Jeanne Preus Rost Collection
Photo courtesy of Luther College Archives
Jeanne Preus Rost
July 1978
Jeanne Preus Rost, ’41, purchased the 53 pieces of Chinese cloisonné
in this collection starting in 1950, continuing until her death August 4,
1984. Upon her death, she bequeathed the entire collection to her sister,
Linka Preus Johnson, who, in turn, donated the cloisonné to Luther
College a year later.
Rost focused her collecting on Chinese cloisonné. Two influences,
her interest in Lutheran missions in China, and her brother Rolf Brand Preus’
World War II flying experiences in the area, motivated her collecting enthusiasm.
Rost collected the cloisonné in the United States, working exclusively
with antique dealers and antiquities merchants.
Rost was born April 30, 1919, the daughter of J.C.K. Preus and his wife,
Dikka, a well-known Luther family. After graduating from Luther in 1941,
she worked for the Federal Housing Administration, the U.S. Air Transport
Command, and finally the U.S. Department of State from 1941-1947. She also
worked in American embassies in Oslo, Norway, and Stockholm, Sweden, from
1948-1951 and the Veterans Administration from 1951-1952. In 1952 she married
Lawrence E. Rost who preceded her in death in 1970.
Rost was a generous donor to Luther College. Some of her major gifts were
the Rost Memorial Organ in the Center for Faith and Life, the reception
area in the Jenson Hall of Music, and funds for Preus Library intended for
rare books and books focusing on Scandinavian studies. She received a Distinguished
Service Award from the College in 1978 in recognition of her "accomplishments
as an employee of the U.S. Government and her distinguished contributions
to Luther College" (Distinguished Service Award Citation, October 13,
1978).
Cloisonné is defined succinctly in the Art & Architecture
Thesaurus (second ed.) published on behalf of the Getty Art History
Information Program by Oxford University Press in 1994.
Cloisonné is "a technique of enameling in which the design is
laid down in thin metal strips on a metal or porcelain ground, forming chambers
(cloisons) to receive the vitreous enamel pastes."
The piece is fired after it receives the pastes. The rough, uneven surface
is then ground smooth and polished off flush with the wires. The resulting
surface is even and smooth, typically with a dull or matte finish. Chinese
cloisonné objects are often decorated in intricate designs with pictorial
scenes, stylized floral patterns and spiral and scroll figures predominating.
The designs are typically painted in a variety of clear, bright colors.
Since enamel is a form of glass, cloisonné objects can be easily
cleaned. Other less well-known types of enamel work that are similar to
cloisonné are champlevé and repoussé.
The origin of cloisonné is estimated to be early, perhaps around
the 13th century BCE in Mycenaean Greece. Records indicate that Chinese
cloisonné began to be created in the 14th century. The technique
was undoubtedly brought to China by traders from the west. After the Boxer
Rebellion in 1900, when European armies fought in China, cloisonné
became better known in Europe and America.
The Chinese cloisonné in the Jeanne Preus Rost Collection consists
mostly of small utilitarian containers such as vases, bowls, boxes, plates,
cups and ash trays. They are on permanent exhibit in a black lacquered display
cabinet, also a gift from Rost, in the Preus Library Rare Book Room.
Ref: Jane Kemp’s personal interview with Linka Preus Johnson, March
7, 1995; Chinese Cloisonné: The Clague Collection. Phoenix,
AZ: Phoenix Art Museum, 1980; Jenyns, R. Soame. Chinese Art II. New
York, NY: Rizzoli, 1966, 1980.
Jeanne Preus Rost Collection: 1
| 2 | 3
| 4 | 5
|
Updated
11/12/2003
|
