Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-31
Letter from Boston,
Museum of Fine ArIs-Ancient Pottery
siRnOr CIriIIO-New Lectures and Read
ers-New Books.
TrRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE
Boston, July 80, 1872

BOSTON, July 80, 1872.
You may remember that two or three years
ago good deal of interest was excited in the
lovers and students of ancient art, by an ac-
count of the treasures which Gen. Cesnola, L.
S. consul at Cyprus had found in the Necropo-
lis at Idalium, where he had opened about 5000
tOmbs. A portion of those articles are now the
property Of the Museum of Fine Arts in this
city, and are on exhibition at the Atheneum
great many valuable antiquities have been
lent by private collectors, and make the most
beautiful portion of the collection The whole
arc well arranged and eatalogued, and Mr.. C.
G. Perkins, always unwearied in his labors for
art education, has enriched the catalogue With
an interesting preface The $50 num-
bers given and described fall far short
of the real number of the articles
in the cases, for under "84S'' are grouped more
than 100 small objects in bronze, Assyrian sig
net rings, and Egyptian and Phenician amulets,
and under "949" more than fifty pieces of
ancient glass. The Oldest pieces of pottery are
some in the Cyprus collection, and three small
vases of black and brownish earth, from the
prehistoric Lacustrian habitations of Southern
Italy. These last belong to Mr.. T. G. Appleton's
very curious collection of vases which illus
trated the work of many centuries, beginning
with the Asialie first epoch from 776 TO 800 b.
q. The vases of this period were for the most
part made at Corinth, city famous for its pot
terry The second epoch, from 800 to 300 B. c.
is marked by figures painted in black upon a
red background; the third epoch, Graeco.Ita
ion from 20 b,r 49,.
in pure outline, drawn in red upon a
black ground, The fourth epoch from 200
to 100 B. c., is known chiefly by very
large, highly colored and deliberately decorated
vases from Apulia. Mr.. Appleton has also a
dozen or more examples of the succeeding pc
riod of decadence. The number and beauty of
the vases found in tombs is explained by the
burial customs of the Greeks and Etruscans.
The vases given as prizes at the Panathenaic
festivals were buried with the recipient; also
the vases which the deceased had especially val
ued. Others were hung upon the walls of the
grave chamber, while small and unglazed ones
were made on purpose for burial. The drawings
upon these vases are taken from the whole
range Of Greek mythology and from the Gus
toms Of private life. The case of antique lamps
with their various devices, is interesting. Mr..
Perkins says that among the most curious of
the objects found in the tombs of Idalium are
rudely shaped, and, in some instances, gaudily
painted toys. 1t has been suggested that mothers
placed these playthings in their childrens'
graves. The stone heads are also of great inter-
est, from the variety Of type which they exhibit.
The Asatic, Egyptian, Greek and Roman races,
who successfully ruled over Cyprus, are each
reflected in these mutilated monuments"
Somehow the sculpture and the vases do not
attract me half so much as the queer shape
less, meaningless toys that babies played with
three or four thousand years ago, and Rugged to
their little cold hearts when they were buried.
Some of the articles lent for this exhibition are
very beautiful, especially large Boule cabinet
of Louis Fourteenth's time; an Italian cabinet
of the sixteenth century, OF ebony inlaid with
the most remarkable bits Of colored marbles; a
heavy carved oak chest, with magnificent claw
feet, of the same date; and some fine Majolica
plates, all belonging to Mrs. T. B. Lawrence.
A curious dish by The famous Bernard Palissy,
who died in 1880, is hideous. II is brilliant
green, and covered with snakes, lizards and
other reptiles in high relief. Some of the Ma
joica plates are beautiful, some are very ugly,
but all are interesting, because Majolica was at
one time so famous that distinguished artists
made designs for it; and early in the sixteenth
century the Duke Alfonso d Este, who was a
iancier Of pottery, used it on his own table, in
place Of the plate which he pawned to meet the
expenses of war then going on with the
pope Among the Majoca specialties were
marriage plates, upon which lovers had nina
lures OF their betrothed painted, with most
hattering inscriptions in honor Of their beauty
or virtues; the plates were then finished with a
brilliant iridescent glare. Heaped with fruit or
confectionery, they were sent as presents to the
beloved Happy she!
Then there are a few Venetian and old German
drinking glasses, gorgeous with painting, and
half covered with ioyial Inscriptions a yery
yellow ivory statuette of the Madonna and
child, about $50 years old, in which the Madonna
wears q heavy silver crown, and one piece of
Luca della Robbias work. He was a famous
Forentine sculptor Of the 18th century, who,
after many TRIALS, succeeded In making an
enamel which would give to terra Gotta the dur
ability OF marble. He at first used pure white
enamel for figures in high relief on a
blue background; afterwards he introduced
other colors, and injured the effect Of his work.
Modern limitations have followed his deteiorated
rather than his earlier pure style 1t is said
mat THIS enamelled terra-cotta can bear all the
changes OF our climate and when the secret Of
the enamel is surely known, this style of sculp.
ture will be used here for ornamentinc the ont.
sides Of buildings, where now the onv means
Of obtaining color is the use of tiles, which often
produce charming effect. In the collection of
plaster casts, lent by Mr.. Perkins, is one from
a celebrated work in marble by Luca della Rob.
bia, "The Singing Boys" one Of a series Of re.
l'eis made for the balustrade Of the organ lott in