A portion of the Topel and Cheng Art Collection is on display in the Reading Room on the second floor, along the east wall. The display contains hanging scrolls and carved objects. It is curated by the University Museums.

Hanging Scrolls

Ink, paint, and paper. Gifts of Drs. David G. Topel and Jay-Lin Jane Topel.

Hanging scroll with fish

Hanging scroll showing large central koi fish twisted and jumping out of the water with pale blue waves below, four smaller koi swimming below, with some sea vegetation, 4 large central Chinese characters at top with vertical rows of calligraphy on each side.

Hanging scroll with shrimp

Hanging scroll showing cluster of lightly sketched shrimps amidst pale sea vegetation and rocks in gray and light blue with three columned calligraphy inscription on the far left.

Hanging scroll with ducks

Hanging scroll showing multiple ducks in a pond with vegetation, one duck in flight above and a three columned calligraphy inscription on the top right.

Hanging scroll with pair of birds

Hanging scroll showing two kingfishers on bottom right with prunus blossoms and branches on left stretching across the paper with three and a quarter columned calligraphy inscription on the top right.

Chu-Chao Liu, a Chinese artist, created the following 4 hanging scrolls in 1990.

Long scroll with Chinese text at the top showing dark green trees in the center above a red house with people in it and a waterfall above
Translation:
Secluded living in a remote valley
A painting for Professor Jay-lin Jane-Topel by Chu-Chao Liu
Long scroll with Chinese text at top showing trees on the left in the foreground, the edges of a body of water in the middle-ground, and mountains surrounded by fog at the top in the background
Translation: Secluded living in a remote valley
A painting for Professor Jay-lin Jane-Topel by Chu-Chao Liu
Long scroll with Chinese text at the top showing one waterfall flowing through 3 trees
Translation:
Clouds emerge from green trees.
Flying water-falls pound the mountain.
Green leaves cover the flow of the river.
Clouds move around the mountain
A gift to Jay-lin Jane-Topel from Uncle Shu-Yen Cheng
Long scroll with Chinese text at the top showing many waterfalls cascading around a few trees
Translation:
Clouds mixed with rain on the top of the green mountain
Stacks of powerful water-falls flow into a crystal clear river

Carved objects

Carvings of jade, stone, and wood, most dating to the 19th and 20th centuries.

Gifts of Drs. David G. Topel and Jay-lin Jane Topel unless otherwise noted.

1 - Teapot with Bamboo Handle and Spout

A blackish brown teapot with a flat bulbous bottom, a straight-sided neck, a bamboo-like handle and spout, and a lid pierced in a leaf pattern with a round finial.
20th century, China, Ceramic

2 - Teapot

A brownish copper-colored teapot with a short straight spout and small, almost circular handle, a short squat-shaped body decorated with curving orangey brown lines to create a stone-like pattern, and a lid topped with a stylized dog of Fu finial.
20th century, China, Redware pottery

3 - Cherry Blossom Redware Teapot, 4 - Teacups

A brown teapot with a branch-like handle, spout, and finial, and a short and squat body with molded branch forms on the body along with yellow colored flowers. The teapot is surrounded by four small and plain redware cups without handles.
20th century, China, Redware pottery

5 - Bamboo Redware Teapot

Light orangish brown teapot with a straight-sided body resembling a standing bunch of bamboo reeds of various thicknesses and a flat top. The lid is flat, and the spout and handle resemble bamboo reeds.
20th century, China, Redware pottery

6 - Teapot

A dark brown colored teapot with a round handle, an outward curved spout, a cup-shaped body featuring circular floral designs, and a lid with ridged diamond-shaped finial.
date unknown, Cloisonné, Gift of Neva Petersen

7 - Jade Teapot

A dark green teapot with a squat circular body and a bamboo handle extending into a branch with a flower on the side of the teapot. There's a flower atop the triangular top of the handle on the lid.
20th century, China, Jade

8 - Jade Teapot

Green lobed teapot made of jade.
20th century, China, Jade

9 - Redware Teapot with Bowl and Teacups

Brick red shallow bowl with straight sides holding a brick red teapot with a rounded body, straight spout and curved handle. Six cups that slightly flare at the lips surround the bowl.
20th century, China, Redware pottery

10 - Creamer

White creamer with paneled body featuring blue floral decorations in various patterns and flared lip with upward pointed spout and pierced work.
20th century, Royal Copenhagen (Danish, founded 1775), Porcelain

11 - Sugar Bowl

White sugar bowl with wide paneled body featuring blue decorations in various patterns with central delicate floral motif and outward flaring lip with laced-like pierced work.
20th century, Royal Copenhagen (Danish, founded 1775), Porcelain

12 - Coffeepot

Tall white coffeepot with a bulbous body that tapers to a narrow neck featuring blue decorations in various patterns with central delicate floral motif, a long curved spout and a round domes lid with round finial.
20th century, Royal Copenhagen (Danish, founded 1775), Porcelain

13 - Cup and Saucer

Eight white cups with delicate c-scroll handles and saucers, all having blue decoration all over in various patterns with central delicate floral motif.
20th century, Royal Copenhagen (Danish, founded 1775), Porcelain

14 - Pair of Teapots

• Pair of white teapots with blue dragon and cloud decorations, round bases, slightly egg shaped bodies whose tops have stepped areas.
19th century, China, Porcelain

 

15 - Coffeepot

Tall blue and white coffeepot with curved spout, inverted S-scroll handle, and drum like body with blue floral motif on center of flat side and neck tapering inward and swelling slightly up to the lid with an owl finial.
20th century, Porcelain

16 - Teapot

Blue and white teapot with narrow base and body swelling into a rounded shape featuring blue floral, leaf, and branch motif with extra shading and gilded accents. The neck is short with larger bowl-like area where the lid with tulip finial rests.
20th century, Russia, Porcelain, gilding

 

17 - Redware Teapot

Small plain brick red egg-shaped teapot with flat bottom, s-curve spout and ear-shaped handle.
20th century, China, Redware pottery

18 - Contemporary Teapot

Speckled gray teapot with bean-shaped body, a very short spout and a circular inset lid with 2 curved pieces holding a loose red ball.
20th century, China, Ceramic

19 - Stone Teapot

Stone teapot with small pale yellow brown round body carved into a curving pointed form featuring white veins that spread into purplish brown and a spout at the end point of the body.
20th century, China, Stone

20 - Teapot with Buddha Finial

Teapot with a bell-shaped body covered in a thinner and thicker band of low relief work with Chinese characters and spout being the neck and head of a dragon and the handle being the tail. Lid finial is a laughing Buddha.
20th century, China, Ceramic

21 - Jade Teapot with Dragon

Light yellow-ish jade carved teapot with a head as a spout and a tail as a handle with scales on the sides
20th century, China, Jade

22 - Teapot

Small marsh colored teapot with a rounded body featuring relief molded decoration of Buddha and carp with Chinese characters.
20th century, China, Metal

23 - Teapot with Linked Circles Handles

Dark reddish brown teapot with dome shaped body covered in incised Chinese characters and a handle that is a larger circle on top of a smaller circle with a loose ring hanging off from it.
20th century, China, Ceramic

24 - Teapot with Chinese Characters

Blackish brown teapot with a gourd shaped body covered with incised Chinese characters and geometric lines accented with yellow and circular beads hanging around the neck.
20th century, China, Ceramic