Correspondence, notes, expense lists, and invoices for objects obtained by Gen. Munthe and shipped to Gertrude Bass Warner in Eugene [034]
Item
Title
Correspondence, notes, expense lists, and invoices for objects obtained by Gen. Munthe and shipped to Gertrude Bass Warner in Eugene [034]
Author
Munthe, Johan Wilhelm Normann
Recipient
Warner, Gertrude Bass, 1863-1951
Date
1931-12-01
Identifier
UA022_b005_f006_127_134
Description
Correspondence between Gertrude Bass Warner and General Normann Munthe
Transcript:
Porcelain Jar
See file Albert, G. E. Peking, China
Pasadena, Tuesday, Dec 1. 31.
12/1/31
My dear Friend,
Thank you so much for your letter of No. 28th, which came yesterday. Yes, to be sure, evil does try to estrange us from God, and from the kindess of Him that Christian Science has brought to us. The way, wherefor[e] our seeming existence and power of these many shapes and forms that evil takes, [], I frankly admit I cannot understand it all, and find it hard to overcome its consequences. I [] up and honestly know the un-reality of all these evils and their claims on human nature, and these I suffer [] them, and their impositions. I have not asked any practitioner here to help me, so far, though I have suffered, and do suffer a great deal. I have tried to bear it, so as to see exactly what the practitioners actually can an and does do for me. I have the intention of taking your advice, and all Mrs Richardson to work for me, in fact I rang her up yesterday evening about 7:30, but did not find her at home; shall try again. When I look at my arm case, I am also thinking of your case; without in any way being [], surely I am justified in saying least we [] try our best to be loving and kind and helpful towards our friendship, and why, or why, is it that we are not better? Well, it is always difficult to talk about yourself, but when I am doing it for once, I do it, because these thoughts come and came again and again, and I cannot find a satisfactory answer for them. All I can find to counter these questions with is what Mrs. Eddy says about human existence []: ‘human existence is an enigma”—perfectly true, of course, but it does not answer the question: why is it so?/
But the same kind of thoughts must have presented themselves to you from time to time, and I dare say, you think pretty much the same?/
You ask me about the Sung jar that I sent you. I shall tell you what I know, and what I do not know about this ware. The Chinese call this ware, like so many others, merely Sung ware: the reason being that the objects being thus designated are to name that the original names—if they originally had any special name, have in the course of time, got lost: Tzu Chan is as far as I know, a piece of manufacture of different kinds of ware, in Honan province and for the slect times down to the present day. Hebson in Hui Fook or [] many wares as Tzu Chan-ware, with what justice I cannot say. I fancy this certification of so many different kinds as Tzu Chan-ware, will only stand till we, though systematic and scientific excavation in China—and this is but a matter of time—shall be in a position to certify these objects more concretely. Of course, a rose by any other name smells just as sweet, so any new certification will in no away interfere with our appreciation of these objects. To look back then: Hobson calls this ware Tzu Chan ware, and so we do likewise, for the time being: It is very nice—the genuine ones, and I had not seen any, till I got these from the Emperor. They had been paired to some of the banks, and I got them by redeeming them and by paying [] to the E. Anything imperial is in a better condition than anything that you can get on the market, because only the very best things were sent to and kept in the Palace; as you will also observe in your picture rolls. I should [] [] I had to to a museum [] from America, when I was in Peking, and asked him if he had seen of this kind in America, and he said, yes, he had seem one piece at a dealer’s in San Francisco; it was not as large nor so good as mine—which again was not as grand as the jar that you have got and the price was $3.000. I reckoned the price of the jar would be about 10.000 at a dealer’s, and therefore [] the price of $6.000 for the pair on my invoice here as you will see from [] prices—which kindly refer to me for the [] here. When you asked me to get you something for $800, I had first in mind to give you 2 smaller ones, but when I came to look over the [] collection of what I had sent over this time, I concluded I wanted to give you something of the very best, and something that you did not have. Mr. House told me that Professor Emmonds [?] (Parnes?) had taken a great liking to this pair, and he thought [] want them, so finally I made up my mind to let you have one. The price to you is neither more nor less than $800 that you wanted to invest, for the one sent you. I shall when I go back to China, try to pick up whatever information I can on this subject and in due course of time, let you know./
Re Mr. F I am [] Mr. House and another friend in full chance of all the things that I have sent over this time.
As regards the original collection, I am trying to force a committee of trustees of lading museum-men here to take charge of it for the future. Mr. F. will be eliminated.
Enough for to-day. All loving and true thoughts and wishes to you, my dear Friend,
Ever your friend,
Normann Munthe
Air Mail
1931
Porcelain jar
Mrs. G. B. Warner,
Osburn Hotel,
Eugene, Oregon
L. P. A.
End of transcript.
Transcribed by Tom Fischer.
Transcript:
Porcelain Jar
See file Albert, G. E. Peking, China
Pasadena, Tuesday, Dec 1. 31.
12/1/31
My dear Friend,
Thank you so much for your letter of No. 28th, which came yesterday. Yes, to be sure, evil does try to estrange us from God, and from the kindess of Him that Christian Science has brought to us. The way, wherefor[e] our seeming existence and power of these many shapes and forms that evil takes, [], I frankly admit I cannot understand it all, and find it hard to overcome its consequences. I [] up and honestly know the un-reality of all these evils and their claims on human nature, and these I suffer [] them, and their impositions. I have not asked any practitioner here to help me, so far, though I have suffered, and do suffer a great deal. I have tried to bear it, so as to see exactly what the practitioners actually can an and does do for me. I have the intention of taking your advice, and all Mrs Richardson to work for me, in fact I rang her up yesterday evening about 7:30, but did not find her at home; shall try again. When I look at my arm case, I am also thinking of your case; without in any way being [], surely I am justified in saying least we [] try our best to be loving and kind and helpful towards our friendship, and why, or why, is it that we are not better? Well, it is always difficult to talk about yourself, but when I am doing it for once, I do it, because these thoughts come and came again and again, and I cannot find a satisfactory answer for them. All I can find to counter these questions with is what Mrs. Eddy says about human existence []: ‘human existence is an enigma”—perfectly true, of course, but it does not answer the question: why is it so?/
But the same kind of thoughts must have presented themselves to you from time to time, and I dare say, you think pretty much the same?/
You ask me about the Sung jar that I sent you. I shall tell you what I know, and what I do not know about this ware. The Chinese call this ware, like so many others, merely Sung ware: the reason being that the objects being thus designated are to name that the original names—if they originally had any special name, have in the course of time, got lost: Tzu Chan is as far as I know, a piece of manufacture of different kinds of ware, in Honan province and for the slect times down to the present day. Hebson in Hui Fook or [] many wares as Tzu Chan-ware, with what justice I cannot say. I fancy this certification of so many different kinds as Tzu Chan-ware, will only stand till we, though systematic and scientific excavation in China—and this is but a matter of time—shall be in a position to certify these objects more concretely. Of course, a rose by any other name smells just as sweet, so any new certification will in no away interfere with our appreciation of these objects. To look back then: Hobson calls this ware Tzu Chan ware, and so we do likewise, for the time being: It is very nice—the genuine ones, and I had not seen any, till I got these from the Emperor. They had been paired to some of the banks, and I got them by redeeming them and by paying [] to the E. Anything imperial is in a better condition than anything that you can get on the market, because only the very best things were sent to and kept in the Palace; as you will also observe in your picture rolls. I should [] [] I had to to a museum [] from America, when I was in Peking, and asked him if he had seen of this kind in America, and he said, yes, he had seem one piece at a dealer’s in San Francisco; it was not as large nor so good as mine—which again was not as grand as the jar that you have got and the price was $3.000. I reckoned the price of the jar would be about 10.000 at a dealer’s, and therefore [] the price of $6.000 for the pair on my invoice here as you will see from [] prices—which kindly refer to me for the [] here. When you asked me to get you something for $800, I had first in mind to give you 2 smaller ones, but when I came to look over the [] collection of what I had sent over this time, I concluded I wanted to give you something of the very best, and something that you did not have. Mr. House told me that Professor Emmonds [?] (Parnes?) had taken a great liking to this pair, and he thought [] want them, so finally I made up my mind to let you have one. The price to you is neither more nor less than $800 that you wanted to invest, for the one sent you. I shall when I go back to China, try to pick up whatever information I can on this subject and in due course of time, let you know./
Re Mr. F I am [] Mr. House and another friend in full chance of all the things that I have sent over this time.
As regards the original collection, I am trying to force a committee of trustees of lading museum-men here to take charge of it for the future. Mr. F. will be eliminated.
Enough for to-day. All loving and true thoughts and wishes to you, my dear Friend,
Ever your friend,
Normann Munthe
Air Mail
1931
Porcelain jar
Mrs. G. B. Warner,
Osburn Hotel,
Eugene, Oregon
L. P. A.
End of transcript.
Transcribed by Tom Fischer.
Source
Gertrude Bass Warner Papers, 1879-1954
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
Institution
University of Oregon
Type
Text
Format
application/pdf
Rights
Rights Reserved - Free Access
Rights Holder
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives