Jan., 1922. Annual Report of the Director. 21 



presented by him. The collection consists of objects coming chiefly 

 from Java, Celebes, Timor Laut, and Dutch New Guinea, with a few 

 pieces from Babber, Dammer, Letti and other small islands of that 

 region. A large Korean cabinet with excellent brass fittings and a 

 large number of knives, krises, spears, bows and arrows-, bark gar- 

 ments and ornaments of shell and ivory are among the objects in the 

 collection. Two of the Javanese krises, the blades of which are finely 

 marked with inlaid silver and the handles surmounted by full figures 

 in brass representing Hindu deities and studded with precious stones 

 and beads, are worthy of special recognition. An exceptionally fine 

 feast bowl of painted lacquer from Burma was received from Mr. 

 Frederick R. Babcock of Wheaton, Illinois. This bowl is decorated 

 all around with miniature paintings of exquisite quality, all of them 

 representing scenes from the Indian epic poem, the Ramayana, and 

 explained in Burmese legends. Mr. William J. Chalmers gave an 

 excellent cloisonne-enamel jar from China which is remarkable be- 

 cause of its harmonious design and coloring, and highly prized be- 

 cause it was made in the latter part of the fifteenth century. A 

 miscellaneous collection of eighty objects gathered on his travels 

 in the Orient was received as a gift from Mr. Robert H. Fleming of 

 Chicago. It is particularly rich in swords, daggers, and other weapons 

 from China, Japan, India, Turkey, Spain, and Mexico. Of excep- 

 tional interest are two batiks from Java and a remarkable, large em- 

 broidered hanging from China, fifteen feet in length and nine and 

 one-half feet in width. The latter bears a lengthy Chinese inscription 

 from which it is ascertained that this embroidered picture was be- 

 stowed upon a certain Mr. Hu in 1863 in commemoration of his 

 seventieth birthday by the prefect of Lin-kiang in Kiang-si Province. 

 Especially opportune are twelve Japanese swords and six sword- 

 guards which will make more complete the exhibition of Japanese 

 swords and their fittings now in the process of installation. There 

 are examples of the various types of swords used on different occa- 

 sions, such as the ornamental sword for parade purposes, the fighting 

 sword, the small sword, the dagger, the small dagger for women, 

 and the slung sword. An excellent collection of Japanese Suri- 

 mono was presented by Miss Helen C. Gunsaulus in memory of 

 her father, Dr. Frank Wakeley Gunsaulus, former trustee. Surimono 

 are color print cards of greeting which are produced for special 

 occasions such as New Year, birthdays, and other festival days. The 

 great majority are prepared for private distribution only, and it is 

 except on rare occasions that any are placed on public sale. They far 



