THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Local Gallery Presents Christmas Art Show
.w o? mr w rmm Ura mr amm
The recent world-wide boom in
art, combined with the usual surge
in gift-giving, has made the For-
sythe Gallery a busy place as the
Christmas season approaches.
The gallery, owned and operat-
ed by Mrs. Jay Forsythe, and lo-
cated at 201 Nickels Arcade, holds
year-long exhibitions of original
art from which works may be
bought.
Mrs. Forsythe remarked that
"business certainly does increase
around Christmas time, in fact I
should say that this is our most
active season."
Increased Interest
She said that the increased in-
terest in the purchase of art is
due to people buying Christmas
presents for their friends, and to
the fact that many take the op-
portunity offered by the season to
buy something for themselves.
Husbands and wives may decide
to combine their gifts and buy
"something of real artistic value"
for each other and their home at
Christmas time, Mrs. Forsythe,
commented.
EXHIBITS OILS-Among the large collection of oils exhibited
in the Christmas collection at the Forsythe Gallery is this oil by
Irving Kaufman of the art department titled "Three Stand." In
addition to the oils included at the present Forsythe show,
sculpture, silver jewelry, etchings, lithographs, and ancient Peru-
vian pottery are featured.
FOREIGN WORKS-In addition to work by Ann Arbor artists,
the present show at the Forsythe Gallery features pictures by
many foreign workers. "Paysage a Contre-Jour" an etching by
Mario Prossions is shown in this category. Prossions was born in
Constantinople. Originally Greek, he became a French citizen
later. He has achieved an international reputation, and has
exhibited at competitions throughout the world,
English Yule Season Festive, Religious
By EILEEN ALEXANDER
"God rest ye merry gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay;'
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas day."
These four lines from a well-
known carol sum up very well the
spirit of the Yuletide in England,"
the combination of the religious
and the festive.
Probably the most outstanding
part of the British celebration,
next to the serious aspects, is the
emphasis on food and feasting.
The traditional boar's head dates
back to before the middle ages,
and each year at Queen's College,
Oxford, a boar's head is carried
into the dining hall with pomp
and solemnity. Fowl of various
kinds is found in the majority of
homes, however.
Mince Pie for Happiness
Cakes, puddings, and pies of all
descriptions are consumed. Mince
pie is a particular favorite, for if
one eats this particular dish at a
different house during each of the
twelve days before Christmas, the
legend is that each pie will bring
one month of happiness during
the coming year.
Another portent of good fortune
is the traditional wassail bowl, a
beaker of hot spiced ale and toast-
ed apples. This beverage is used
in drinking to the good health of
those present at Christmas par-
ties and other gatherings.
In order to get the "makig"
for such Christmas entertaining,-
women often went a-Thomasing,
going from house to house to col-
lect flour for cakes and bread. The
donor received a sprig of holly or
mistletoe in return.,
Caroling Brings Visitors
Despite the fact that this cus-
tom has largely died out, another
occasion for visiting various
homes still remains, namely carol-
ing. Many of the numerous carols
which are so closely associated
with the season date back to the
middle ages.
Holly, ivy, mistletoe, and other
greens have long been used for
decorations at this time of year,
and both churches and homes
sport an abundance of greenery.
The Christmas tree has been used
in England since it was introduced
by Prince Albert in the middle of
the nineteenth century.
Origin of Mistletoe
Kissing under the mistletoe, in-
cidentally, is a custom entirely
British in origin. In country dis-
tricts kissing boughs are made,
which consist of iron hoops bent
in the form of a crown and cov-
ered with greenery, apples,
candles, and, without fail, mistle-
toe. In addition, in nprthern Eng-
land small presents often dangle
from the bough on colored rib-
bons.
Great care is taken in disposing
of holiday greens, and the old-
fashioned never throw them away,
but burn them or give them to
the cows.
Yule Logs Remain
Yule logs may still be found in
the rural areas, remnants of a
custom whose origin has been lost
in time. This log is lit with brands
from the previous years' fire, and
it is considered unlucky to loan
any fire between Christmas Eve
and New Years' Day. In some
areas even ashes are not thrown
out on Christmas Day.
In place of the yule log, sticks
of ash wood bound together are
often used, each bunch being
burned in turn as- the merrymak-
ers are served cider.
Traditions from England
Many features of Christmas in
the United States are based on
the British traditions and, cus-
toms. Dickens' "A Christmas
Carol" is an annual Christmas
tale and a large portion of the
cards and Christmas music has
come from England. At least one
Christmas card in any group por-
trays a coach arriving at an Eng-
lish country inn in the middle of a
snowfall.
Christmas in Britain incorpor-
ates some customs which have
never found a place in the United
States, but many have, and serve
to link Christmas in both lands.
Some parents tape the Christ-
mas season as a good time to buy
"a work of original art for their
children," to give them the nucle-
us of a future art collection or to
stimulate their interest in art.
Notes Original Idea
Mrs. Forsythe noted that the
original idea behind the establish-
ment of the gallery was to "allow
people in the Ann Arbor area the
opportunity to see and, if they
wish, to purchase, a large variety
of fine original art works."
The Forsythe Gallery was first
established 15 ye srs ago in Mrs.
Forsythe's home, largely o fill this
need for a place of exhibition. At
that, time, the only -other place
where Ann Arbor artists could ex-
hibit their work was the Ann Ar-
bor Art Association shows.
Moved in 1957
The gallery was moved to its
present location in May 1957.
In the present Christmas show
the Forsythe Gallery is presenting
a wide range of art, including the
works of Ann Arbor artists.
Paintings and prints by many
foreign artists, rubbings taken
from the carved reliefs at the
ruins at Ankor Wat in Cambodia,
Peruvian pottery dating from the
fifth to sixth centuries and theatre
atre advertising posters from tle
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