Page 11 - Catalogue of the Edward Morse collection of Japanese pottery MFA BOSTON

PREFACE V ;

gift of Mr. Bancroft, and a flower vessel with the rare mark Rakuto, by
Mrs, Henrietta Page, should be specially mentioned. In this connection
I must thank Mr. Hiromichi Shugio, Mr. Bunkio Matsuki, Mr. Takaganagi,
Dr. Seiken Takenaka, Mr. Shigejiro Yamanaka, Mr. Michitaro Hisa, Mr.
Rokubei, Mr. Choyu, Mr. Meiki Matsuki, Mr. Yamanaka, Mr. Morimoto,
Mr. Ushikubo, and many others whose names appear in the catalogue.
Indeed, in one way or another, I have laid every Japanese friend under
contribution : one has proved to be a good reader of obscure marks
another comes from a province whose pottery is but little known, and in
this instance he has been induced to write to some antiquarian friend
at home for information.
In these various acknowledgments I must not omit the name of Miss
Margarette W. Brooks, who has been identified with the catalogue since
the work began, and who has with infinite care copied all the manuscripts,
verified the marks, and aided in the instalment of the collection in the
cases, nor that of Miss Beata L. Gray, who has in various ways assisted in
the work. To Mr. John Robinson, my coadjutor in Salem, who has for
years relieved me of many duties in connection with the work of the
Peabody Academy of Science, no words of mine can adequately express
my gratitude. To Dr. James R. Chadwick, as chairman of the committee,
and the subscribers, one and all, who by their spirit and liberality secured
the collection for the Museum of Fine Arts, a grateful recognition is here
recorded. To the director. Gen. Charles G. Loring, Mr. Edward Robinson,
Dr. W. S. Bigelow, and Mr. Denman W. Ross, who have throughout the
task shown the keenest interest, my acknowledgments are particularly due.
To certain private collectors who have freely parted with rare objects that
this catalogue might be as nearly complete as possible, and without whose
unselfish spirit there would have been many lacunae, my devout gratitude
is most heartily expressed. Finally, I wish to recognize the painstaking
care with which Mr. A. W. Elson has made the photogravure plates, Mr.
C. A. Watts of the Boston Engraving Co. has reproduced the marks,
Mr. C. A. Lawrence with untiring patience has taken the photographs
of the cases for the plates, and the firm of Houghton, Mifflin & Co. has
made the book.