BRACHIOSAURE DEBUTS IN DINOSAUR SUMMER LACOUBRAARE CHILES COLD FORES ye} CaN { ied a Sepp: Ta the Field The Bulletin of the Field Museum of Natural History July/August 1993 4 Were you there? 5,000 people attended Members’ Night in May. The evening in photos. 2 Old bones, new ideas. The Museum is investing one giant dinosaur with much symbolic value. isitors who have been disappointed at the dearth of dinosaurs on display in the Museum this past year will soon be able to slake their thirst. * The gigantic Brachiosaurus will rear its head forty feet above the floor of Stanley Field Hall on July 3. ¢ On July 25, Museum curators will give public talks on the science behind the science fiction of Jurassic Park. ¢ In August, a Museum expedition is scheduled to set off for West Africa under the leadership of Research Associate Paul Sereno; it is expected to bring back to Chicago a large number of dinosaur fossils to be extracted from their desert rock matrices. ¢ Michael Crichton, the author of Jurassic Park, will be here to give a public lecture on August 21 and will receive our Founders’ Council Award of Merit. ¢ The ancient Herrerasaurus and Eoraptor fossils that Sereno found in Argentina in recent years are already established in the northeast cor- ner of Stanley Field Hall. « And next June, the new Dinosaur Hall will open, presenting Apatosaurus, &. St690- COBB SAUTUS, SEIS Wt Alberto- & iN Saurus, and the other longtime denizens of the Muse- ~ um in a dramatic new context. Why this emphasis on dinosaurs at the Field Museum? For the first time in a long time, dinosaur studies have joined the mainstream of paleontological research, in which the Field Museum’s department of geology plays a leading role. As Don Lessem tells us in his recent book, Dinosaurs Rediscovered, half of all the dinosaur fossils ever found have been found in the past twenty years, and a new species is Herrerasaurus 5-8 9 Systematic biologists and conservationists need to work togeth- er, say speakers at a Calendar of events for July and August. Two new exhibits, lecture series, and much more. identified, on average, every seven weeks. There are now dinosaur specimens in sufficient number and variety that researchers can begin to analyze the evolutionary relationships among them. With Herrerasaurus and Eoraptor, for example, Sereno believes we are “close tog ithe dinosaur ancestor,” the 230-million- year-old reptile from which the group began to diversify into an amazing array of creatures that dominated vir- tually every terres- trial habitat. Sereno, a University of Chicago professor, serves with six of the Museum’s geology curators and many from other departments on the university’s Commit- tee on Evolutionary Biology. His work on dinosaurs intersects the research inter- Michael Crichton speaks August 21. See page 11. ests of several Museum col- leagues, including Peter Crane, ‘ the MacArthur Curator of Fossil Ie (the rise of the flowering NN plants), and John Flynn, cura- magnetics, geochronology, and plate tectonics), among others. The flowering plants and the dinosaurs probably con- tributed to each other’s successful radiation into new territories, and both radia- tions were related to changing climates and shifting continental land masses — “the coevo- lution of the land and its inhabitants,” as Sereno puts it. TOP JAPANESE IMPORTS OF THE 17TH CENTURY By Chuimei Ho and Minoru Saito espite the pleas of his family, Wen Zhenheng continued to refuse food. Rarlier he had tried to drowp him- self in the river, but was rescued by relatives. There was little hope that anyone would pay attention to his protest against the government in Beijing; his fellow citizens were busy packing up to leave China, or learning the Manchu language so they could prosper under the new régime. He died on the sixth day of his hunger strike in the summer of 1645, just about a year after the Manchus, whom the Han Chi- nese considered barbarians from the north, defeated the Ming government and established the Qing Dynasty. He was 61 years old. The son and grandson of famous painters Museum symposium. ‘OWN A BONE’ OF BRACHIOSAURUS It’s not too late to “own a bone” of the giant dinosaur Brachiosaurus. People from all parts of the country have been chipping in to support the project and have themselves immortalized on a plaque. Just clip and send the coupon. Page 7 DINOSAUR SUMMER By Jessica Clark onger than seven African elephants standing end- to-end! Heavier than i 600,000 Quarter § Pounders! Able to # cross Stanley Field Hall in a single stride! Although the Field Museum’s new exhibit isn’t likely to be mistaken for a bird or a plane, it does have a few things in common with the Man of Steel in his heyday — heroic stature and popular support. A four-story-high reconstruction of a Bra- chiosaurus skeleton, on display in the Muse- um’s great hall starting July 3, will be the largest dinosaur exhibit in the West- ern Hemisphere. Visitors to the Field who walk under the dinosaur’s gigantic ribcage as they enter may note that a Brachiosaurus rib is nearly three (continued on page 11) .CHIOSAURUS € invited to preview t ichiosaurus at 2 Vieet the fossil ing, refreshments. Please pa h sh the south door. Handicapped Left: Round wooden box (karabitsu) with lacquer designs and fin- ish. Late 18th century, Japan. Height 46 cm. Collection of Minoru Saito. Most karabitsu are square. This one has a cylindrical body but is supported by four flar- ing legs characteristic of karabitsu boxes. It is made of two parts tied together with a tasseled rope. Brass sheets with engraved designs are used to provide protec- tion as well as to enhance the decorative effect. The interior is lacquered black and shows no joins at all. A crest of nine circles (Kuyomon) representing the Chiba family is painted in gold lacquer on one panel. and calligraphers, Wen was well known on the Suzhou literary and art scene, somewhat equiv- alent to today’s San Francisco or Kyoto. He was a talented painter, garden architect, horti- culturist, art critic, and connoisseur, it being then the fashion for literary Chinese to exert equal efforts in all those arts. Among his many books was one titled Unnecessary Things (Changwuzhi), which defined the “scholar’s studio” aesthetic of interior decor for serious intellectuals and expressed alarm about igno- rant but pretentious collectors whose displays, he said, were “insults to fine art.” The new fad for hanging a single scroll in the studio, he complained, “can drown one with vulgarity up to the eyebrows” even if the painting is genuine. Interestingly for someone so nationalistic, (Continued on page 10) President Boyd (left) congratulates Lawrence Levin, who logged 1,111 hours as a volunteer in 1992, more than any other volunteer. In the Field July/August 1993 Vol. 64, No.4 OLD BONES, NEW IDEAS By Willard L. Boyd President, Field Museum any people have a stereotype of a natural science museum as a place of dusty old dinosaurs — a place of ancient history with no rele- vance to our present and future lives. A few years ago the title of an excellent book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, reinforced that stereo- type. In its Centennial year, Field Museum is redoing its paleontological exhibits and recon- figuring Stanley Field Hall to make clear why research on dinosaurs and other fossils is cru- cial to the world in which we live. Stanley Field Hall is being reprogrammed to introduce our visitors to the Museum’s basic concern: “Living Together on the Living Earth.” In the first component of that new program, the Bra- chiosaurus will welcome you to Field Museum. While its size may startle you, the scientific story it tells will keep you returning to “explore the Earth and its people.” One of the first questions you may ask is why the Museum would place a fiberglass replica in a position of such prominence, repre- senting to the world the Museum’s scientific collections of some 20 million specimens and artifacts, including half a million fossils. We do in fact possess the actual bones of Brachiosaurus. They were found in Colorado 93 years ago by Elmer Riggs, who was then the assistant curator of geology. It was Riggs who identified Brachiosaurus as a new species, named it, and published its authoritative scien- tific description. The bones in the Field Muse- um are thus the holotype of Brachiosaurus, the one specimen in the world against which all later finds must be compared. And that is why they cannot be permanently mounted 30 or 40 feet above the floor of Stanley Field Hall. They must be kept accessible to the international sci- entific community. However, they will be dis- played nearby for your comparison. But if the real dinosaur itself cannot be mounted, one may also ask, why bother to put up a replica of it, however grand, when we could with considerably less trouble and expense display a thousand real fossils? The answer lies in how powerfully the dinosaurs speak to us, from their perches in museums, about our own place in the world, and our future. From modest beginnings among the rep- tiles 230 million years ago, dinosaurs branched out to dominate every terrestrial habitat, until at the height of their dominion they and most of the other animals on earth were wiped out in the Cretaceous extinction 65 million years ago. That cataclysm, whatever its cause, permitted some small mammals that survived to diversify and to replace the dinosaurs in every ecological niche. The rise of the dinosaurs did not take place on a Static stage. The world-continent Pangaea was breaking apart into the continents as we know them. Global climate changed and the flowering plants began their parallel rise to dominance in most of the world. Today the continents continue to drift, the climate contin- ues to shift, one particular mammal has opposed its thumb against all other species, and many biologists assert that we are now in the midst of a mass extinction every bit as devas- tating as the Cretaceous. Our dinosaur and other fossil collections are a major international resource for discover- ing the history of life on Earth, and they pro- vide baseline data for interpreting environmen- tal history and testing hypotheses about future global change. The Museum’s Center for Evo- lutionary and Environmental Biology was cre- ated last year “to document, understand, and communicate the evolution and changing status of the Earth’s biological diversity, as well as its interactions with global environmental process- es both now and in the past.” I have emphasized the word “communi- cate.” One of the principal ways that museums communicate is through public exhibits. Mounting the Brachiosaurus is the biggest statement we can make about the environmen- tal changes we continually face. VOLUNTEERS HONORED ME volunteers were honored at a din- ner on April 13. Volunteers gave more than 50,000 hours of service in 1992 — the equivalent of 28 full-time staff. Forty-four vol- unteers each gave 250 hours or more, and 19 gave more than 400 hours. The senior volun- teer was Stanley Dvorak (Invertebrates), who was honored for 25 years of service. Barbara Roob (Education) and Reeva Wolfson (Photog- raphy) marked 20 years as volunteers. Thirteen Editor: Ron Dorfman Art Director: Shi Yung Editorial Assistant: Jessica Clark persons were honored for fifteen years of ser- vice. Leading the field in terms of hours logged during the year were Lawrence Levin (1,111), John McConnell (967), George Wolnak (919), Llois Stein (729), Fui Lian Inger (717), Sophie Ann Brunner (630), Jack MacDonald (617), Rosemary Kalin (564), Margaret Martling (546), Mildred Frank (500), Carolyn Moore (448), Jackie Tajiri (446), Paul DuBrow (445), Bruce Saipe (430) and William Ujvari (430). Dolores the Apatosaurus mingled with the foiks at the opening of Celebrate State Street on June 16. You could try to ao St A-90976 take it with you. But why not consider a gift to future generations? For more information about long-range gift-planning, please call or write: In the Field (ISSN #1051-4546) is published bimonthly by Field Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60605-2496. Copyright © 1993 Field Museum of Natural History. Subscriptions $6.00 annually, $3.00 for schools. Museum membership includes Jn the Field subscription. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect policy of Field Museum. Museum phone (312) 922-9410. Notifi- cation of address change should include address label and should be sent to Membership Department. POSTMAS- TER: Send address changes to In the Field, Field Museum of Natural History. Second class postage paid at Chica- go, Illinois. july/August 1993 ? Melinda Pruett-Jones Director of Major Gifts and Estate Planning Field Museum of Natural History Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois 60605-2496 (312) 322-8868 James Balodimas / GN86777.22 CURATORS RECEIVE HONORS, APPOINTMENTS Barry Cuernorf, Division of Fishes, was recently elected by the National Academy of Sciences to be a member of the National Com- mittee for Biodiversity and Conservation as part of an international effort by the International Union of Biological Scientists. Chernoff was elected “to bring an aquatic perspective to poli- cy decisions on biodiversity and conservation research and funding strategies.” Chernoff has also been elected to the Council of the Society of Systematic Biologists for a five-year term. € Grecory MuELLER, Department of Botany, has been elected Councillor—Systematics/ Evolution of the Mycological Society of America. The Mycological Society of America is a world leader in advancing the study of fungi and has members in 59 countries. é The Field Musem’s Center for Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, the Brookfield Zoo, and the University of Illinois at Chicago have received a $435,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation for “Advanced Training in Conservation Biology for Scientists and Managers from Tropical Countries.” The pro- ject, which will run from 1994 to 1996, will bring a dozen young conservation biologists from tropical countries to Chicago each year. City/State/ZIP:____ Daytime Phone: _ ___ $20 member __ $25 guest STEVEN GOODMAN and WILLIAM STANLEY, Department of Zoology, have received a grant from the National Geographic Society to sup- port a project on the “Biogeography of Small Mammals in the Eastern Arc Mountains” of Tanzania. Goodman and Stanley will be work- ing with colleagues at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. € From May 1 to 3, ANNA RooseveELT, Department of Anthropology, traveled to Caracas, Venezuela with other members of the executive committee of Laspau (Latin American Scholar- ship Program in American Universities, Har- vard University) for the signing of a second five-year agreement with the Fundacion Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho, a Venezuelan educa- tional foundation. The Fundayacucho-LaspAu program uses funds primarily from Venezuelan oil reyenues to send students and faculty from Venezuela to study at U.S. universities. Last year’s budget for the program was approxi- mately $14 million. € Ouivier RizpPeL, Department of Geology, is returning to the Augusta Mountains of north- western Nevada for a month of field work fund- ed by the National Geographic Society. Last year, Rieppel and colleagues from Canada and Germany discovered fossils of mid-Triassic marine vertebrates in the area, including fish and reptiles, that appear to match well-known fossil faunas in Switzerland. _#of tickets $ Rieppel has beén named North American editor of the Zoological Journal of the Lin- naean Society, and also serves as associate edi- tor of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. € WInIFRED CREAMER, Department of Anthropolo- gy, has received a Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation to allow her to take a year off from teaching at Northern Illinois University, where she is an assistant professor. She plans to spend the time improv- ing her skills in statistics to prepare for statisti- cal analysis of the large collection of Pueblo ceramics from a joint Field Museum/NIU pro- ject. The project is exploring the impact of early Spanish explorers on the people of New Mexico. € Twenty Chicago-area schoolteachers participat- ed in a day-long workshop at the Field Museum on “Ecology and Sustainable Use of Tropical Rain Forests in Latin America.” The workshop, sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies of the University of Chicago, included presentations by three Field Museum scientists: JoHN Patterson, Department of Zoology; ANNA RoosEvELT, Department of Anthropology; and Gary GALBREATH, Department of Geology. Par- ticipants also received teaching materials to aid in developing a rain forest curriculum for their classes. ~ e Joun TERRELL, Department of Anthropology, has been elected to the Board of the Council for Museum Anthropology. Terrell and colleagues including Laura Litten of Columbia College, Chicago, and Judith Modell of Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, have begun work on a “Kinship and Adoption Project,” exploring the varying significance of adoption in different cultures. Litten is spend- ing the summer in Toko- maru Bay, New Zealand, home of the Museum’s partners in the Maori meeting house Ruatepu- puke I, making a docu- mentary film on adoption in that Polynesian com- munity. The project may include a conference next year on adoption in multi- ethnic Chicago. Inuit singers and a drum dancer perform during a press pre- view of the exhibit “Masters of the Arc- tic” in June. The exhibit features sculptures and other works by indigenous artists of U.S., Cana- dian, Russian, and Greenlander circum- polar communities. James Balodimas / GN86759.234 James Balodimas/ GN86759.11A James Balodimas / GN86748.16 James Balodimas / GN86748.35 M ore than 5,000 members and their guests came to the Museum for the 42d annual Members’ Night May 7, when the doors to the research and collections areas are thrown open, the curtains are lifted on exhibits-in- progress, and curators and other Museum staff play show-and-tell for visitors. Clockwise, from upper left: ° Mark Westneat, assistant curator of fishes, shows off some prize specimens. One young vVisi- tor is fascinated, but another thinks they stink. ® Jonathan Haas, curator of New World archaeology and vice president, Center for Cultural Understanding and Change, explains his research on the history and pre- history of the Pueblo peoples of New Mexico. ¢ Visitors applaud one of the many groups that performed in Stanley Field Hall. * Fans of the traditional Blood & Guts demo in the mammal prep lab admire the staff’s handiwork. ¢ This charmer captivated visitors to the herpetology area. ¢ Dolores the Apatosaurus hones her maternal instincts. ° Computer games in the Rice Wildlife Research Center. ¢ Olivier Rieppel, curator of fossil amphibians and reptiles, goes over the fine points of some mid-Triassic marine critters. Diane Alexander White / 86742.18 CALENDAR OF EVENTS LA SELVA FRIA: PHOTOGRAPHS OF CHILE‘S ‘COLD FOREST’ his summer, the temperate rain for- est of Chile will be transplanted to Illinois in the form of “La Selva Fria” (the Cold Forest), a photo- graphic portrait of a little-known but important part of the earth’s biosphere. The 33 color prints featured in the exhibition, on display in the South Gallery from July 10- September 6, are all the handiwork of Chilean botanist Mariana Matthews, who was the administrator of an agro-forestry complex in the coastal city of Valdivia. With Valdivia situated roughly at its mid- point, the Cold Forest extends down along the Pacific shore to the southernmost limits of Arauco Province and north to the banks of the Maullin River. The region in between encom- passes mountains and valleys covered by an intensely verdant forest of astonishing beauty and diverse plant and animal life. The beauty and biological diversity of the forest provide both the thematic focus and the aesthetic appeal of Matthews’s work. Captured in her photographs is a visually compelling world of towering evergreen trees festooned with tangled networks of hanging vines, beneath which grow a dense and colorful profu- sion of mosses, lichens, ferns, grasses, shrubs, and mushrooms. In tandem with “La Selva Fria,” the Field Musem is presenting three displays highlight- ing the Museum’s scientific research in areas relevant to Matthews’s photographs. Developed by Museum staff scientists and researchers, the displays will address the subjects of ecological interactons between plants, insects, and small animals; the evolutionary relationships linking temperate forest organisms; and the geological, biological, and climatic history of the Andes Mountains and their regional environment. Each display will feature specimens from the Museum’s research collections, as well as A SYMPOSIUM ON ‘THE LIVING ARCTIC’ Saturday, July 17 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m. $20 per person ($10 students/seniors) asters of the Arctic,” featuring carv- Miz: paintings, drawings, clothing, and basketry, showcases contempo- rary works by indigenous artists representing the cultures ringing the Arctic. The exhibit is on view through August 15 in the Special Exhibits Gallery. This symposium comple- ments the exhibit. With the completion of the Earth Summit in Brazil, and on the occasion of the 1993 Unit- ed Nations Year of Indigenous Peoples, the significant contributions made by the Inuit of the Arctic to environmental conservation and sustainable development have been recognized internationally. Mary Simon, Ph.D., Special Envoy with the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC), will present this symposium with four indigenous circumpolar leaders and authorities on the future of the Arctic and its environment. Participants include Dalee Sambo, Execu- tive Director, International Union for Circum- polar Health, Anchorage, Alaska; Ludmila graphic representations, illustrations, photographs, and textual information about their respective subjects. Each of Matthews’s photographs reflects a different aspect of the Cold Forest, from the impenetrably lush, eerily lit swamps on the south- ern island of Chiloé, to the brighter, cooler, more open upland woods around Valdivia. Each image also conveys an implicit message, one that would have viewers appreciate not only the luxuriant splendor of the rain forest, but also the magnitude of loss if current commercial exploitation is continued. HELD MUSEUM THE SMART WAY TO HAVE FUN. Ainana, Inuit Circumpolar Conference Council Member for Chukotka (Russia); Finn Lynge, Consultant in Greenland Affairs, Danish For- eign Ministry; and Pekka Aikio, Research Fel- low, University of Oulu, Finland, and Director, Nordic Sami Institute, Norway. The symposium is presented with the cooperation of the Inuit Circumpolar Confer- ence and the United Nations Environment Pro- gramme, and funded by the Amway Environ- mental Foundation, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Government of Canada, and American Airlines/Canadian Air- lines International. SKULLS he strange and startling § beauty of animal skulls will be subject of anew pho- ~ tographic exhibition at the 4 Museum. Starting August 14.and lasting through November, “Skulls” will feature 35 black-and-white prints by Francois Robert, a Swiss photographer who lives and works in Chicago. Robert’s photographic study was undertak- en jointly with the Field Museum, which pro- vided the skulls portrayed in the prints. All of the skulls belong to verte- brates, and cover a wide range of animal sizes and species, including the tiger, giraffe, dolphin, turtle, hornbill macaque, chimpanzee, grouper, and wild boar, to name but a 4% few. 4 As revealed in Robert’s images, the 5 physical appearance of the skulls is at once bizarre and elegant. The unique and highly spe- cialized shape of each skull underscores the astonishing diversity of life on earth, even as it p tells us a " ied weaponry of tusk, tooth, and horn con- veys a sense of the struggle for existence every species must endure; the strikingly sculpted configurations of cranium and jawbone indicate something of the personality and purpose that once ani- mated their beings. Theses remnants of life ° are imbued with a power all their own, one * that is neither morbid nor frightening. - On the contrary, “Skulls” asserts ? nature’s genius for balancing form and } function in designs of surpassing practi- cality and aesthetic appeal. At the same time they foster a deep-seated appreciation for the complexity, splendor, and ultimate mystery of life. Along with the photographs in “Skulls,” the Field Museum will display actual skulls from its own collections. Fascinating in their own right, these skulls will enhance the i enjoyment of » the pho- tographs by providing a three- dimensional look at the kind of objects that Robert captured so com- pellingly on film. The exhibition will be on dis- play in the South Gallery, and is free with Museum admission. 5 July/August 1993 Thru 8/15 Arctic Marketplace The Field Museum Store will offer a special Masters of the Arctic Marketplace through August 15. This special open market will feature Inuit art from various areas of the circumpolar region — Alaska, Siberia, Greenland, Northwest Territories, and Quebec. Visitors will find soapstone, ser- pentine, and caribou-antler sculptures start- ing at $20; unique note and art cards by Inuit artists; sterling silver and carved cari- bou-antler earrings and brooches; books and videos; tee shirts, sweatshirts and caps for both children and adults; posters, graphics, and more. The marketplace will be adjacent to the “Masters of the Arctic” exhibit located in the Special Exhibit Gallery on the ground floor. 7/9 ita Insects of Summer Families tour the Museum’s Division of Insects with Curatorial Assistant Philip Parrillo and see summer insects from their backyards and faraway places. Learn how to use a microscope to get an up-close look at the fascinating world of insects. 7 p.m.— 9 p.m. Adults and children grades 3 and up. $9 per participant ($7 per member par- ticipant). Call (312) 322-8854. 7 [10 sour Ethnic Chicago II Field Trip New session added. Visit Chica- go’s old and new ethnic commu- nities with expert guide Irving ~ Cutler. Swedish, Belgian, Greek, ~ Jewish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, ioe Indian, and Pakistani communi- ties are highlighted. An ethnic luncheon is included. 9 a.m.—4 p.m. $47 ($40 members). Call (312) 322-8854. 7/10,11 Inuit Crafts Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m—2 p.m. Join well-known Canadian Baffin Inuit artists Germaine Arnaktauyok and “Masters of the Arctic” associate curator Helen Web- ster for demonstrations that explore Inuit print- and graphic-making tradition, and a guided tour of the exhibition. For further information, call (312) 322-8854. July/August 1993 6 7/10 ssn “La Selva Fria” Opens The 33 color prints featured in this exhibi- tion, on display in the South Gallery from July 10 to September 6, are the work of Chilean botanist Mariana Matthews, who snapped the pictures during her tenure as the administrator of an agro-forestry com- plex in the coastal city of Valdivia. “La Selva Fria” translates as “the Cold Forest.” 7 [VA cine Windy City Grotto Windy City Grotto of the National Speleo- logical Society will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the Museum. Please use the west enrance. Field trip participants are strongly encour- aged to attend a club meeting before the trip’s departure. Next meeting is August 11. For more information, call (708) 354-2402. 7/[24,3 Venn Adult Workshop “American Indian Coiled Basketry.” Throughout the Americas, indigenous peo- ples developed coiling techniques to make everyday utensils. The workshop includes a « demonstration, a tour of the Museum’s exhibits, and hands-on basketmaking. 10 a.m.—3 p.m. (two sessions). $48 mem- bers, $55 non members. Call (312) 322-8854. 7/25 sn Jurassic Park: Fact or Fiction? Field Museum curators will go behind the science fiction of Jurassic Park to the real sciences of animal behavior, genetics, and paleontology. They will discuss cloning, the chaos theory, dinosaur intelligence, pack- hunting, and more. 2 p.m. $2 payable at the door only. Call (312) 922-9410, ext. 288. 7 [25 sate Identification Day Bring your own natural history wonder and have scientific staff answer questions about your special finds. 11 a.m.—3 p.m. S 5 Thursday Wine Tasting “Chardonnays From Around the World.” Members’ tasting of wines from France, Chile, Spain, Australia, and Oregon. Mary Ross, president of Mary Ross and Associ- ates and a nationally recognized authority on food and wine, will conduct the tasting; a former Cellarmaster of The 95th in Chicago, she received The Wine Spectators Grand Award of Excellence from 1984 through 1992. This seminar is suitable for those just learn- ing about wines, as well as those more familiar with them. You must be 21 years of age to attend. 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Rice Wildlife Research Station. Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for guests. Reservations must be received by July 23; no telephone reservations will be accepted. Please call (312) 922-9410, ext. 453 for more information. 8/ 1 4 Saturday “Skulls” Opens. The strange and startling beauty of animal skulls is the subject of this photographic exhibit, which lasts through November, featuring 33 black-and-white prints by Francois Robert. South Gallery. 8/21 sani Crichton Lecture 2 p.m. in the James Simpson Theatre. Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, and other works, will autograph books afterwards in the West Lobby. $12 for members, $15 for non-mem- bers. (312) 922-9410, ext. 453 for informa- tion. Tickets by mail only. 8/ 29 Sunday Dance of Life 2 p.m. Bharatanatyam is a classical Indian dance form performed by Hema Rajagopalan and the Natyakalayam Dance Company. Ancient legends and contempo- rary issues are brought to life by dancers dressed in elaborate traditional costumes reflecting aspects of the life cycle. Spon- sored by the Hindu Host Committee of the Council for the Parliament of the World’s Religions. CHILEAN ECOLOGY; TIBETAN BUDDHISM “LA SELVA FRIA” LECTURES a Selva Fria,” on display July 10- September 6, highlights photographs of flora and fauna of central Chile’s tem- perate rain forest by Chilean photographer Mariana Matthews. Field Museum scientists working in Chile will give a series of lectures on Thursdays at noon: * August 12. “Big Roles for Small Mam- mals in Chilean Rainforests,” Dr. Bruce Patter- son, Division of Mammals. eAugust 19 “Mushrooms, Trees, and Beasts: Interactions Among Organisms inthe Cold Forests of Chile,” Dr. Gregory Mueller, Department of Botany. * August 26- “The Andes Have Not ~ ~ Always Been There: The Effects of Mountains on Environments, Plants, and Animals,” Dr. John Flynn, Department of Geology. A small Chilean mammal in Bruce Patter- son’s hand. MystIcAL Arts OF TIBET the largest monastic institution in recorded history. By the end of the 19th century, it housed more than 10,000 monks, training them not only in the philosophical and spiritual traditions of Tibetan Buddhism but also in various sacred performing arts, They were particularly renowned for their mul- tiphonic singing — a technique of intoning three notes of a chord simultaneously, which requires many years of training. A group of ten monks, now living in exile in India, will be visiting Chicago in cel- ebration of the 1993 United Nations Year of Indigenous Peoples and the Parliament of the _ ee World’s Religions. A concert of sacred music and dance will be performed in James Simpson Theatre Friday, September 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for members, seniors, and students, $15 for nonmembers. Call (312) 322- 8854 for information. From August 28 to September 2, the monks will create a sand man- dala called “Sengyey Medlha,” dedicated to the medicine or healing Bud- dhas. Demonstrations are scheduled from 10 a.m. to | p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on August 28, 30, 31, and September 1, and also from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. August 29 and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. September 2. A closing ceremony at which the mandala will be swept up and dismantled is scheduled for Saturday, September 4 at 10 a.m. Pes in 1416 A.D., Drepung Loseling Monastery of Tibet was Teeth-$5 ce — dkull-$1,000 Fagep SS Neck Vertebrae-$400 Scapula-$500 Humerus—$1,000 Back Vertebrae-$250 $150 ~> $200 By “buying a bone,” YOU can be a part of Field Museum's mounting of the awesome Brachiosaurus. Amaze your friends and family as you point out the bone which your contribution helped put into place. Choose from a scapula, a femur, a tail vertebrae, or the skull, which housed a brain smaller than a human fist. Donate a bone in someone else’s name; a great gift for dinosaur enthusiasts that will last for generations to come! Field Museum will send you a personalized certificate for each of the bones you sponsor along with a receipt for your tax-deductible contribution. Names of the sponsors will appear on the permanent donor plaque for the Brachiosaurus exhibit, to be installed January 1994 For more information, call the Field Museum Development Office at (312) 922-9410, ext. 639 aay Yes, I’d like to “Buy a Bone” to build the Brachiosaurus: Name (as you would like it to appear on the donor plaque and personalized certificate) —-----—- ee - - - - - - - - - -- 4 Your name Your address & city/state/ZIP. (To list more sponsor names, please attach a separate sheet of paper) Remember, the Museum will send the certificates and receipt to you. Personal checks are accepted, Only one check needed when sponsoring more than one bone. Please make checks payable to FIELD MUSEUM. Mail to:Development Office, The Field Museum of Natural History » Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, !L 60605 CLIP AND SEND { ame | to Foget-.. “gee eo ! o ONS Bone Atgount Yu 1 Baty aR! Xd 5 RY ut a Ld S ‘I ' 1 ' i Total $ ! 1 ' 1 t ! ' t ae A pa a A SOS SS HS A A SY SS SS SY Se ep = CCCP HEHE ERT eT eee Te oreewer ee eane PE RECURS EU SUSE D UCC U SPP oSeU Sse s ue eee e adds d Poses cpruessahoeenscdhdvadero rend MonaassraeesSAseeDoeRRaRReeerebdeoroeserascrSvateesvesegerssoRETShesgessotvegrocovrsecrcusscEasesdanaeecsonensdgvbssaenneraneesersusaesueyenen VY vv vVYY VY YYVYYY Dont Let Your Membership Become Extinct, [oo! Join or renew now for a deal as big as Brachiosaurus — three extra months free! Fifteen months of membership for the same low price as twelve. Your Field Museum membership guarantees you an invitation to the members’ parties in June 1994, before the public opening, to preview the Museum's Centennial Festival exhibit featuring dinosaurs. Complete the form below and drop it in the mail, or call the Membership Department at (312) 922-9410, ext. 453. (Offer valid through June 30, 1994, for new and renewing individual, family, senior, and student mem- berships only.) Free admission Free coat checking and strollers Invitation to Members’ Night Exhibit preview parties Free subscription to In the Field 13-month wall calendar featuring exhibit photographs Reduced subscription prices on selected magazines 10% discount at all Museum stores Use of our 250,000-volume library Discount on classes, field trips, and seminars for adults and children Members-only tour program Opportunity to attend the annual children’s Holiday Tea Children’s “dinosaur” birthday card MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION / RENEWAL eo) Please enter/renew my membership in the Field Museum of Natural History Name Address City State Zip Home phone Business phone MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES IS months 27 months C) individual — ome Yar $35 | ewer FEEs $65 IS months 27 months @) Family — omeyear $45 / wweryéars $85 (Includes two adults, children and grand- children 18 and under,) IS months C) student/Senior — ome Year $25 (Individual only. Copy of L.D. required.) C) Field Contributor — $100 - $249 C) Field Adventurer — $250 - $499 C) Field Naturalist — $500 - $999 C) Field Explorer — $1,000 - $1,499 All the benefits of a family membership — and more C) Founders’ Council — $1,500 Send form to: Membership Department, Field Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605 7 July/August 1993 VISITOR PROGRAMS Thursday, July 1 llam & lpm Highlight Tour of Inside Ancient Egypt 12 & 2pm Celebrating our Cen- tennial Tour Saturday, July 3 Brachiosaurus Opening Day... llam & lpm Celebrating our Centennial Tour llam - 2pm Dino Math, How-to- paint-a-saurs, Dino Sizes, Build A Dinosaur, Fossil Preparation, Mural-a-saurus & Dino Face Painting. Tuesday, July 6 2pm Celebrating our Centennial Tour Wednesday, July 7 llam Celebrating our Centenni- al Tour Thursday, July 8 llam & 1pm Highlight Tour of Inside Ancient Egypt 12 & 2pm Celebrating our Cen- tennial Tour Saturday, July 10 llam & 1pm Celebrating our Centennial Tour 1lam Stories Around the World llam - 5pm Arthrocart llam - 12:30 & 2 - 3:30pm Cir- cumpolar Craft: Inuit Art- making Join Germaine Armak- tauyok, Canadian Baffin Inuit artist and Helen Webster for demonstrations of Inuit printmak- ing traditions. 1:30pm Tibet Today and Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon slide presentation Ipm - 3pm Egyptian Hiero- glyphs Activity Sunday, July 11 llam & 1pm Celebrating our Centennial Tour llam - 12:30 & 2- 3:30pm Cir- cumpolar Craft: Inuit Art- making 1lam - 3pm Arthrocart Tuesday, July 13 2pm Celebrating our Centenni- al Tour llam Celebrating our Centen- nial Tour Thursday, July 15 llam & lpm Highlight Tour of Inside Ancient Egypt Friday, July 16 2:30pm Celebrating our Cen- tennial Tour Saturday, July 17 llam - Spm Arthrocart llam & 1pm Celebrating our Centennial Tour 2pm - 4pm Egyptian Hiero- glyphs Activity Muntu, Aug. 8 Sunday, July 18 11am - 5pm Arthrocart 12:30pm Museum Safari Tour 2pm Dino Life Tour Tuesday, July 20 llam & lpm Celebrating our Centennial Tour Wednesday, July 21 1lam Celebrating our Centenni- al Tour Thursday, July 22 10am - 1pm Weaving Demon- stration llam & lpm Highlight Tour of Inside Ancient Egypt Friday, July 23 2:30pm Celebrating our Cen- tennial Tour Saturday, July 24 llam & 1pm Celebrating our Centennial Tour 12 - 5pm Arthrocart 1:30pm Tibet Today and a Faith in Exile slide presentation 2 - 4pm Egyptian Hieroglyphs Activity 1pm World Music presents Paul Mabon poetry Sunday, July 25 llam - 3pm Identification Day 12:30pm Museum Safari Tour 1 - 3pm Arthrocart 2pm Jurassic Park: Fact or Fiction Tuesday, July 27 llam & Ipm Celebrating our Centennial Tour llam Celebrating our Centenni- al Tour Thursday, July 29 llam & 1pm Highlight Tour of Inside Ancient Egypt Saturday, July 31 llam Stories Around the World 12 - 3pm Arthrocart 2-4pm Egyptian Hiero- 4% glyphs Activity Sunday, August 1 12:30pm Museum Safari Tour 1pm World Music pre- sents Fan Wei Tsu on the Chinese zheng. Thursday, August 5 llam & lpm Highlight Tour of Inside Ancient Egypt Saturday, August 7 lpm World Music presents Renaissance Trio 1:30pm Tibet Today and a Faith in Exile slide presentation Sunday, August 8 llam Celebrating our Centen- nial Tour lpm Invitation to the Dance performance by Muntu Dance Theater sponsored by Grant Park Music Festival, The President's Committee and the Chicago Park District. July/August 1993 $ Thursday, August 12 llam & lpm Highlight Tour of Ancient Egypt 12pm La Selva Fria Lecture Series: Big Roles for Small Mammals in Chilean Rain- forests by Dr. Bruce Patterson, Zoology Curator. Friday, August 13 2:30pm Celebrating our Centen- nial Tour Saturday, August 14 llam & 1pm Highlight Tour of Ancient Egypt 2pm - 4pm Egyptian Hiero- glyphs Activity Sunday, August 15 12:30pm Museum Safari Tour Thursday, August 19 10am - lpm Weaving Demon- stration 12pm La Selva Fria Lecture Series: Mushrooms, Trees and Beasts: Interactions Among Organisms in the Cold Forests of Chile by Dr. Gregory Mueller, Botany Curator. Saturday, August 21 lpm Celebrating our Centenni- al Tour Thursday, August 26 llam & lpm Highlight Tour of Inside Ancient Egypt 12pm La Selva Fria Lecture Series: The Andes Have Not Always Been There: The Effects of Mountains on Environments, Plants, and Animals by Dr. John Flynn, Geology Curator and Chairman. Friday, August 27 2:30pm Celebrating our Cen- _ tennial Tour Saturday, August 28 10am - | & 2 - 4pm Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala by Drepung Loseling Monks llam & lpm Highlight Tour of Inside Ancient Egypt 1:30pm Tibet Today and a Faith in Exile slide presentation 2pm - 4pm Egyptian Sunday, Aug# 2 - 4pm, / Bude jing Monks 2pm Dance of Life In Bharatanatyam- A clas- sical dance form of India featur- ing Hema Rajagopalan and Natyakalayam Dance Com- pany sponsored by the Hindu Host Committee of the Council for the Parliament of the World's Reli- gions. Monday, August 30 10am - 1 & 2 - 4pm Medicine Buddha Sagi Mandala by Drepung Loseling Monks Tuesday, August 31 10am - 1 & 2 - 4pm Medicine Buddha Sand Mandala by Drepung Loseling Monks , Hieroglyphs Activity _ ec pl . days: 10am—4:30pm Renaissance , Aug. 7 Daniel F. & Ada L. Rice Wildlife Research Station Learn more about zoology and ecology through videotapes, com- puter programs, books, educator resources, and activity boxes. Daily 9am-5pm Webber Resource Center Native Cultures of the Americas Books, videotapes, educator resources, tribal newspapers and activity boxes about native peo- ples of the Americas are available. Daily 10am—4:30pm Harris Educational Loan Center Chicago area educators may bor- row activity boxes and small dio- ramas from Harris Center. For more information call: (312) 322- 8853. Open House Hours: Tuesdays 2:30-7pm Thursdays 2:30-5pm Saturdays 9am—Spm Place For Wonder A special room of touchable objects. Weekdays: 11:30-4:30pm Weekends: 10am—4:30pm Pawnee Earth Lodge Walk into a traditional home of the Pawnee Indians of the Great Plains. Free program tickets are available from the Information Desk in Stanley Field Hall. 30,1 & 1:30 al 4:30pm; ticket- erams at 11, 12, 2 & 3. Sun- Ruatepupuke: A Maori Meeting House Discover the world of current Maori people of New Zealand at the treasured and sacred Maori Meeting House. Open daily 9am-Spm Field Partners Reading Club Explore the wonderful world of biology through reading and hands-on activities. For more information and to register, call (312)922-9410 ext. 497. AFRICA Exhibit Volunteers Needed Weekday and weekend facilitators are sought to present group and public programs. Training begins in August. A $15 registration fee is required. Schol- arships are available. Contact the Museum Volunteer Coordinator, (312)922-9410, ext. 360 for more information. SCIENTISTS AND CONSERVATION ISSUES usiness as usual” for scientists working in systematic biology — the identification and classifica- tion of species and analysis of their relationships — is too nar- rowly focused and takes too long to be useful in a world where accelerating loss of habitat is driving large numbers of species to extinction, according to Joel Cracraft of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Cracraft spoke at the Field Museum’s 16th annual Spring Systematics Symposium in May, devoted to “Systematics and Conservation: Forging a Partnership.” He noted that systemat- ics as now practiced is “small science with no political voice and no economic return.” Worldwide, only half a billion dollars is devot- ed annually to documenting biodiversity, he said, and the countries with the most remaining biodiversity have the fewest scientists. What is needed, he said, is a multibillion-dollar “big science” effort such as has been proposed by Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson and others to speed up biotic inventories. Scientists have launched “Systematics 2000,” an educational and lobbying campaign, to push for such an ini- tiative. The symposium was devoted to exploring ways in which scientists and conservationists can work together better. Field Museum curator of mammals Bruce Patterson, pointing out that there are simply too many ecosystems in jeop- ardy and not enough specialists trained to study and describe them in the traditional manner of systematics, urged that general patterns be identified that can guide conservationists and government agencies in setting priorities for protection. Patterson’s own studies of species; distribution, for example, suggest that one or a few large protected reserves will maintain more biodiversity than many small ones. One way to speed up survey work is to train laymen in the scientific equivalent of par- alegal work — “parataxonomy,” as the Smith- sonian Institution’s Terry Erwin dubbed it. A single microhabitat, say an orchid root-mat growing on a tree limb in a tropical forest, may contain enough interesting insects, mites, spi- ders, millipedes, and other life forms to keep a whole faculty of entomologists busy for months. But “parataxonomists” can learn to distinguish most creatures from their neighbors and assign them numbers. This produces a near-instant index of biodiversity, however crude, that can be quite useful while scientists are still struggling with proper descriptions and classifications and getting their work published in journals with exacting standards and leisure- ly schedules. Still, as another speaker pointed out, only systematists can provide certain essential infor- mation about the nature, origins, and status of biodiversity. John Fitzpatrick, director of the Archbold Biological Station in Florida and a Field Museum research associate in birds, used the example of the Florida scrub jay, which was listed as a threatened species in 1987. The scrub jay is not simply one bird in danger, Fitz- patrick said, but at least six subsets identified by marked changes in genetic makeup. The addition of genetic and other biochemical research techniques to the systematist’s armory in recent years has enormously refined our abil- ity to measure biodiversity — and enormously complicated the work of conservationists, cus- toms officials, and others charged with enforc- ing existing laws and writing new ones. Sys- tematists are “shirking responsibility” if they do not devote at least part of their time to conser- vation biology, Fitzpatrick said. ne reason why systematists need to address conservation issues more directly was suggested by the Smithso- nian’s Terry Erwin and by Melanie Stiassny of the American Museum of Natural History, who noted the conservation community’s emphasis on endangered mammals and birds. “Warm and fuzzy” creatures engender more public sympathy — and thus more dollars and politi- Amber [run ie HAR: UG: AUGUST In the Main Museum Store cal clout — than, say, insects or fish. Yet, as Erwin noted, insects and their relatives account for most of the world’s biodiversity and play a crucial role in creating and sustaining the ecosystems that support all other species, including humans. And among vertebrates, according to Stiassny, nearly one-fourth of all species are bony freshwater fish often restricted to extremely localized environments but usual- ly ignored in conservation evaluations of areas targeted for development.. John Carr, a representative of Conservation International, warned against the impulse to impose simplistic protection schemes on com- plex societies. The organization’s Rapid Assessment Program, a sort of scientific SWAT team approach, is among the most effective existing vehicles for cooperation between sys- tematists and conservationists, he said, but its projects must fit four criteria: They must be people-centered, scientifically based, economi- cally sound, and culturally sensitive. Many people attending the symposium were already working in some field of conser- vation, and made the point that for those who have the opportunity to travel and personally observe changes in natural systems, the biodi- versity crisis quickly loses its abstract quality and becomes a matter of survival. And many echoed Terry Erwin’s cri de coeur: “If humans don’t put the brakes on our population growth — 93 million more of us each year — all else is for nothing!” The symposium, conducted before an audience of several hundred in Simpson The- atre on May 8, was organized by Scott Lanyon, the Pritzker Curator of Systematic Biology and chairman of the Department of Zoology. Pre- siding was George Rabb, director of the Brook- field Zoo and chairman of the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union, a global network of scientists, field workers, gov- ernments, and non-governmental organizations. humans don’t put the brakes on our popula- tion growth — 93 million more of us each year — all else is for nothing!” — Terry Erwin FROM THE FIELD JAPANESE IMPORTS (Continued from page 1) he recommended Japanese imports as prefer- able for five of the twenty types of furniture and twelve of the fifty-seven types of acces- sories suitable for a scholar’s study. For exam- ple, wrist rests, which ergonomically correct computer users have only recently rediscov- ered, were an important accessory. According to Wen Zhenheng, “The most elegant . . . are those converted from aged, elongated jade. Otherwise one may go for the shiny black lac- favored Japanese lacquerware even when the two countries were at war, as in the Korean conflict of 1592-99, Why? The unusual | shapes, the lightness, and the lavish decora- 4 tions were sought-after qualities, and gold- toned lacquerware was particularly prized. This is of some interest since Wen and others of his school tended to prefer a quiet, unadorned style for most items. (Many splen- did examples of later periods, donated by Carl and Jeanette Kroch and by John Leslie, are on display in the west mezzanine and in the South Lounge, both on the second floor of the Museum.) quer ones made in Japan, which weigh as little as paper. Those made of rosewood or bamboo with carvings are no good at all.” Wen was not uncrit- ical of Japanese decora- tive arts — he thought the bronze censers with Japanese scenery were Foreign trade was a government monopoly under the Ming for 150 years, and both the Ming and Japanese courts maintained good commercial records. Between 1401 and e know that regular flows of Japanese handicrafts started coming into China during the 15th century. By the mid-16th cen- tury, we can read the inventory of property accumulated by the notoriously corrupt offi- cial Yan Song, who was placed under house arrest; his ill-gotten goods included two old Japanese swords, twelve 1549 the Japanese sent twenty- one trading missions to China. The trade was profitable: The Ming court was willing to buy an item for as much as three vulgar, and many other Japanese lacquer screens, and 568 times the retail products were not to his Japanese fans. One may question price in Japan, and taste — but he and apparently — still Yan's taste — Wen Zhenheng thought 6 Japanese swords and fans were swell, though he disapproved of their screens — but it’s clear that among well-to-do Chinese of the time, there was already a luxury market for Japanese crafts. many other Chinese made a profit on re-sale in China. Official trade was ended in 1549, but there was no way to stop private merchants in coastal China and in Ryukyu from continuing the lucrative commerce. While brand new Japanese imports were obviously available to 17th-century connois- seurs, older ones also began to appear in antique markets like the one held on the first and fifteenth days of each month at the City God Temple in Beijing. Dazzled visitors in 1635 noted among the heaps of treasures there Korean paper, Japanese lacquerware and fans, and European textiles, lamps, and images of Christ. In the 1430s the Chinese had sent a lac- quer research team to study Japanese methods, and by 1500 some Chinese were making pass- able imitations. Yang, Fang, and Jiang were probably had in mind the Chinese traditional romantic image Fig. 1. A set of incense apparatus. 19th century, Japan. Collec- of a knight-scholar whose symbol was the “book and sword.” tion of Edmund & Barbara Lewis. Height of chest 18 cm. Two sets of small incense boxes (kogo), a rectangular tray, and eight metal and ivory implements fit neatly in this small chest (kodana). Wen Zhenheng admired Japanese kogo boxes, perhaps like the ones pictured here, because of their lightness and compactness. On the right door of the chest are depic- tions of a low table (bundai) and a case (tana) — two other types of Japanese furniture recommended by Wen. Fig. 5. Wooden chest (hako) showing two pairs of rabbits under the full moon. 19th century, Japan. Height 32.5 cm. Collection of Edmund & Barbara Lewis. Fig. 6 & 7. Folded fans (sensu) with painted designs. Japan. Folded fans were introduced to China as early as the 12th cen- tury; by the late 16th century they were no longer a surprise to the Chinese. What amazed Wen Zhenheng were the colors and composition of the paintings. Fig. 6: A 26-fold paper fan with ribs removed. Part of the painting is gilt depicting a seasonal landscape. Late 18th cen- tury, Japan. Length 48cm. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Pinsof. FM 264845. Fig. 7. A 13-fold paper fan with bamboo ribs. The ink painting shows a figure playing a flute. 19th century, Japan. Length 30cm. Gift of Mr. Oscar Kottmann Jr. FM 257696. Fig. 2. Front view of the chest in Fig. 1. The scenic view is of the Buddhist monastery Ishiyama Dera on Lake Biwa near Kyoto. The depiction is meticulous, even showing such details as types of foliage and the two door-guardians (ni-oh) on the front gateway. Fig. 3. Top view of the chest in Fig. 1. This shows more of the monastery compound. Behind rocks and bushes is a small shinto gateway leading to a distant shrine under a full moon.The lacquer work is a good example of the skillful juxta- position of several lacquer techniques: the sky is shown in a pearskin-like pattern (nashiji); the foreground and the rocks behind are dotted with a regular diamond pattern (maki-e- okibirame); the moon and the pagoda spire are inlaid with lead (kana-gai); and several trees, rocks, and buildings are shown in high relief (takamaki-e). Fig. 8. Line drawing of a wooden table (maetsukue) with lac- quer finish. 17th century, Hase Dera Temple, Japan. Large tables of htis kind, about 2.5 meters long, are used as altars in Japanese temples. Since no archives ever mention the export of temple furniture from Japan to China, it is puz- zling to find that such products found their way into the circle of Chinese connoisseurs. Fig. 4. A steel long sword (katana) with lacquer sheath. 14th century, Japan. Gift of Junius Wood. FM 125727. The blade, still shiny and sharp, was made by Suehiro of Fig. 9. Line drawing of a bronze sleeve censer (koro). 15th century, Tokyo National Museum, Japan. Height 5.3 cm. Osfune in Bizen province in 1392. Other fittings might have been added or replaced in later times. Pine needles are depict- ed in gold and lead against a black lacquer background. Wen Zhenheng maintained that it was essential to to fur- nish a Japanese sword for the studio even though swordsman- ship then was no longer popular among Chinese scholars. He Such censers were used for warming hands and fumigat- ing garments. Wen Zhenheng thought highly of the type with an open-work lid and a drum-shaped body with a lacquer fin- ish; he does not seem to have liked sleeve censers with square or round bodies. FROM THE FIELD Chinese artisans in this tradition, and Yang in particular was said to produce such good imi- tation maki-e work, using gold, silver, or other metal dust on wet lacquer coating, that even Japanese visitors could not distinguish it from the real thing. The Chinese, of course. had their own high tradition of lacquerware and the Japanese appreciat- ed it; they bought at least two kinds — the red cinnabar type with deep carving, and the type with mother-of-pearl inlay — and Japanese artisans cleverly copied both. (Examples of genuine Chinese lacquerware in these styles, donated by Mr. and Mrs. Hyman Kaplan, are on display in the North Lounge on the second floor.) . Japan did not, and still does not, have enough raw lacquer (which comes from the sap of the lacquer tree, Rhus vermifera) to supply its lacquerware industry. Dutch mer- chants residing in Nagasaki recorded 2.8 mil- lion pounds of lacquer imported between 1639 and 1682, mainly from China, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The lacquer was carried by Chinese and Siamese shippers to Japan, and finished goods were shipped to many Asian and European countries by Chinese, Siamese, and Europeans. (Japanese merchants them- selyes were forbidden under the government’s closed-door policy to go abroad to do busi- ness.) Today Vietnam supplies most of the raw lacquer needed in Japan. The imported stuff is mixed with native lacquer for ordinary pro- duction, but local Japanese raw lacquer, unadulterated, is still considered the superior material. Some of it is used for the kinds of studio furnishings recommended by Wen Zhenheng 350 years ago and still high on the list for connoisseurs. Chuimei Ho is a research associate in the Department of Anthropology. Minoru Saito is a member of the Collections Committee. (Continued from page I) feet taller than Michael Jordan! In its prehistoric prime, the Brachiosaurus was an enormous terrestrial beast, measuring 75 feet in length, with a head-height of 40 feet, and weighing about 85 tons. A member of the plant-eating sauropod family, Brachiosaurus was shaped somewhat like a giant giraffe, with a long neck, small head, and a brain no bigger than a man’s fist. It lived during the Jurassic period, becoming extinct shortly before that period ended some 140 million years ago. The Brachiosaur’s original bones will also be on display in association with this newest permanent exhibit. Excavated in 1900 by Field Museum paleontologist Elmer Riggs in western Colorado, these were the first Brachiosaurus bones to be discovered anywhere in the world. Brachiosaurus is only one of more than half a million specimens in the Museum’s paleontolo- gy collections, which continue to grow in importance through the field collecting and research activities of seven curators and other paleontology staff. Because the origi- nal bones of the dinosaur must be kept available to the scien- tific community — the Field Museum speci- men is the “holotype” used for identifying Brachiosaurus bones — workers made molds of the bones, which were shipped to Canada and used to cast fiber- glass models. To reconstruct missing bones, Gilles Danis (president of Prehistoric Animal Structures, the compa- ny hired to carry out the reconstruction pro- ject) visited Humboldt University Museum in Berlin, which has its own Brachiosaurus skeleton. He brought back sketches, photos, and measurements to Stephen Godfry, an artist and paleontologist, who sculpted plastic replicas of the dinosaur’s miss- ing parts. Fiberglass bones were cast to com- plete the skeleton. a To help fund the construction of the Bra- chiosaurus, the Field Museum launched an “Own a Bone” campaign. This campaign stresses patron partipation in the Brachiosaurus project, inviting people to donate money to support installation of a particular Bra- chiosaurus bone. Prices range from $5 for a tooth to $1,000 for the skull. News of the campaign was picked up by press services and distributed throughout the United States; as a result, the Brachiosaurus has received tremendous national support. Over $75,000 has been raised for the project since April 2 and the campaign, one of the Field Museum’s Centennial projects, will con- tinue through the end of this year. More than thirty classrooms throughout the country have raised money to sponsor bones. One second-grade class from El Paso, Texas included this letter with their donation: We have been studying about dinosaurs. Our teacher has told us that you are building a Brachiosaurus with bones. Some students from second grade at Hawkins school brought money for us to “buy a bone.” We have col- lected thirty dollars.. We are going to buy six teeth. We know the Brachiosaurus is a big dinosaur. : Your future paleontologists, Grade 2, Hawkins School The bones have proved to be popular birth- day, graduation, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day gifts. One family even bought five teeth for their dog, Lord Garth, on his birthday. They have been a special favorite of grandparents with several grandchildren. “The future is in our children’s hands,” wrote a Rolling Mead- ows, Illinois grandmother, “and I’m donating in the names of my three grandchildren... . What child does not love dinosaurs?” Several creative donations have been made. Zanies Comedy Club is considering the humerus bone. The Brach candy company sponsored the skull of the Brachiosaurus. The Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine spon- sored all 62 bones of the dinosaur’s four feet. Jawbones have been popular with dentists, and orthodontists are sponsoring all 58 teeth. Chi- ropractors have donated money for many dif- ferent bones. “Own a Bone” participants and their fami- lies have been invited to a “Hard Hat Party” from 5—7 p.m. on July 2, when the finishing “touches will be put on the Brachiosaurus. Par- ticipants will be invited to meet fossil preparators, exhibit designers, and paleontologists who will explain how the exhibit came to life. First-grade pupils from the John D. Shoop School on the South Side of Chica- go raised funds to sponsor one large and one small tail vertebraé on Bra- chiosaurus. The kids visited the Museum in June and were taken on a guided tour of preparations for the new dinosaur hall. Ron Dorfman 11 eC SMITHSONIAN INSTITU: AUN tig 3 9088 i November 12 — 19, 1993 A three-day cruise aboard the Mississippi Queen Riverboat and four nights at a deluxe hotel in New Orleans — plus breakfast at Brennan’s, dinner at Arnaud’s, and coffee and beignets at Café du Monde! And more: visits to Houmas House and Baton Rouge; a guided tour of New Orleans, the Aquarium, and the Global Wildlife Center; one day at Avery Island or Jefferson Island; and one day in the Jean Lafitte National Acadian Wetlands. Your guide is Dr. Thomas G. Lammers, assistant curator of vascular plants, an affable botanist with a wide knowledge of the vegetation of the Misissippi floodplain. Don’t miss this fabulous fun week exploring the mainstream of America. Call (312) 322-8862 for details. 1994 TOURS West Africa: Senegal and Mali ¢ January 12-26 Egypt and the Nile by Yacht ¢ Jan. 30-Feb. 19 Belize / Tikal / Barrier Reef ¢ Feb. 24—March 6