The East Asian Art Collection is a conglomeration of four collections: Cooke, Baldenhofer, Chai, and Li collections. The collection includes furniture, vases, figurines, clothing, artwork, books, bells, jewelry boxes, and more. The items cover multiple countries in East Asia and their dates range thousands of years.
The East-Asian Art Collection has been donated from multiple generous donators over Wittenberg's history.
Creator
Wittenberg University Special Collections and Archives
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research. Contact Suzanne Smailes for more information
Metadata for Gallery Above Completed by Megan Bobb in 2015:
1. Opium Pipe (Cooke Collection)
Language: Chinese
Type: Metalwork; Opium-related object
Size: 34 cm H x 7 cm W x 3.5 cm D
Other Physical Descriptions: [brass?] pipe with an oblong base. All faces of the base are engraved: one side and one end with a lengthy inscription (the end actually looks like an excerpt or reprisal of what’s on the side), the other side with an image of one person sitting and reading while another stands behind him. The other end is a still life with a flower in a vase. One end of the base top is dedicated to the long protruding pipe neck, the front of which detaches (smoke vent?). The other end contains a reservoir of some sort. Two empty openings, possibly for a brush and some other cleaning device? (We have a water pipe that looks a lot like this and includes a brush and another item.)
2. Phoenix and Flowers Embroidery (Li Collection)
Title: 花草鳳鳥 (Huā Căo Fèng Niăo)
Translated Title: Phoenix and Flowers
Country of Origin: Shantou (Swatow) China
Language: Chinese
Subject: Phoenix birds and flowers
Type: Needlework
Size: 50.5 cm H x 71.5 cm W
Other Physical Descriptions: This flat embroidery work, done on a light fabric background and bordered by a 5.5 cm wide band of light fabric with a subtle phoenix pattern, depicts two colorful phoenix birds perched on a branch adorned with pink buds, green leaves, and two large gold and red flowers. Some portions are raised, namely the gold flowers. There are embroidered characters in black, along with a red seal of some sort (possible oracle bone inscription?). Although the embroidery itself is in good condition, its fabric background has significant black spotting and some warping, suggesting possible water damage.
Notes: A label included in a condition report for this piece has a Chinese inscription: the title (last four characters), and two other characters. The first of these might be潮 (cháo), or “tide” (possibly for Chaozhu, of Chaozhu-Shantou?) but the second character is unidentifiable. It could be the character for embroidery: 繡 (xiù). You can learn more about major styles of Chinese Embroider on Wikipedia’s Chinese embroidery page.
3. Shoes for Bound Feet (Cooke Collection)
Title: Shoes for Bound Feet
Date Created: No specific date, but foot-binding became popular during the Song Dynasty (see hyperlink above).
Type: Textile
Size: 8.5 cm H x 6 cm W x 15cm D
Other Physical Descriptions: These foot-binding shoes have light green satin? Uppers with ivory and silver satin, black threading, and a pink/green/blue floral border on black background running from where the tongue would be on modern shoe to toe. More floral? Embroidery under border stretching from side to toe. Soles embroidered with blue, pink, green and yellow floral design. White fabric heel/toe. Inner sole has pink/blue/yellow floral/geometric fabric, and rest of inside has blue floral fabric.
Notes: An image of these is included in the Cooke section of the blue East Asian Art Collections inventory binder. A handwritten note at the bottom of the image reads Disk I, #5, corresponding to a legend at the beginning of the section which itself I assume corresponds to a CD or USB drive disk containing digital images of portions of the East Asian collection.
4. Sung Dynasty Tiger Painting (Baldenhofer Collection)
Title: 蘇[?]唐寅??
Artist: 蘇[?]唐寅??
Date/Time Period: Sung Song Dynasty, 960-1279
Size: 86 cm H x 152 cm W
Other Physical Descriptions: Depicts a tiger on a faint background which suggests a tree. On the top left corner is an inscription written vertically followed by two red seals (oracle bone inscriptions?): 蘇[?]唐寅 (Sū [?] Tángyín). For being between 800 and 1000 years old, it’s in very good condition, but there’s still a fair bit of fading and peeling off of canvas/paint on the surface.
Notes: I’m not sure if the inscription described above is the artist’s signature or some other note. Also, according to an appraisal by Albert W. R. Thiel of Thiels (in LA?), this painting “was exhibited in Los Angeles museum for some time and has been sprayed with a preservative.”
5. Japanese Tea Set (Cooke Collection)
*Most if not all info is from the Kandell appraisal of 1983, which has documentation in collection*
Title: Japanese Porcelain Tea Set
Date/Time Period: ca. 1900
Language: Japanese (backstamps)
Size: Teapot: 9.5 cm H x 11 cm W x 6.5 cm D; Creamer: 5 cm H x 9 cm W x 6 cm D; Cups: 4.5 cm H x 6.5 cm W x 6.5 cm D
Other Physical Descriptions: This set includes a small teapot, a creamer, and five cups, all with the same design: colors gold, orange, red, blue, black in a floral and geometric combined pattern. Kandell says: “Teapot with molded campanulate body, pinnal handle, rostrate spout, domed cover with mushroom-form knop; creamer with similar form without cover; five campanulate cups with tall foot rings; decorated with gilding and poly-chrome enamels of floral branches in reserves bordered by irregular dotted patterns, rims with diamond diaper pattern and foot rings with banded decor.”
Notes: According to Kandell’s appraisal, the set is “marked on base” with “Kutani.” I looked at the bottom of each piece and on all except the teapot, there are the characters九谷, which are pronounced “Kutani.” Kandell’s appraisal file also includes a black and white image of the tea set.