Show I 00 Pu Art treasures treasure which were price price esa les less because they t eY cannot be replaced replaced replaced ed seem eem likely to have been ben Involved Involved ed In the general ruin wrought bY bYthe bythe the earth quake In Japan This belief bellet Is based on Information re- re received received re received at tt the Japanese Embassy In London Lendon from the reports that come comeIn comeIn comen In slowly from stricken cities The Imperial Art Museum In Perle Parle Tokyo I la Is among amon the build bUild- bUildIngs buildings buildings ings probably destroyed In the fire which followed the tho earthquake me Museum was a brick about the size of the London Na- Na Na National Gallery and was forty ye years rs ago The treasures of ot the museum which wore were the property of or Japans Japan S Royal Household Included com corn complete complete sets of or costumes costume ornaments and hous household hold articles representative tive of each century from the tho eighth down to the last century There were collections of Japanese armor of different periods and of the tho elaborately decorated d swords 1 that are well known to all Euro Euro- European European European collectors collector exquisite examples Of lacquer work Including Japan Japan- Japanese Japanese ese or medicine cases medicine which were carried suspended from the belt Bu Buddhist carvings Japanese paintings rich brocades brocades- and many other an- an antiques an antiques that cannot be replaced A royal carriage made of richly lee lee- lac lacquered quere wood decorated with gold and silver liver and end hung with silk bro bro- brocaded bro brocaded ceded curtains curtain of the fourteenth century wa was also one of the Mu- Mu Mu Museum's Iu- Iu seum's Deum special treasures u Close to the Imperial Museum Is Isan isan laan an annex a much smaller mailer building ot of stone atone erected abo about t ten years year ago It i Is hopeful that this may I have escaped as It Is separate separated from the tho main building It Its con con- contents contents con contents tents were mostly given by private owners an and of more recent date than the royal collection They consist mainly of pottery and por por- porcelain por- por porcelain porcelain celain of all nil centuries beautifully carved jade lade and ornaments and other exhibits of Japanese life lite Even more valuable than the Imperial Museum are the private collections In Tokyo of which there I are about a 0 dozen ozen It IL Is III hoped that most of these have been saved as It Is Ia the custom for rich Japan Japan- Japanese Japanese Japanese ese collectors to keep their trea tree treasures treasures In a specially constructed chamber apart from the house and built of concrete with wall walls about two feet thick It Is hoped that the collection of EurOPean paintings made by Mr Matsukata the son of prince Matsukata num num- numbering nurn- nurn numbering bering about a thousand ha has es- es escaped es escaped caved destruction They acre ere stor etor- etor- etor stored ed In hi his fathers father's In the m Shive district a suburb of ot Tokyo The collection includes Include work bY most modern artistS and anol some soma of Rodin Rodin's best bet known sculpture It ItIs Itis ItIs Is said to have cost Mr over four million dollars dollar Yokohama possessed no flu mU- mUseum museums seum and nd only a a few tow private cot cot- collections col collections It Is feared they were all destroyed by the wave Udal-wave tidal d In these private collections Is the well known ono one made by Mr hare Hara who had a wonderful jui collection of ot Japanese carvings sculptures sculpture and paintings I Common to all private collections collections are the precious tea caddies And tea tee bowl bowls which are an brought out by their owners for tor the enter enter- enter of their guests at tea teaI I ceremonies At one sale ale a tell tea caddy fetched etched nearly one hundred thousand dollars and the highest price realized for tor a 0 tea toe bowl about thirds two third s as much The Th brocaded i b bags gs for these thee Caddies caddie cad les and bowls bowl lare are valued by the square inch and andone andone lone one of special valie val ie has hs been known to fetch about two hundred dollars per Inch These expensive York works of ot art are always alway accompanied led by the guaranty f of some great gr at tea mast master or from the fourteenth century onward rd No I such Buch bowls bowl aj oa these can con be made by modern potters potter for tor fo the art artI which produced them has been lost I with Ith the passing of the ages The Okura Museum given to the nation nalton three years ago by Baron Okura Stood Blood In iii the ruined zone The unique position occupied by Japanese art ort Is acknowledged by every one who ho has haj any familIarity with differ different t styles of ot art and their history For loor it I la the one style that has survived In unbroken succession in the geographical area In which it end and a nd began to flourish aa as a early probably as any art If It It was slow In reaching Its highest development which was after both Greek and Koman toman Art had risen and fallen It was also alo slow In declining To the Western mind the un- un unchanging un unchanging changing characteristics of or the Jast flast have not cen ceased ed to be a won won- wonder wonder wonder der Advanced civilization devel devel- developed developed Independently there In the early stages almost almot a as remote from the great nations nation around the Medi Medi- Mediterranean Mediterranean teri as s It if It had In the moon Between the moat ancient advanced civilization of ot Vt th West West and that of the East In the Bronze age ago there Is la no recorded Since this present dis disaster aster has made mado necessary the re- re reconstruction reconstruction re reconstruction construction of so many of ot Japans Japan's larger cities It remains to be seen een what Influence Western art rt rt may II bring to modify or strengthen this age old art which Is alive tod today y land and Is so 0 profound and n Its older manifestations manifestation yet it I iso isso so gracefully trivial and gaily so- so sophisticated so sophisticated 1 In the decorative uses which It Is put on every hand that any danger of ot extinction Is from over popularity and cheap Imitations imitations Imitations In the present day commer- commer commer ial environment |