Imre Jakabffy (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 3. (Budapest, 1975)

FERENCZY, László: Traditions and new trends in the Japanese art of the Meiji era

In addition to the exhibited pieces of the Meiji era selected from the two above collections, mention should be made of the Japanese pieces purchased at major international fairs in Europe around the turn of the century. The newly established Museum of Industrial Arts purchased many outstanding pieces, prize-winners among them, at the Vienna (1873), the Paris (1878 and 1900), the London (1910) World Fairs and at the Budapest Japanese Exhibition. They were later transferred to the Francis Hopp Museum of Eastern Asiatic Arts. These seventy pieces of fine but primarily of applied art have, in addition to high quality, the merit of being of historic value, too. In their totality they illustrate the development of forms and decorative elements used in the arts and crafts of the period. Among the rest of the material a remarkable collection, that of Vince Wartha, University Professor, head of the Ceramic Department at the Polytechnical University of Budapest (1844—1914) deserves attention with its ceramics covered with special enamels or decorated in other rare techniques.

6 Another remarkable collection is that of Ottó Fettick, professor of the Budapest College of Veterinary Sciences, who presented his Japanese pieces to the Museum still in his life. The collection is made up, in addition to a few late inros, of porcelains of individual character and excellent quality from the end of the Meiji era. They represent a new individual way of porcelain decoration adopted upon western influence by the beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately, there were no oil paintings among the exhibits. This is because both Francis Hopp and the rest of the Hungarian collectors mentioned, quite naturally, turned with special interest toward the newly discovered traditional Japanese art, looking mainly for forms of art other than those to be found in Europe. As regards the other 2. TOMONOBU OKADA: SITTING BEAR. IVORY CARVING. PARIS WORLD FAIR OF 1900. arts, they were represented by exhibits of the new trends and techniques as well. In the following a brief survey is given about the material of the exhibition with special respect to the outstanding pieces and to those coming from the international exhibitions mentioned above. Among the scroll paintings of traditional form some represent a new trend by their return to the history of Japan as well as to the ancient legends of origin. Here belongs, first of all, Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847 — 1915), an oustanding late follower of the