain Japanese Shrine Mask,Paper Mache, Japan XIV - 46 Kegan Water Fall, Embroidery work, Japan
Pagoda,Wood, Japan, IX - 131 Pagoda,Wood, JapanVIII 237 Samurai Figure,Metal, Japan Painting, Japan, IX-11 Satsuma porcelain, Japan Satsuma Porcelain, Japan Satsuma Porcelain, Japan (2) Scent bottle,ivory, Japan