AN INTERESTING VISITOR

Among the arrivals in Wellington yesterday was Mrs. Coralie McKellar, a New Zealander, who returns after an interesting and varied period with the idea of doing something noteworthy in and for her native land, her ultimate idea being to found a children's room in museums, a room so stocked and arranged as to be educative in beauty, history, travel, and geography, to develop the childish ideal along right lines, to bring to them the art and beauty of the Far East and of old civilisations.

Mrs. McKellar is a journalist, and has been editor of the "Triad." She has made a study of life in the South Seas, especially in so far as it affects, the White Australia policy. Mrs. McKellar was responsible for the collecting of thousands of pounds for the purchase by Australia of Egyptian curios, the result being that the Australian Government secured four or five cases of treasures from the grave of Tutankhamen. Mrs. McKellar herself possesses a fine collection which, however, she did not bring with her, except one, a jade tile ring which once graced the hand of Auk-na-ton, the wife of Tutankhamen.

Mrs. McKellar proposes to give lectures of special interest to the young She has a fund of lore of the East. In China she found that all the tales for the young expressed the symbolism of purity, love and simplicity — differing fundamentally from the fairy tales of Europe in that they have no cruelty or unhappiness or suffering in them. Mrs McKellar has brought with her, amongst other interesting things, a stool of repentance — the only punishment ever inflicted on a Chinese child being to sit on it until he feels sorry for being disobedient. "Obedience," said Mrs. McKellar, "was the first law to be made and the first to be broken," and therefore children should be taught the beauty of obedience.

Source: The Dominion (Wellington), 17 November 1926, Page 2.

CHINESE FAIRY TALES

FOR DOMINION CHILDREN
NECESSITY FOR OBEDIENCE

THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED

Through the centuries the Chinese have jealousy guarded treasures and antiques, but plunder and pillage that has been rife in the Orient, particularly in recent years, has had the tendency to release them for more intimate study by Europeans.

And so, through the agency of an enterprising young New Zealand woman, Mrs Coralie McKellar, several unique Oriental gems — some of which can be associated with 400 years B.C. — have found their way into the Dominion. Not only are they studded with particular interest to those associated with mythology, but they are destined to play an important part in inculcating into the minds of children of this country the necessity for maintaining respect for ancestors and obedience. Many of the articles in Mrs McKellar's possession have "an attractive moral," and it is the intention of "the fairy tale woman" to utilise their value in this respect, during the course of a series of lectures to he delivered in the schools.

Included amongst the collection are some beautiful replicas of originals now reposing in Chinese museums, a particularly interesting antique being the famous crystal tree of Shantung, which was built as a memorial to Confucius by one of bis sons. In China a "perfect child" — one is tempted to ask if there is such a being — who has not failed in obedience for three years, is given a little crystal tree, which he treasures all his life, and which in death is placed upon his grave. It is on articles of this description that appealing fairy tales, which have not cruelty and a dominating fear as their basis—hinge; and they should hold a particular appeal for the plastic mind. Religion is not contained in Chinese fairy tales, but they have made obedience as their central theme. It is the idea of Mrs McKellar to demonstrate this obedience and its reward to children in New Zealand schools by means of the many fairy tales she has collected.

Mrs McKellar will be remembered for the fact that she was in Wellington about two and a half years ago as impresario for M. Skalski, the Polish pianist, but journalism has played no small part in her career, and 18 months ago she went to the New Hebrides to report upon the Condominium. She was also organiser in Australia for the Egypt Exploration Society, and collected several thousands of pounds, being responsible for some marvellous antiques being delivered to the Commonwealth, direct from Tutankhamen's tomb. If possible she would like to have some sent out to the Dominion.

Source: New Zealand Times (Wellington), 17 November 1926, Page 3.

OLD CHINA

ITS ANCIENT ARTS
A VISITOR'S COLLECTION

TREAT FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN

Few people have so far been privileged to view such a wonderful and extensive collection of Chinese antiques as was shown to a reporter yesterday by Mrs Coralie Stanley McKellar, an ex-Australian journalist of repute, who is at present on a visit to Southland. Mrs McKellar has been away from her native shores for over seven years and has returned, with a unique set of ancient Chinese relics.

She has obtained permission from the Southland Education Board to give lectures in the various schools throughout the province to take the form of talks, or as she herself terms them "Fairy Tales," on her collection.

During her lectures she will wear the Chinese garments, which are in themselves sufficient to cause the connoisseur to envy, and display rare jade, crystal and agate trees to the children. Her stories will embrace history, travel, geography, mythology, amusements and industries of China.

Her collection has created remarkable interest in every place which she has visited and is of especial interest at the present time when the eyes of the world are focussed upon China.

A description of even the more important pieces would take considerable space. First there are three trees, symbols of various phases of Chinese life. The first of these is known as the Harvest Tree. It stands nine inches from the ground; the leaves are of jade, the fruit of crystal and the flowers of agate. Its history dates as far back as 200 B.C. The Bridal Tree, though not as imposing as its neighbour, is none the less impressive. It is of pure white crystal, and is the emblem signifying that the young Chinese wife is surrendered from her parents' house in a state of purity. The Oleander Tree of Prosperity is 12 inches high and a worthy example of the exquisite workmanship of the ancient Chinese. Mrs McKellar explained that the "perfect child" in China was one who had not failed in implicit obedience for three years. He, or she, was then given a miniature crystal tree which was treasured for life and in death placed upon the grave.

Next came the "Flying Horse" which was taken from the top of a Buddhist temple in the vicinity of Ho-nan many years ago. It is in a sense an incense burner, and was in common vogue among the students, who considered that it sped their desires for knowledge to the household gods.

A mandarin coat of unsurpassed beauty is also included in the collection. Mrs McKellar stated that it was wholly worked by blind women and woven from silk-worms which girls carried for months against their bodies so as to keep them warm till they were able to spin their silk. The secret of the Chinese white which it was almost an impossibility to stain had been lost.

"Obedience" and "Love of learning," are to form the main features of Mrs McKellar's addresses. She said that religion was not contained in the Chinese fairy tales, but they were destined to play an important part in inculcating into the minds of children the necessity for maintaining respect for their ancestors and in teaching the children to obey their parents. An attractive moral was embodied in every story connected with the relics and she intended to utilise their value in that respect during her series of educational addresses.

Mrs McKellar herself is an interesting personality. She has been editress and specialty writer for many of the metropolitan papers in Australia and New Zealand. On one occasion she visited the South Sea Islands and wrote up the Condominium for a syndicate of metropolitan journals. She has in Australia poetised national events and was known as the "Thomas Burke of Australia." The works from her pen are many and varied. A novel "The Iscariot" has been favourably reviewed by Leon Gordon and others. "The Brown Hand" a book of songs is also numbered among her works. It is a topical Australian book and the authoress has now in mind the writing of a book on the same lines relating to New Zealand. "Silhouettes of the Street," a book of poems comes also from her pen. These poems are all the result of experiences in the slums of the Australian towns to which she penetrated in many disguises. Mrs McKellar hopes to put a play, as yet half finished, in the hands of the printers when she goes to England in about six months' time.

This is her second visit to Invercargill. Just over two years ago she appeared here as impresario for M. Skalski, the Polish pianist. She was organising secretary, in Australia, for the Egypt Exploration Society with Lord Allenby and the Hon. Hugh D. Mclntosh at its head, and collected several thousands of pounds, being instrumental in having some marvellous antiques brought out to Australian museums direct from Tutankhamen's tomb.

Mrs McKellar, who is accompanied by her mother, intends to stay in Southland for three weeks, after which she is to visit the schools in the northern provinces. She then leaves for England and later hopes to visit South Africa, America, and China.

Source: Southland Times (Invercargill), 17 February 1927, Page 8.

CHINA AND THE CHINESE

THEIR WORK OF LONG AGO
INTERESTING TREASURES IN GISBORNE

Although China is to-day regarded as a most backward country, the rest of the civilised world owes much to the customs in vogue in that land while the Britons had woad as their only clothing. This was the impression given to a Herald reporter yesterday afternoon by Mrs. Coralie Stanley McKellar, an Australian journalist, who is at present in Gisborne in connection with a series of lectures to New Zealand school children. "Our western civilisation owed more to China than we ever dreamed of," she said, when stating that almost every aspect of our modern life had its counterpart, or at least its genesis, in ancient China.

Mrs. McKellar has been to China on several occasions, and on one of her visits she acquired some priceless antiques which are claimed to be worth £10,000. These are three ornamental trees and an incense burner in the shape of a horse. Not the least interesting are the trees, the making of which must have been the work of years, being all done by hand, which, with the aid of friction on sand, wore down the various parts to tho desired shapes. One of these ornament plants, the harvest tree, is claimed to date back to 200 B.C. It stands 9in. high, having leaves of crystal and leaves of agate. The bridal tree is one of the most beautiful, and has an impressive history attached to it. It is of pure white crystal, and is the emblem signifying that the young Chinese wife is surrendered from her parents' home in a state of purity. The leaves represent orange blossoms, and from this originated our custom for the use of orange blossoms in the bridal veil. The oleander tree of prosperity is 12in. high, and is a worthy example of the exquisite workmanship of the ancient Chinese. It was explained by Mrs. McKellar that the perfect Chinese child was one that had not disobeyed for three years, the reward for this being a miniature crystal tree, which was treasured for life and at death was placed upon the grave.

The flying horse that was taken from the top of a Buddhist temple many years ago in the vicinity of Honan, was claimed to be the oldest of all of this interesting group, being made, it is contended, over 4000 years ago. In those days glazing operations were of the crudest nature, the coloring, substance being poured over the object and rubbed on to the desired place by hand, and in this case the worker's hand must have slipped, for there is a large slain of blue down the whole side of the ornament.

Commenting further upon the manner in which many of our present-day customs have been adopted from the Chinese, Mrs. McKellar stated that many of our fairy tales are copied from those of the Chinese. Religion was not contained in the fairy tales, but they were calculated to play an important part in inculcating into the minds of the children the necessity of maintaining a respect for their ancestors, and in teaching the children to obey their parents. An attractive moral was embodied in the relics she brought with her, and she intended to utilise their value in that respect during her series of educational addresses.

Mrs. McKellar, who is accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Stanley, is no stranger to Gisborne, having been here twice several years ago. She intends leaving for Opotiki at the end of next week.

Source: Poverty Bay Herald (Gisborne), 10 September 1927, Page 16.