In 1977, artist Annette Meikle undertook a commission to illustrate a book recording stories of places and people in the Bayside area. It was published in 1978 as Sandringham Sketchbook, with text by Elizabeth Waters. The sketches were intended to record remaining examples of Bayside’s early architecture and environment, as well as reflect newer architectural changes. Meikle went on to donate 22 of these sketches to Bayside City Council in 2003. ‘Hollyburton’ was built in 1908 by the Honourable JV Fairbairn MHR and is notable for its Australian-style arts and crafts detailing. Located on Fernhill Road, Sandringham, it covered 930 square metres and included a servants’ wing.Annette Meikle, Hollyburton 1977, ink and watercolour, 25.8 x 35.6 cm. Bayside City Council Art and Heritage Collection. Donated by the artist, 2003annette meikle, sandringham sketchbook, elizabeth waters, hollyburton, honourable jv fairbairn mhr, arts and crafts, architecture, historic house, fernhill road, sandringham

Jonathan Binns Were (1809-1885) was born in Somerset, England on 25 April 1809. Before he migrated to Australia in 1839, he worked with colonial merchants and bankers Collins & Co. in Plymouth. Initially trading under his own name, he formed Were & Co. with his brother George and his brother-in-law, Robert Stevenson Dunsford, then, after 1861, JB Were & Son. Were’s were importers, exporters and agents for shipping, land, cattle, sheep and wool; gold brokers and buyers (after 1851); and share dealers (after 1853). Were went bankrupt twice in 1843 and 1857, the former connected with his association with Henry Dendy and the Brighton subdivision. Were lived in Brighton at Moorabbin House and represented Brighton in the Legislative Assembly in 1856-57. In 1865 Were became the first chairman of the Melbourne Stock Exchange; he was the first president of the Chamber of Commerce and served on the board of many public and private institutions and companies. He was Port Phillip’s first Justice of the Peace; and organiser of the 1881 Melbourne Exhibition. He was knighted by the Kings of Sweden and Denmark.portrait, j.b. were, jonathan binns were, merchant, policitian, melbourne stock exchange, justice of the peace, victorian legislative assembly, stockbroker, c.m.c, m.l.a., j.p., a. bonville were

This plaque, along with the Royal Coat of Arms 0000-731, were previously on display in the Brighton City Council's municipal chambers. Oil paint on plywood. The Commonwealth Coat of Arms is painted on black ground showing the central shield, depicting symbols of Australia's six states, which is flanked by the native Australian animals, the kangaroo and the emu. The seven-pointed Commonwealth Star surmounting the crest also represents the states and territories, a wreath of golden wattle appears below the shield. Below the shield is a scroll containing the word 'AUSTRALIA'. There are four holes at each corner of the board.coat of arms, plaque, brighton city council, brighton, commonwealth coat of arms, australian coat of arms

Alan Marshall (1902-1984) was an Australian writer, storyteller, social documenter and author of 'I Can Jump Puddles'. He lived for many years in Sandringham. This work was commissioned by Sandringham Council and unveiled in May 1985 at the opening of the new Sandringham library.George Luke, Alan Marshall 1985, bronze. Bayside City Council Art and Heritage Collection. Commissioned 1985Cast bronze head of Alan Marshall. The head is mounted on a cement pedestal with a bronze plaque with inscription at the front. Located at Sandringham Library, Corner Waltham Street and Chalmers Avenue, Sandringham.alan marshall, george luke, scultpure, portrait, bust, sandringham, library, writer, social documenter, australian author

On 2nd February 1918, Brighton experienced the most extreme cyclone to hit a major Australian city, as recorded by the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology. With wind speeds estimated at 320 km/h and resulting in the deaths of two people, the event caused tremendous destruction in Brighton.cyclone, brighton, methodist church, hawthorn road, grant's hay & corn store, wells street, wellington street, billilla, weatherly, halifax street, tornado, colonel kendall

This work was painted following Rob McHaffie’s Australia Council Residency at Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris in 2007. Despite Paris being a beautiful city, McHaffie also found the experience challenging and felt that on a bad day, the city was no more than an ornately decorated concrete jungle. In this painting a monkey looks out from a green building onto an imagined scene abound with art historical references. A classical European figurative sculpture is surrounded by flowers from Monet’s gardens, while a contemporary sculpture by Franz West dominates the foreground of the work. McHaffie questions the so-called evolution of cultured humanity in comparison to the imagined contentedness of our pre-evolved species.oil on linenmonkey, sculpture, painting, rob mchaffie, paris, flowers, franz west

oil on canvascharles douglas richardson, figure, female, pathway of ignorance, path, veil, australian sybmbolism

Symbolismoil on canvasfigures, baby, charles douglas richardson, painting, star, cd richardson, c douglas richardson, australian symbolism, symbolism

Public art commission located at Progress Park on the Black Rock Foreshore.Inscribed with text that is an extract from a verse sung by Lithuanian displaced persons sailing to Australia having fled their homeland after Russian occupation following World War II. The text is in an ancient Runic typeface, translated in English, reads: "Faustas Sadauskas created Beacon two thousand [and] four years / Let the Blowing Wind Who Taketh the Ship Away Take Me Away".beacon, sculpture, faustas sadauskas, bayside coastal trail, marble, public art, black rock, foreshore, beach road, progress park, ship, rudder

bronzesculpture, swimmer, female, figure, guy boyd, public art, bayside, bayside city council, australian bicentennial project, guy martin à beckett boyd, bronze, city of sandringham, indigenous resource garden, bluff road, sandringham

When Thomas Bent, politician and land speculator, was appointed Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1892, a number of local Brighton constituents and supporters raised money to present him with an oil portrait. Bent had been a member for Brighton for 21 years, and the painting was seen as a way of showing their appreciation of his services to the Brighton constituency, as well as congratulating him to his new position as Speaker. In June 1892, British/Australian landscape and portrait artist Charles E. Gordon-Frazer was given the commission to paint the portrait. Thomas Bent is depicted as standing in his Speaker's robe on the dais beneath the canopy in the Legislative Assembly Chamber in the act of addressing the House. He wears the traditional Speaker’s dress of a black silk and gold laced robe over a three-piece black suit, lace jabot and cuffs, buckled shoes and a ceremonial long wig. The top of the gold parliamentary mace sits on the right of the work near the frame's edge.sir thomas bent, thomas bent, speaker, mayor, premier, brighton, moorabbin, land speculator, local government, councillor, official, member of lower house, portrait, parliament, ceremonial robes, legislative assembly, jabot, wig, mace

In 1920 the Prince of Wales embarked on a journey to Australia on behalf of his father, King George V. While the visit was intended to strengthen the relationship between Australia and the Empire, the main objective was to offer thanks to the Australian men and women for the sacrifices and contributions that they had made during World War I. The Royal Tour began in April 1920 and covered 110 cities and towns across the country. The Prince spent eleven days in New South Wales, nine days in Victoria, four days in Tasmania, eleven days in Western Australia, six days in South Australia and eight days in Queensland. On Saturday 5 June 1920, following a morning at the races in Flemington, the Prince spent the afternoon at ANZAC Hostel in Brighton, where he chatted to wounded soldiers and, according to the newspaper reports at the time, "won the hearts of all present."prince of wales, his royal highness, hrh, royal tour, anzac hostel, brighton, mayor, cr. thomas wilson, j.h. taylor, town clerk, soldiers, diggers, crowd, guard of honour, captain grieve, h.m.s. renown, north road, kamesborough, bayside

In 1920 the Prince of Wales embarked on a journey to Australia on behalf of his father, King George V. While the visit was intended to strengthen the relationship between Australia and the Empire, the main objective was to offer thanks to the Australian men and women for the sacrifices and contributions that they had made during World War I. The Royal Tour began in April 1920 and covered 110 cities and towns across the country. The Prince spent eleven days in New South Wales, nine days in Victoria, four days in Tasmania, eleven days in Western Australia, six days in South Australia and eight days in Queensland. On Saturday 5 June 1920, following a morning at the races in Flemington, the Prince spent the afternoon at ANZAC Hostel in Brighton, where he chatted to wounded soldiers and, according to the newspaper reports at the time, "won the hearts of all present."prince of wales, his royal highness, hrh, royal tour, anzac hostel, brighton, mayor, cr. thomas wilson, j.h. taylor, town clerk, soldiers, diggers, crowd, north road, kamesborough, bayside

In 1920 the Prince of Wales embarked on a journey to Australia on behalf of his father, King George V. While the visit was intended to strengthen the relationship between Australia and the Empire, the main objective was to offer thanks to the Australian men and women for the sacrifices and contributions that they had made during World War I. The Royal Tour began in April 1920 and covered 110 cities and towns across the country. The Prince spent eleven days in New South Wales, nine days in Victoria, four days in Tasmania, eleven days in Western Australia, six days in South Australia and eight days in Queensland. On Saturday 5 June 1920, following a morning at the races in Flemington, the Prince spent the afternoon at ANZAC Hostel in Brighton, where he chatted to wounded soldiers and, according to the newspaper reports at the time, "won the hearts of all present."prince of wales, his royal highness, hrh, royal tour, anzac hostel, brighton, mayor, cr. thomas wilson, soldiers, diggers, crowd, north road, kamesborough, bayside

Alan Marshall (1902-1984) was an Australian writer, story teller, social documenter and author of 'I Can Jump Puddles'. For many years, Marshall lived in Sandringham. A bronze bust dedicated to him stands outside the Sandringham Library in Waltham Street. He died on 24 January 1982 in Brighton East, Victoria.alan marshall, portrait, n. lubeck, writer, i can jump puddles, social documenter, australian literature, australian author

The Australis retains a significant place in Australian immigration history as the last ship to carry government assisted immigrants to Australian shores in 1977. She had the largest passenger capacity of any post World War II immigrant ship to regularly visit Australia and many passengers fondly remember her grandeur and remnants of Art Deco style.Mrs B SmythA framed oil painting of the migrant ship SS AustralisAustralisss australis, migrant ships

1950's era could also be used as a chamber pot. Hoffman's Brick and Tile Company was established in 1862 in Brunswick. They began making pottery in the 1930''s but after WW2 the focus shifted back to bricks and tiles. They were best known for their ranges of Art pottery with Australian motifs. A circular cream coloured ceramic object. It's 14 centimetres high and 27centimetres in diameter at the top. The base is 18 centimetres in diameter extending up 12 centimeters to a 20 centimetre diameter. There is a two centimetre wide and one centimetre deep grove extending out with a one centimetre wide and 2.5 centimetre high rim. There are two half centimetre wide holes opposite each other in the rim for handles, which are missing. v26302 Hoffman Pottery AUSTRALIAchamber pot, commode, hoffman pottery

Postcard. Theodore King Active 1855 Australian The First Parliamentary Election, Bendigo, 1855 Oil on paper on board, 32.4 x 47.8cm Bendigo Art Gallery. Gift of Mr. J. S. Dethbridge, 1894.

Yields information about the history of the Ballarat Tramways from horse to the closure of the electric trams in 1971. Gives a good understanding of the development and operation of the tramways. Has a strong association with the author.Book, 64 pages, gloss art paper, in black ink with a light brown card cover in green ink, centre stapled, titled "The Ballarat Tramways" Details history of Ballarat tramways, its tramcars and the involvement of the various operators. Has maps and photographs. Written by Keith Kings and published by the Victorian Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society at the time of the closure of the Ballarat system. Inside front cover is a typed sheet of amendments for the book - typed on Charles Martin Watermarked paper. Has details of the various organisations that published the book on the rear cover. 114.2 - as for 114.1 - but with many hand written notes etc. 114.3 - as for 114.1 - but with "City of Ballarat" stamped on front cover. 114.4 - as for 114.1 - but with "To Mr. L. J. Denmead, Departmental Tramways Supt. from K. Kings 12/9/1971" handwritten on front cover. For entire book see pdf images i1 to i3.114.2 - notes on pages 7, 10, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, 36, 49 and 63 - has in blue or black ink, many notes, corrections and additions. 114.3 - "City of Ballaarat" stamped in red on top right hand corner. 114.4 - "To Mr. L. J. Denmead, Departmental Tramways Supt. from K. Kings 12/9/1971" handwritten on front cover in blue ink and on title page (page 1) in red ink "Mr. L. J. Denmead / Dear Les, / Best Wishes for the future! / Bob Prentice" and on same page, in blue stamp "L.J. Denmead".trams, tramways, ballarat tramways, history, tramcars of ballarat

Book, 80 pages, gloss art paper, in black ink with a yellow card cover in green ink, centre stapled, titled "The Bendigo Tramways" Details history of Bendigo tramways, its tramcars and the involvement of the various operators. Has maps and photographs. Written by Keith Kings and published by the Victorian Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society and others at the time of the closure of the Bendigo system. Has details of the various organisations that published the book on the rear cover. Cover, index page, maps and rollingstock lists have been scanned see jpg images i1 to i7 For book itself see pdf images i1 to i4 326.1 - ditto - purchased by W.A. Doubleday for BTM ex Scottsbluff, NE, USA 8/2003. Added 27/09/03. See Reg Item 4242 for other copies of this book which has pencil annotations.trams, tramways, bendigo, battery trams, steam trams, history

Un-numbered page race programme for the Victoria Racing Club Autumn Meeting First Day Saturday 2 March 1946. Front cover has a white background with green and white writing, and a green and yellow 1930s art deco design with the VRC insignia in the middle top. Back cover has a white background with green writing, and a yellow border, explaining the railway arrangements.

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979.Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981Another Kyoto confection, a kind of sweetened rice paste, is simply but strikingly wrapped in a package marked with its name (uiro) in vigorously written characters. Simplicity could hardly be carried further, but, as seen in this ensemble of three separate packages, the effect is altogether engaging. - Professor Hideyuki Oka, curator.japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979.Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979.Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979. Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981An elegant wooden box, fashioned in the style of boxes used for gifts to the emperor some eight or nine centuries ago, is filled with a Kyoto confection called Gion Chigo Mochi. The Gion is one of Kyoto's entertainment districts, chigo are children dressed in ceremonial Buddhist costume for one of the city's numerous festivals, and mochi are cakes of steamed and pounded rice. The name of the confection derives from the style of the bamboo-sheath wrapping, which suggests the figure of a chigo. - Professor Hideyuki Oka, curator.japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979.Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979.Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979.Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979.Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving

‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ was an exhibition that toured to 10 Australian and 11 New Zealand public galleries in 1979 and 1980. The touring exhibition comprised 221 objects of traditional Japanese packaging which extended from ceramics, wood and paper to woven fibre containers. At the conclusion of the tour, The Japan Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council donated the vast majority of the exhibition to the Ararat Gallery for its permanent collection. Combining the natural qualities of bamboo, paper and straw with delicate craftsmanship, these unique objects express Japanese aesthetics as applied through fibre crafts. In Japan, the qualities and traits of natural materials are exploited rather than hidden. The texture of straw, the septa of bamboo are not concealed but lovingly incorporated into the whole. In 1979 Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’ wrote: “In no way self-conscious or assertive, these wrappings have an artless and obedient air that greatly moves the modern viewer. They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature. They also teach us that wisdom and feeling are especially important in packaging because these qualities, or the lack of them, are almost immediately apparent. What is the use of a package if it shows no feeling?” The descriptions of the featured objects were written by Hideyuki Oka, curator of ‘The Art of the Japanese Package’, 1979.Gift of the Japan-Australia Foundation and the Crafts Board of the Australia Council, 1981japanese art, japanese packaging, tsutsumi, gift giving