Sessional_Paper_1938 — Page 14

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and comprehensive museum is quite outside the present requirements of Hong Kong and should not now be envisaged.

Suppose, for example, that one exhibit consisted of a series of models illustrating the different types of fishing boats used in S.E. China, there would be no objection to including for comparison a limited number of examples from adjacent regions, e.g., N. China, Indo-China, Formosa, Malaya and Borneo; the Chinese element must, however, always predominate.

In the last City Hall Museum there were inter alia a collection of Australian parrots, mineralogical specimens from Wales, old clocks, etc..-such exhibits are undesirable and should never be admitted into the new museum.

(c) Methods of fulfilling the objects.

Much will depend on the initiative and energy of the Curator and on the willingness of Government Departments to co-operate with him. It must be apparent that visible results will take time to prepare. In consequence, it might be advisable to start with one section at a time and when a representative exhibit had been arranged it could then be made available to the public and left as it stood whilst the energies of the Curator and his assistants were devoted to another section.

I. EXISTING COLLECTIONS BELONGING TO GOVERNMENT.

1. CHATER COLLECTION.

Provision should be made for the exhibition of a part of the collection of paintings and drawings by Chinnery and his pupils. These, and the other prints and drawings, could be changed frequently and the rest of the collection could be available for students at any time on special request.

The collection of porcelains consists of 17th, 18th and 19th century wares, imitating a small group of Chinese ceramics of the K'ang-hsi period of the Ch'ing dynasty. These are by no means representative of Chinese ceramic art and the ex- hibition of more than a selected few would be tedious and misleading to the public and absolutely of no value to students. Mr. R. L. Hobson, Keeper of the Depart- ment of Oriental Antiquities at the British Museum, has seen this collection and we believe that our statements are in agreement with his views. There are two dishes of the Cheng-te period of the Ming dynasty of moderate interest and these are worth exhibiting.

2. OLD CITY HALL MUSEUM COLLECTIONS.

On the 30th September, 1937, a report on the existing collections was sub- mitted. The signatories recommended the destruction of the majority of the speci- mens, which had been damaged by insects, dry rot, neglect and by the typhoon of September 2nd. Among the specimens to be kept are a number of marine shells. (many un-named) and an interesting collection of named fresh-water shells. These collections should be included in the New Museum collections.

3. COLLECTIONS IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.

These, consisting of geological and mineralogical specimens collected during the the survey of Hong Kong and of four funerary urns from Sha Tin and Sheung Shui, could be transferred to the New Museum.

4. THE LAMMA EXCAVATION COLLECTION IN RICCI HALL.

This is at present in the custody of the Jesuit Fathers at Ricci Hall and could be transferred to the New Museum.