Headlines of Issue No 117 (December 2002)

• Two lectures at Astronomers' Hall
  The Society members attended lectures at the Toranomon Astronomers' Hall.
  
  
• A tour of the Herschel House (2)
  About the Japanese translation of the tour guide.
  
  
• 2003 Herschel tour in March
  Notice on the next year's Herschel tour.
  
  
• Cloisonné works of Caroline's comets (4)
  The last part of the essay by Ms Nobuko Iizawa, a Society member.
  
  
• Entrance to Herschel Archives graced by "Pegasus & Comet 1790I"
  Please read the "Main article of the issue".
  
  

Main article of the issue

Entrance to Herschel Archives graced by "Pegasus & Comet 1790I"

Seiji Kimura

Mrs K Ishida, who had entrusted me one year ago a considerable sum of money, proposed to acquire "Pegasus & Comet 1790I", a cloisonné masterwork of Ms N Iizawa and present it to Mr John Herschel-Shorland to celebrate the completion of his Herschel Archives. I have been preparing to visit England for the coming William Herschel Society's committee meeting of 17th September when I was informed of her plan and soon wrote Mr J Herschel-Shorland who is also a corresponding member of the committee explaining her proposal and asked to meet me in Bath.

His reply shortly arrived said that it was very kind of me to suggest a presentation of the cloisonné work by our artist but unfortunately he would not be able to come down to Bath for the committee meeting on 17th September. He also wrote that there was a possibility in London on 14th or 15th September and whether this was any good for me. He added he was still working on the Herschel Archives there and would no doubt be doing so for many years to come.

I wrote that "I look forward to meeting you two in London very soon and having a pleasant time after handing you another self of Ms Iizawa who is now in hospital in Hokkaido hopefully for a very short stay. Her work is really exceptionally fine and worth putting on display in a corner of your unrivaled archives."

He wrote to me in reply that "My wife unfortunately will not be able to make it, but if I may, I would like to bring my daughter with me in her place. She would be very pleased to meet you." We met on 14th September as we promised, in Bryanston Court Hotel which is our Herschel tour's regular hotel. Mr Herschel-Shorland was pleased with the heavy present. His daughter Catherine Anne, who I saw after an interval of just ten years, knows cloisonné technique well and was lavish in her praise for high quality of the work. She recently got a job in Tate Gallery and a new house in Greenwich. I hope we will be able to meet again when I visit the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

I received another letter from Mr and Mrs Herschel-Shorland after I came home. It said that "It was a great occasion to meet you in London last weekend and to be handed the lovely cloisonné from Mrs Ishida. We have also sent a letter to Ms Nobuko iizawa admiring her work."

Their letters of hearty thanks to Ms Ishida and Ms Iizawa.

"A really exquisite cloisonné of Pegasus by Nobuko Iizawa now graces the entrance to the Herschel Archives. It is a great honour to have it and we thank you for your generosity. It will remind us of the friendship now existing between the Herschel family in England and the Herschel Society of Japan. We view it with pride."

"My husband and I are delighted and honoured to have your exquisite cloisonné. We have read your accompanying explanations with great interest, and have formed the opinion from your descriptions of Hokkaido that you must be a poet."