PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 137 



students an opportunity to study the choicest specimens of ancient 

 Chinese and Japanese painting for the first time in this country. 

 The collection takes the lead in Chinese art in America and will form 

 the basis for important research work. The late Prof. Fenollosa, in 

 an article on the Freer collection, published in 1907, said that Mr. 

 Freer was then probably the greatest living expert in artistic pottery, 

 and that in Chinese and Japanese painting he was probably the most 

 inwardly appreciative of their artistic and educational value. 



Freer Building. — Steady progress has been made on the building, 

 and it is hoped that the gallery will be read}' for the collections in 

 March, 1920. The secretary added that the formal opening was 

 expected to take place by the date of the next annual meeting of the 

 board, in December, 1920. 



A statement of the condition of the fund provided by Mr. Freer 

 for the erection of the building to house his collections had been 

 given in the report of the permanent committee. 



The Freer will. — Briefly, the Freer will provides as follows : 



The executors are to provide and pay for casing, packing, and 

 transportation to Washington of all collections, cases, racks, and 

 furniture; also for taking down the woodwork and decorations of 

 the Peacock Room, and for casing, transporting, and reerecting them 

 in the Freer Building in Washington. 



The executors are to continue to employ Katherine X. Rhoades 

 in an advisory position until the collections have been deposited in 

 the Freer Building in Washington. 



The income of $200,000 is to be used solely by the Regents for the 

 pay of a curator. 



The income of $200,000 is to be used by the Regents for the crea- 

 tion of ornamental gardens in and about the Freer Building, and 

 for the purchase of American statuary for the building ; concerning 

 this, Mr. Charles A. Piatt is to be consulted. 



The income of $50,000 is to be used solely for the care and main- 

 tenance of gardens and statuary of the building and grounds. 



The income of $50,000 is to be used in perpetuity for adding to 

 the knowledge and appreciation of oriental art, primarily by re- 

 search and publication. 



The codicil to the will states, after providing for meeting certain 

 exigencies, should they arise, that such income from the residual 

 estate as the Regents may determine is to be used for the study of 

 the civilization of the Far East, the remainder of the income to 

 be used for the purchase of examples of oriental, Egyptian, and near 

 eastern fine arts, and the purchase of works of painting, sculpture, 

 and pottery of American origin, the same to be deposited in the 

 United States National Gallery of Art. 



