54 George Square
Glasgow, Scotland

4th September 1903

Dear Mr. Freer,
I have your letter of the 20th ult, enclosing draft for £3250, in payment of “Princess of Porcelain” for which I have to thank you. As you request I have asked my packers to have the picture carefully packed and shall have it sent off in a few days. I am making the carriage forward and shall send you a note of the other expenses.
I note what you say regarding the picture’s ultimate destination and am glad to know it will eventually become National property.
I am very pleased indeed to learn that you found your sister so much better and I hope that in a short time she will be all right again.
With kind regards to yourself,
Believe me,
Yours very truly,
Wm. Burrell

Chas. L. Freer Esq.
33 Ferry Avenue
Detroit
Michigan

#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
April 7th, 1905.
D. Kelekian, Esq.,
#252 Fifth Avenue,
New York City.

My dear Sir:--
I noticed in a recent newspaper an account of your return to New York. So I am writing you direct about the shipment of six pieces of potteries, sent from Paris and referred t oin your letter of October 10th.
The shipment arrived in good order and I examined the lot yesterday. I have determined to keep the Bowl, your No. 2, and the Bottle, your No. 3. Your list gives the prices for the Bowl and Bottle, but it does not mention the price of your No. 6—a small two handled cup in turquoise glaze. I would like to purchase the cup if the price is not too high. Will you kindly let me know how much it will be. After which I will remit for all three pieces.
The other three pieces will be packed and sent by express to your New York address promptly.
Hoping you are very well. I remain, with kind regards,
Very truly yours,
Charles L. Freer.

#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
April 7th, 1905.
D. Kelekian, Esq.,
#252 Fifth Avenue,
New York City.

My dear Sir:--
I noticed in a recent newspaper an account of your return to New York. So I am writing you direct about the shipment of six pieces of potteries, sent from Paris and referred t oin your letter of October 10th.
The shipment arrived in good order and I examined the lot yesterday. I have determined to keep the Bowl, your No. 2, and the Bottle, your No. 3. Your list gives the prices for the Bowl and Bottle, but it does not mention the price of your No. 6—a small two handled cup in turquoise glaze. I would like to purchase the cup if the price is not too high. Will you kindly let me know how much it will be. After which I will remit for all three pieces.
The other three pieces will be packed and sent by express to your New York address promptly.
Hoping you are very well. I remain, with kind regards,
Very truly yours,
Charles L. Freer.

#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
November 2nd, 1904.

My dear Mr. Evans:—
A pressure of many matters has delayed my reply to your good letters of October 29th and 30th until the present moment.
Let me thank you for the very full information you have given concerning the shipment of the pictures to be loaned from Detroit for the forthcoming Comparative Exhibition. In accordance with your wishes, the shipment will be divided in two parts—the first will leave Detroit on Saturday, the 5th instant, consigned to Comparative Exhibition, #215 West 57th Street, New York City: the other shipment will leave on Monday, the 7th instant. The American Express Company will transport the paintings. Nominal values for the paintings only will be given to the Express Company. Insurance in transit is to be written as per your understanding, and specific insurance on the pictures while they are in the 57th Street Galleries is also to be written, as per your letter of the 29th, instant.
I hand you enclosed herewith lists showing titles and amounts of insurance for the pictures to be sent from this city.
I read with interest your comments concerning the arrangement of the Whistlers, and have studied the ??????????????????????
[page 2] that for the bulk of the group of Whistler’s which you are ???...have “The Princess of Porcelain” is too high in colour to keep the others in harmony. It is one of the rarely brilliant specimens of Mr. Whistler’s art, and I fear it would hurt “The Ocean” and the Nocturnes: hence, I have decided not to send it. On the other hand, if Mr. Johnson’s “Lange Liezen” can be had, that would go beautifully with the other things you are to have. I feel that if you get Mr. Johnson’s picture, the arrangement shown in your sketch would look very beautiful, if you place the “Lange Liezen” in the spot chosen for “The Princess of Porcelain.” On the other hand, if you have only one upright life-sized figure, why not place the “Arrangement in Black and White. No. 1” in the center, placing “The Ocean” on one side of it and “The Music-Room” on the other; then arranging your Nocturnes in a group of four say on one side of “The Ocean”, and placing “The Little Blue and Gold Girl” wherever she could be seen to best advantage. I wish you would think this matter over, and if you are pleased with the idea, adopt it; otherwise, arrange the group as best you can.
Should you find you need one or two more Whistler’s, I could send them to you on Monday next in time for proper hanging. One I would suggest, if you need more, is “The Little Lady Sophie of Soho Square” (the head and bust of a girl of about seventeen years) [page 3] in an oval frame: another might be “The Little Red Glove” (another head and bust of a young girl). I name these two pictures simply for your consideration in arranging the group, should you not succeed in getting Mr. Johnson’s picture. So, all you do, in case you want these two extra pictures, is to telegraph me on Sunday or Monday next, and if you want them, you shall have them.
I decided to send Tryon’s “Daybreak, May” instead of “The Rising Moon” because I feel it is a more advanced specimen of his art, and it requires a little less wall space as well.
The titles given in the two lists enclosed are now correct.
Mrs. Meyer has written me of her interview with you, and has told me about the article to be published in Harper’s Weekly. I have agreed to send her for the article a photograph either of “The Little Blue and Gold Girl” or “Arrangement in Black and White, No. 1., depending upon the success of the photographer. I have found it necessary to insist that no photographs of the Whistler’s in my collection shall be made without my personal inspection of the negatives. This has become necessary because of the atrocious reproductions heretofore made. Will you therefore, please issue instructions prohibiting the photographing of any of my Whistler’s while they are in your care.
[page 4] I am delighted to know that you have arranged for eleven paintings from the superb collection of Mr. Henry Graves. My recollection is that the specimens you are to get from him are of superb quality and I shall be delighted to see them again. It is inspiring to think of the fine Monticelli’s to be shown.
It seems to me that only the most pleasant experiences will come to all who lend pictures or contribute in any way to the success of the Comparative Exhibition, and to you gentlemen in New York who conceived the fine idea all thanks are due.
Yours very sincerely,
[signed] Charles L. Freer

William T. Evans, Esq.,
New York City.

Feb. 11th '03

Dear Mr. Freer:
I hope you have received two bells by this time. The carvings went too high so I thought I would not buy when I get good things I will offer you better chance and at more reasonable prices. Here I send you to-day by express paid a great pottery of which I was talking about last 3 months. It is black Koyetsu jar. I wish you will carefully examine it if you doubt and on your eyes may catch it in first sight.
First the black glaze with deep mysterious quality 2nd the form, unusually tall no potter ever did like it. 3rd the irregularity in modelling the badly touch it with your hands. 4th unique same old shaving away scar of his famous bamboo knife. 5th the quality of clay showing on stork and maple leaf. 6th the way he stopped running down glaze which forms shoulder, neck and back. It is extraordinary. 7th the signature strong and masterly and 8th the last of all the design which nobody but you yourself is the judge. I hope you would not blame me as to the price in fact I never expect to have it. It made me sick when I saw it in Japan last summer.
It was in the possession of famous Chajin in Okayama named Makiura and struggled hard befor I got it I did put up money but do not keep it if you think otherwise than what I consider.
I sent you in same box a rare Tamba bottle which you bought of me two years ago and I mislaid somewhere and discovered lately it was possessed by 2nd Dohachi whose writing on the cover of box and pottery badger stopper which was made by himself.
The wonderful bell was also included in the box as a token of my best wishes it is finer bell than anything I had in my sale (the bells) it really belong to your chapel it has two disinctly separate tone my brother in Kioto secured it for me from old temple in Kitadani or North Valley near Otsu.
You will find box arare or rain drop a Japanese soup cracker for you table.
Will kindly hand the $5.00 bill to Mr. Steven which I owe him and entirely forgotten. I will tell you myself so do not ask him any question. I hope you would not consider me too impolite to ask you to do this.
The sale was successful and some paid good prices but many good things were thrown away but I did not attempted to save it. Prof. Fenollosa admired very much of my things. Tsukioka painting went too high and as you did not see it I thought wise not to get it.

Will write you again with my kind regards,
Yours faithfully
BUNKIO MATSUKI

#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
March 9th, 1905

My dear Miss Watson:—
Your good letter of March 8th is received and I am delighted to know that you find in the Obach etchings and lithographs so large a number of interesting prints. Do keep the lot as a long as you wish and after you have made your selection, be good enough to return them to me and I in turn will forward them to Messrs. Obach & Company. It is quite right to take as much time as you wish for examination and study and I am perfectly sure that Mr. Mayer, of Obach & Company, would prefer that you consider the proofs most thoughtfully before purchasing any of them. Mr. Mayer is a collector himself, as his father was before him, and while he is a very keen business man, he is also a thorough student and in my opinion the leading print connoisseur of all Europe. He understands the art of collecting and would be disappointed if he felt that his prints were not given the most careful scrutiny and appreciative consideration.
Now about further consignments, I agree perfectly with you that it would be better or yourself and Mr. Mayer to have direct correspondence and I suggest that after you have made your selection from the present shipment that the business hereafter be done in such a manner as you and he may decide upon. I will be very pleased to write Mr. Mayer when I return the present shipment, telling him [page 2] of your interest in Mr. Whistler’s work and asking him to treat you exactly the same as he does me, and I wish you to particularly feel that there is not the slightest probability of any misunderstanding or jealousy ever arising between you and me. As you know, my collection already includes specimens of nearly all of Mr. Whistler’s etched work. So far as I know, there are less than thirty etchings still wanted to complete my collection, but in addition to these missing ones there will occasionally appear some particular state or proof of plates already in my possession which I would like the opportunity of securing. Of these particular proofs Mr. Mayer has full knowledge and he will continue to send them to me as heretofore. He will also from time to time doubtless secure duplicates of superior proofs already in my collection and these he will, I know, be very glad to send to you on approval. I will further add that in the event of his sending to me duplicates of fine things which I already possess, I will be glad to send them to you for your examination, should you care to have me do so. Now you see how easy it will be to arrange for future treasures for us both from the same source.
I am very glad that you are going to visit Europe during the coming spring or early summer. I must send you a note of introduction to Mr. Mayer and it may be that fate will favor us in permitting us to meet in London. If so, I would enjoy very much taking you to Mr. Mayer’s establishment and looking through his collections with you. He has in his shop the finest lot of prints on sale anywhere.
[page 3] I am planning to sail direct to Paris as early in May as I can possibly leave. The Whistler exhibition in Paris open April 25th and closes one month later and I am anxious to get to Paris early enough to see and study leisurely everything in the exhibition. From Paris I shall go to England and be in London and vicinity up to about June 1st. After that time my plans will depend upon certain arrangements now under consideration. It would be delightful if we could meet both in Paris and London. I am hoping that we may do so.
By the way, may I inquire if you remitted direct to Messrs. Obach & Company for the first lot of etchings? If not, you may send your check to me at your convenience and I will send you a proper receipt. I have sent draft for the entire lot. If you have already remitted to Obach & Company, they will give me credit for the amount I sent them in settlement of the prints you kept. Perhaps in settling for those now in your possession, you had better, whenever you are ready to do so, send your check to me and I will remit direct to London. But after the present settlement, future payments had better be made by you direct to Obach & Company as it will avoid duplicating work. Of course the little work there is in connection with this matter I would gladly do, but it will simplify matters if we make separate and individual settlements.
I am much interested in what you have written concerning the Carter sale and your affection for the “Dance House Nocturne” as well as other of the finer prints in the collection. Judging from what I heard in New York on Monday last, you did very wisely [page 4] in not bidding any higher on these prints than you did as there were several unlimited orders there, and surely the Carter estate made very handsome profits out of the prices realized.
I appreciate the spirit that leads one to make the other fellow pay dearly for competition at an auction and I have been guilty too often I fear, but experience is beginning to teach me that this practice really operates against the real lovers of art. When I find that I cannot buy a thing that I may want every so badly, I find a higher pleasure in preventing some other collector from exhausting his means too quickly. Of this I was reminded mostly pleasantly by an old time friends of mine at the Waggaman sale. Mr. Sam Peters, of New York, bid against me on the unique Bizen flower vase with the two elephant’s head handles, running it up to a pretty high figure, some where near $300. Then he stopped bidding and I secured the piece. At the next day’s sale, he came over to me and congratulated me upon the purchase and told me that he had intended to bid up to $1000 for the Bizen vase, but when the competition settled down between the two of us, he hadn’t the heart to continue to bid. And so I find as the years go on and the same circle of people with new additions gather at the annual sales, interest deepens in each other and while there always will be a certain rivalry, there is, I am glad to say, a decided interest felt in helping each other to a fair division of the treasures to be distributed and the bond of friendly interest felt in each others collections constantly grows stronger. In fact, some of my choicest friendships have begun in auction rooms.
[page 5]
I saw Miss Nordlinger during my recent visit East and she said many very nice things about you and your purchase of the Rakka pottery. It is a good specimen and I am sure it harmonizes with your wonderful Tryon.
I saw the Tibetan paintings and I fear their beauty carried me completely off my feet. I rbought back with me nine of the paintings, a very selfish act I fear. However, in the remaining lot there are two or three excellent ones. The most expensive one, priced at $320, I rejected because of the price. It seemed to me cheap enough in one sense, but ridiculously high in comparison with those still finer which were marked as low as $60 and $80 each. I rejected another one because it seemed to me entirely lacking in beauty. Excepting this particular one lacking in beauty, all of the others are worth having and are not to my mind dear, excepting the one at $320. Bing bought the entire lot at an absurdly low price and the man from whom he purchase them bought them direct from the Lama Temple in Pekin for the ridiculous sum of twenty taels.
I got this information from Miss Nordlinger and feel at liberty to tell it to you, but hope it will not go beyond yourself and Mr. Morse. The ones selected by me run from $60 to $120 each and although I knew Bing is making tremendous profits at this price, I could not conscientiously ask Miss Nordlinger to reduce her price. I consider the Tibetan paintings as very important additions to my collections. Some of them are as exquisite in color as the fine things of Sung and Early Ming Periods. The [page 6] drawing, too, in some of the paintings is very remarkable. My principal objection to them as works of art is the fact that the designs seem almost petty and too much in miniature. However, in the lot chosen by me two or three specimens are free of these imperfections.
A fresh shipment of pottery reached Yamanaka last Saturday and on Monday I had the pleasure of examining it and found three or four masterpieces. One is a Corean jar of splendid form, about fourteen inches high, covered with a marvelously soft cream colored glaze with two small splashes of sea green on the shoulder which blends the piece into one of the finest harmonies I have ever seen in pottery outside of that known as the Rakka or Babylonian find.
This letter has already grown into almost a volume and in closing let me add my appreciation of your good letter, and cordial greetings to yourself and Mr. and Mrs. Morse.
Always sincerely yours,
Charles L. Freer

Miss Margaret Watson,
1408 Ridge Avenue,
Evanston, Ills.

#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
March 9th, 1905

My dear Miss Watson:—
Your good letter of March 8th is received and I am delighted to know that you find in the Obach etchings and lithographs so large a number of interesting prints. Do keep the lot as a long as you wish and after you have made your selection, be good enough to return them to me and I in turn will forward them to Messrs. Obach & Company. It is quite right to take as much time as you wish for examination and study and I am perfectly sure that Mr. Mayer, of Obach & Company, would prefer that you consider the proofs most thoughtfully before purchasing any of them. Mr. Mayer is a collector himself, as his father was before him, and while he is a very keen business man, he is also a thorough student and in my opinion the leading print connoisseur of all Europe. He understands the art of collecting and would be disappointed if he felt that his prints were not given the most careful scrutiny and appreciative consideration.
Now about further consignments, I agree perfectly with you that it would be better or yourself and Mr. Mayer to have direct correspondence and I suggest that after you have made your selection from the present shipment that the business hereafter be done in such a manner as you and he may decide upon. I will be very pleased to write Mr. Mayer when I return the present shipment, telling him [page 2] of your interest in Mr. Whistler’s work and asking him to treat you exactly the same as he does me, and I wish you to particularly feel that there is not the slightest probability of any misunderstanding or jealousy ever arising between you and me. As you know, my collection already includes specimens of nearly all of Mr. Whistler’s etched work. So far as I know, there are less than thirty etchings still wanted to complete my collection, but in addition to these missing ones there will occasionally appear some particular state or proof of plates already in my possession which I would like the opportunity of securing. Of these particular proofs Mr. Mayer has full knowledge and he will continue to send them to me as heretofore. He will also from time to time doubtless secure duplicates of superior proofs already in my collection and these he will, I know, be very glad to send to you on approval. I will further add that in the event of his sending to me duplicates of fine things which I already possess, I will be glad to send them to you for your examination, should you care to have me do so. Now you see how easy it will be to arrange for future treasures for us both from the same source.
I am very glad that you are going to visit Europe during the coming spring or early summer. I must send you a note of introduction to Mr. Mayer and it may be that fate will favor us in permitting us to meet in London. If so, I would enjoy very much taking you to Mr. Mayer’s establishment and looking through his collections with you. He has in his shop the finest lot of prints on sale anywhere.
[page 3] I am planning to sail direct to Paris as early in May as I can possibly leave. The Whistler exhibition in Paris open April 25th and closes one month later and I am anxious to get to Paris early enough to see and study leisurely everything in the exhibition. From Paris I shall go to England and be in London and vicinity up to about June 1st. After that time my plans will depend upon certain arrangements now under consideration. It would be delightful if we could meet both in Paris and London. I am hoping that we may do so.
By the way, may I inquire if you remitted direct to Messrs. Obach & Company for the first lot of etchings? If not, you may send your check to me at your convenience and I will send you a proper receipt. I have sent draft for the entire lot. If you have already remitted to Obach & Company, they will give me credit for the amount I sent them in settlement of the prints you kept. Perhaps in settling for those now in your possession, you had better, whenever you are ready to do so, send your check to me and I will remit direct to London. But after the present settlement, future payments had better be made by you direct to Obach & Company as it will avoid duplicating work. Of course the little work there is in connection with this matter I would gladly do, but it will simplify matters if we make separate and individual settlements.
I am much interested in what you have written concerning the Carter sale and your affection for the “Dance House Nocturne” as well as other of the finer prints in the collection. Judging from what I heard in New York on Monday last, you did very wisely [page 4] in not bidding any higher on these prints than you did as there were several unlimited orders there, and surely the Carter estate made very handsome profits out of the prices realized.
I appreciate the spirit that leads one to make the other fellow pay dearly for competition at an auction and I have been guilty too often I fear, but experience is beginning to teach me that this practice really operates against the real lovers of art. When I find that I cannot buy a thing that I may want every so badly, I find a higher pleasure in preventing some other collector from exhausting his means too quickly. Of this I was reminded mostly pleasantly by an old time friends of mine at the Waggaman sale. Mr. Sam Peters, of New York, bid against me on the unique Bizen flower vase with the two elephant’s head handles, running it up to a pretty high figure, some where near $300. Then he stopped bidding and I secured the piece. At the next day’s sale, he came over to me and congratulated me upon the purchase and told me that he had intended to bid up to $1000 for the Bizen vase, but when the competition settled down between the two of us, he hadn’t the heart to continue to bid. And so I find as the years go on and the same circle of people with new additions gather at the annual sales, interest deepens in each other and while there always will be a certain rivalry, there is, I am glad to say, a decided interest felt in helping each other to a fair division of the treasures to be distributed and the bond of friendly interest felt in each others collections constantly grows stronger. In fact, some of my choicest friendships have begun in auction rooms.
[page 5]
I saw Miss Nordlinger during my recent visit East and she said many very nice things about you and your purchase of the Rakka pottery. It is a good specimen and I am sure it harmonizes with your wonderful Tryon.
I saw the Tibetan paintings and I fear their beauty carried me completely off my feet. I rbought back with me nine of the paintings, a very selfish act I fear. However, in the remaining lot there are two or three excellent ones. The most expensive one, priced at $320, I rejected because of the price. It seemed to me cheap enough in one sense, but ridiculously high in comparison with those still finer which were marked as low as $60 and $80 each. I rejected another one because it seemed to me entirely lacking in beauty. Excepting this particular one lacking in beauty, all of the others are worth having and are not to my mind dear, excepting the one at $320. Bing bought the entire lot at an absurdly low price and the man from whom he purchase them bought them direct from the Lama Temple in Pekin for the ridiculous sum of twenty taels.
I got this information from Miss Nordlinger and feel at liberty to tell it to you, but hope it will not go beyond yourself and Mr. Morse. The ones selected by me run from $60 to $120 each and although I knew Bing is making tremendous profits at this price, I could not conscientiously ask Miss Nordlinger to reduce her price. I consider the Tibetan paintings as very important additions to my collections. Some of them are as exquisite in color as the fine things of Sung and Early Ming Periods. The [page 6] drawing, too, in some of the paintings is very remarkable. My principal objection to them as works of art is the fact that the designs seem almost petty and too much in miniature. However, in the lot chosen by me two or three specimens are free of these imperfections.
A fresh shipment of pottery reached Yamanaka last Saturday and on Monday I had the pleasure of examining it and found three or four masterpieces. One is a Corean jar of splendid form, about fourteen inches high, covered with a marvelously soft cream colored glaze with two small splashes of sea green on the shoulder which blends the piece into one of the finest harmonies I have ever seen in pottery outside of that known as the Rakka or Babylonian find.
This letter has already grown into almost a volume and in closing let me add my appreciation of your good letter, and cordial greetings to yourself and Mr. and Mrs. Morse.
Always sincerely yours,
Charles L. Freer

Miss Margaret Watson,
1408 Ridge Avenue,
Evanston, Ills.

#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
March 15th, 1905.

Dikran Kelekian,
No. 2 Place Vendome,
Paris, France.

Dear Mr. Kelekian:--
Absence from Detroit together with the late receipt of the second case of pottery has prevented earlier communication with you concerning the matter.
I find that the Rakka piece of beautiful form in the first shipment is very interesting and I would like to own it. I also like the little broken lamp which came in the same shipment, but the green cup with black decorations and golden iridescence does not appeal to me. May I keep the piece of beautiful form and the lamp, and send to New York to your brother the small green cup? If so, what price will you charge me for the two pieces I wish to keep?
Of the second shipment containing four pieces, I do not care to own the large Persian bowl although it is very beautiful, so I am sending it to your brother in New York today. The other three pieces, viz: The beautiful Rakka bowl, the small Rakka pitcher and the little Arabian jar, I am keeping and for these I understand the price is $700. The duty and freight on this lot was $54.20 and this I have deducted from the remittance and send…

#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
March 15th, 1905.

Dikran Kelekian,
No. 2 Place Vendome,
Paris, France.

Dear Mr. Kelekian:--
Absence from Detroit together with the late receipt of the second case of pottery has prevented earlier communication with you concerning the matter.
I find that the Rakka piece of beautiful form in the first shipment is very interesting and I would like to own it. I also like the little broken lamp which came in the same shipment, but the green cup with black decorations and golden iridescence does not appeal to me. May I keep the piece of beautiful form and the lamp, and send to New York to your brother the small green cup? If so, what price will you charge me for the two pieces I wish to keep?
Of the second shipment containing four pieces, I do not care to own the large Persian bowl although it is very beautiful, so I am sending it to your brother in New York today. The other three pieces, viz: The beautiful Rakka bowl, the small Rakka pitcher and the little Arabian jar, I am keeping and for these I understand the price is $700. The duty and freight on this lot was $54.20 and this I have deducted from the remittance and send…

#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
March 15th, 1905.

Dikran Kelekian,
No. 2 Place Vendome,
Paris, France.

Dear Mr. Kelekian:--
Absence from Detroit together with the late receipt of the second case of pottery has prevented earlier communication with you concerning the matter.
I find that the Rakka piece of beautiful form in the first shipment is very interesting and I would like to own it. I also like the little broken lamp which came in the same shipment, but the green cup with black decorations and golden iridescence does not appeal to me. May I keep the piece of beautiful form and the lamp, and send to New York to your brother the small green cup? If so, what price will you charge me for the two pieces I wish to keep?
Of the second shipment containing four pieces, I do not care to own the large Persian bowl although it is very beautiful, so I am sending it to your brother in New York today. The other three pieces, viz: The beautiful Rakka bowl, the small Rakka pitcher and the little Arabian jar, I am keeping and for these I understand the price is $700. The duty and freight on this lot was $54.20 and this I have deducted from the remittance and send…

#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
February 2nd, 1905
My dear Mr. Morse:--
I sent you a hurried line from New York along with a newspaper clipping. Tomorrow I will send you additional clippings or an editorial character which will give you an idea of how the project discussed by ourselves is viewed in the east. You will be pleased to know that practically everything I have seen in print or the subject thus far approves of the individual building. Apparently our determination to allow only my own collections in the building to be erected meets with hearty approval. I send you these items merely to show you that the conclusion which you helped me to reach seems to be approved by all those who have thus far written upon the matter.
I attended the Waggaman sales on Monday evening and Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. I bought the Seshu screen for $3,100, the Korin screen for $210, and the pair of San Raku screens of clothing hanging from racks for $360, and the little Kakemono of the Pine Trees by Okio for $100. I also purchased practically all of the pottery desired, in all about a dozen pieces, including the Bizen vase with the elephant’s heads, for $190, the beautiful blue circular Tamba Bottle for $60, and all of the finer Shidora pieces and other Tamba pieces at very reasonable rates.
I also had the pleasure of buying the Agano Tea Bowl from the Nihigawa Collection, #1409 of the Catalogue, for $30. This I shall of course present to Professor Morse for the Boston Collection. Morse was not present the day it was sold and I felt it my duty to secure it for him. He was at the sale yesterday, however, and bid up to $80 for the Tamba Vase with the white stork, which you will also remember was from the Nihigawa Collection, the other two of which are already at Boston. Morse lost this vase as he would not exceed $80 and it finally went to Van Horn at $90. Of course I did not bid on this item. Van Horn’s bidding was done by an agent and I fancy that if he had been present he would not have competed with the Boston Museum.
Miss Nordlinger attended the sales with me and seemed to enjoy the excitement very much. She spent the most of yesterday in showing her prints to Mr. Noyes, the owner and editor of the Washington Star, a man whom I met in Japan and who crossed the Pacific with me. He bought about $900 worth of the prints.
Gookin was at the sale when the prints were disposed of and bought a number of them. He also purchase one or two paintings by Tanyu. He paid $260 for the latter.
[page 3] Manfield bought a few prints and quite a number of pieces of pottery.
Nearly all of the collectors of Oriental art in America and a few from Europe were represented, and on the whole the prices realized seemed to me very much higher than I anticipated. Mr. Kirby, the auctioneer, seems well satisfied thus far with the sale.
A number of people bid on the Sesshu screen up to about $2100 or $2200, after which the competition was confined to Mr. Macey, of New York, a new comer in the field, and myself. Mr. Macey has visited Japan recently and brought home with him a few good things and I am told that he is now doing what he can to get thoroughly good things. He is said to be rich and is associated with the old, established firm of R.H. Macey & Co.
Professor Fenollosa visited the exhibition with me and I discussed with him his notes on the exhibition. He says very frankly that he said as much concerning the objects as he felt that he consistently could, but that he did not consider that he had over-praised anything in the collection. He feels that the Sesshu is of extreme interest and that there is little probability of another one so carefully painted ever coming into the market and he felt that it a matter of great importance that I should secure it.
I must confess, however, that the screen looked to me less attractive in New York than it had when I saw it in Washington, but [page 4] I discovered the reason. The screen was placed so very high upon the wall that one had to look up to see it, but when I got upon a step ladder and obtained a position of the right sort, I found a very great difference in favor of the Sesshu. There is a certain hardness of finish in the work and a vast mass of detail which I find objectionable. On the other hand, the distance seems to me very beautiful and the notan in certain parts of the screen remarkable. But perhaps its greatest charm to me, as I now view it, lies in the delightfully inspiring grey tone of the general effect of the screen produced by the quality of the ink, its use and the condition of the paper. At the same time, certain parts of the paper have been so much soiled in handling that the notan is injured thereby.
I give you these rambling impressions, such as they are. They have come to me in the last two or three days but are all liable to change with better acquaintance with the screen. I shall not be content until you and I can have, at some future time, sat together before it and analyzed it to the end. I do not mean to say that it is possible to fully analyze the highest objects of art ,nor do I wish to convey the idea that one should attempt to, but this particular screen demands more of that sort of work than any other specimen known to me by the same artist.
This letter has already grown beyond reasonable length and I shall now bring it to a close.
With all kind regards to yourself and Mrs. Morse, I am
Very sincerely yours,
Charles L. Freer

#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
February 19, 1901.
Dear Mr. Warren:--
Your kind letter of the 17th instant, containing the two newspaper clippings, came this morning, and I thank you for your goodness in sending them and for calling my attention to the error in the title of the “Princess of Porcelain”. The syllable should be “du” instead of “des”, although I find that it has been catalogued erroneously both ways. It has been shown sometimes, too, without the prefix, “Rose and Silver”. Under all the circumstances, it would be wiser to follow Mr. Whistler’s original catalogue, or, at least, the earliest known to me, in which the title appeared as follows: --
“Rose and Silver—La Princess du Pays de la Porcelaine”.
It is good of you to bear me in mind in connection with the hanging of the pictures and in examining the proof sheets of the catalogue, but I cannot reach Boston until Monday afternoon. My plans are to leave here on Sunday evening, the 21st, accompanied by my friend, Col. Hecker. We are due to arrive in [page 2] Boston at three o’clock Monday afternoon, but the train is likely to be late. We shall stop at the Hotel Vendome, and if I can serve you in any way during Monday evening, don’t hesitate to command me.
During Tuesday forenoon, I shall call at Copley Hall, hoping to have an early glimpse at the pictures and to aid, if possible, in any way in which I can be useful.
Your telegram of this morning, telling me of your disappointment concerning Mr. Johnson, was answered immediately after its receipt. I am very sorry that you are not to have the “Lange Leizen”, and regret that I cannot help you get it. I have never met Mr. Johnson, and unfortunately, am without influence in the matter.

With kindest regards, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
Charles L. Freer

Edward R. Warren, Esq.,
C/O Union Club,
Park Street,
Boston.

Feb. 11th '03

Dear Mr. Freer:
I hope you have received two bells by this time. The carvings went too high so I thought I would not buy when I get good things I will offer you better chance and at more reasonable prices. Here I send you to-day by express paid a great pottery of which I was talking about last 3 months. It is black Koyetsu jar. I wish you will carefully examine it if you doubt and on your eyes may catch it in first sight.

First the black glaze with deep mysterious quality 2nd the form, unusually tall no potter ever did like it. 3rd the irregularity in modelling the badly touch it with your hands. 4th unique same old shaving away scar of his famous bamboo knife. 5th the quality of clay showing on stork and maple leaf. 6th the way he stopped running down glaze which forms shoulder, neck and back. It is extraordinary. 7th the signature strong and masterly and 8th the last of all the design which nobody but you yourself is the judge. I hope you would not blame me as to the price in fact I never expect to have it. It made me sick when I saw it in Japan last summer.
It was in the possession of famous Chajin in Okayama named Makiura and struggled hard befor I got it I did put up money but do not keep it if you think otherwise than what I consider.

I sent you in same box a rare Tamba bottle which you bought of me two years ago and I mislaid somewhere and discovered lately it was possessed by 2nd Dohachi whose writing on the cover of box and pottery badger stopper which was made by himself.

The wonderful bell was also included in the box as a token of my best wishes it is finer bell than anything I had in my sale (the bells) it really belong to your chapel it has two disinctly separate tone my brother in Kioto secured it for me from old temple in Kitadani or North Valley near Otsu.

You will find box “arare” or rain drop a Japanese soup cracker for you table.

Will kindly hand the $5.00 bill to Mr. Steven which I owe him and entirely forgotten. I will tell you myself so do not ask him any question. I hope you would not consider me too impolite to ask you to do this.

The sale was successful and some paid good prices but many good things were thrown away but I did not attempted to save it. Prof. Fenollosa admired very much of my things. Tsukioka painting went too high and as you did not see it I thought wise not to get it.

Will write you again with my kind regards,
Yours faithfully
BUNKIO MATSUKI