February
27, 1977
Dear
Mr Plant:
It
is always a pleasure to use my collection of Poultry Books and pictures to
help someone with a problem. Also a pleasure to hear from someone in
Australia, where I have never had a correspondent.
Enclosed
herewith you will find a copy of the Jan Steen painting The
Poultry Yard. He was, indeed, a Dutch Master, 1626-1679. I have made a
Xerox of the information on the back of another copy, which I got in Holland.
This
picture was used as the cover for the American
Bantam Association Yearbook for 1961, and inside that book I gave a
write-up about it, of which herewith also a Xerox. This is probably from which
your friend quoted.
Now
that I look at it with a magnifying glass, under a strong light, I wonder what
I could have had in mind about a Black Cochin Bantam? I must have been using
powerful imagination and enthusiasm about the little black hen just to the
left of the White Polish. I am sorry and ashamed to have raised your hopes.
The
Dutch claim to have had sea Captains bringing poultry from the Far East long
before the English and some of their claims are borne out by the paintings of
another Dutch Master, Hondecoeter, 1636-1695. I have many Museum photocopies
of his pictures, and Crested White Polish, Black Breasted Reds, Mottled White
and possibly some Partridge color are clearly recognisable, but no
Bantams, nor anything like Cochin shape and feathering.
I
am sure if the Dutch could claim to be the first to have Cochin Bantams, they
would. But I have the Dutch Bantam Standard and can read enough Dutch to see
that they give the same 1860 story of the Cochin Bantams being brought to
England, that was given by W.B.Tegetmeir, in the Poultry
Book, 1867, page 251. This story in H.H.Price’s article, from the ABA
Yearbook 1953, is also enclosed. Again a disappointment.
I
believe the Cochin Bantams were probably brought to near perfection in China,
over many years’ time, possibly for the nobility only, since they were found
by Europeans in the Palace grounds. But I doubt very much that records of the
process were kept. Our only hope of knowing would be if representations of
them appear in paintings, screens or ceramics known if you get any useful
information from Peking. I will watch exhibitions of Chinese things here.
Your
name Pekin for these little fellows is much more accurate than our Cochin.
It is of record that the originals came from Peking. If you bring out a book
please pt me down for a copy. I have only two Australian books, The
King of Fowls by Marshall, and Australasian
Book of Poultry, 1899, by Compton.
Cordially,