Rhodochrosite (Gift: Empire of Japan to USA in 1893) - image 1

Rhodochrosite (Gift: Empire of Japan to USA in 1893) - image 2

Rhodochrosite (Gift: Empire of Japan to USA in 1893)

$8,000.00

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This piece is a rare locality specimen, with a long history that makes it one of my favorite historic specimens from our past archives (we bought this in an old collection and sold it to Rich Geiger in the early 2000s). Of course, as a prelude… the label!!!! As for the historic specimen itself: it has unusual, curved, flattened disc-shaped crystals and is notable simply for the unusual habit for the species; and is not from the usual more common Japan localities. It was reported in INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE MINERALS (1970) that, "Although the mine was closed long ago, rhodochrosite crystals found at Kuratani are worth notice. They form flat rhombohedral faces which are so curved as to form radial and somewhat petalloidal groups, in roseflower-like aggregates." Larry's label notes state: We believe that this specimen was exhibited at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 (at which there was a major Japanese governmental and institutional presence). Some of the mineral specimens brought by Japan were then donated with ceremony to the Smithsonian Institute. This old, yellowed Smithsonian label in fact notes the date (1893) corresponding to the fair donation, and that the piece was accessioned from the Imperial Japanese Commission. Traded out of the Smithsonian in the 1970s, this piece has since been in the private collections of only two people since: of Lawrence Conklin and the collection of Richard Geiger. When he started selling his collection, I purchased this from Larry in about 2005 and sold to Rich. The Imperial Japanese Commission organized Japan’s grand participation in the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair), which featured historical and cultural exhibits, the construction of the iconic Ho-o-den (Phoenix Pavilion), and the publication of two groundbreaking books on Japanese history and women's rights. Among those exhibits was a highly detailed Mines and Mining exhibit located in the north end of the Mines and Mining Building. The exhibition used maps, charts, and geological specimens to demonstrate Japan's rapidly modernizing industrial scale and mineral wealth. Following the closing of the 1893 World's Fair, many of the global mineral and gemstone displays were purchased or donated to establish the core foundation of the Field Museum's physical geology collection in Chicago (and apparently some went to the Smithsonian in DC, as well).