New-York tribune., 1873-05-23
FINE ARTS.
THE DI CEsNoLA COLLECTION
CYPRUS ANTIQUITIES AT THE METROPOLITAN Mn


pctn uspOstEd IN tho building ntly
| by them in Fourteehthst.-ths vell-mogn Douglas
mansion, Laif way between tho sixth and seventhayas
and on Monday next the galleries will De opened 10
the public. The chief attraction will OF course befo,
everybody-the now worldanous collection Of antiqui-
| ties from The Island Of Cyprus made by Gen. Laid
Palma d Cesnola United states ConsuIGenera for cy-
prusan italian by BIRTH an American by aAoptiOnana
propose TO give brief but comprehepsiye aceoust
! Of the collection which, In the temporary alb
| sence Of catalogue, will. we trust %
found useful by readers. We may begin by saying
that good of the D Cesuoa Collection arc few
and not very accessible. Tie best that has been written
is the by Nr. Hitchcock, which published wi.h
rude but abundant and useful illustrations In EareT,
Mogo-ne for July, 1872. This article formed the spb
stauce OF a very interesting lecture delivered b. Mr.
Hitchcock IN the Winter of isII-2 before Tho Trustees
OF the Museum and number Of invited guests Til,
lecture, afterwsrd reprinted have sai1 was the
first clear. authoritative, and popular account We bad
in English OF the collection; first definite kuoWL
edge OF It's value derived from this quarter Herr
Johannes Doci, in bis valuable paper the Cesuoa
Collection tDe ssmmung CcsnOla beschriebeu read 10
fore the Imperial Academy Of Sciences VI ST. Petersburg
Dec. 12 ls52, and just published, auces 10 the article
in Harper as one Of the few Authorities the subect
and describing In detail tho beautifully executed as-
tratons that add much to the value Of his pub
hcatOn he careful TO give credit 10 the anonymous"
American author In every case where his iusra-
ons tad been anticipated. Heir Doels article has 90
illustrations, than double the number Gzs of Mr..
Hitchcock's. IL Is 10 Mr.. Hitchcock that in
tie possession u this invaluable treasure,
for by bis lecture, many times repeated, MS Writings
and hs unweared private appeals no forced the subject
upon the notice Of people, and created strong de-
sire among our educated men aud women % secure tho
collection, and at last he !uGlcaccd mau-tOo
generous and retiring benamcd-that be advanced
the money necessary TO tie entire collection for
New-York
The latest publication relative 10 the Cesnola sntiqu
ties Is that made under the double edorshiD OF Mr.
Newton Of the British Museum and % Mr Sidney COlyn.
With some not particularly valuable PREDATORY mat
ter this publication consists of Photographic copies Of
a few OF the important pieces o. the collection.
Like all English publications II tins nature, it, price
keeps out Of the reach Of the general public fact The
less 10 be regretted because the selection Of 0bjoos
photographed gives the s'lmmest notion Of the
Of the collection. and because also. neither Mr Newton,
arch9Ologist. whose pretcngOns out Of al pro-
portion 10 bis deserts Mr. Coyin writer.
with special knowledge Of Cyprus, has added any
thing to the knowledge the subject which
mon property.
The sOryio Cen D Cesnolas diggings in Cyprus does
not need to be retod here As IL has turned our his
appointment 70 the ConsIlGeneFalship OF Cyprus
fortunate event, merely for the United States.
but for the civilized world. The story, well told in
Harper by Mr. Hitchcock is that reflects the highest
credit upon the discoyerer's patience, Ingenuity, good
sense, knowledge OF human nature and iBde-
pendence OF judgment. It Is to this last
named most valuable quality in an explorer
that we his discovery Of the temple Of
Venus at Golgos by which he became the possesaor OF
nearly 200 statues, 700 fne heads, among them
several Of colossal size, many hundreds Of smaller
heads carved in limestone belonging 4 the
Assyran, Egyptian. and Greek periods aud finally DO
less than thrty-iour inscriptions in the Cyprots
language with others in PhTncian and Greek. Tie
plorers sent out by the French Government who
on the ground when di Cesnola arrived had made up
their minds that the temples OF Venus were always aud
invariably erected the nights and loyal 20 pre-
conceived theory refused 10 listen TO any suggestions
that discoveries might be made by digging at the foot
Of the hills Di Ccsnoa, however, with that iriepend
ence OF authority that makes Italians so Ike to
Americans, determined TO try the lower ground. and
was almost rewarded by the discovery Of the
Great Temple that made him famous
In spite Of the jealOuses and nrgues OF the German,
French and English Consuls, who worked with the sal
tan and his Governors 70 prevent him nos only from
digging, but from removing his treasures from the
island. di Cesnola carried his explorations and
ceeded in getting all that he found safely transported
10 England. One precious convoy, however destined or
America, GraHfc0uuier 70 chow what tic nature
OF his great find" selection OF the vau.
able oil jects-was lost az In England Only
tion OF the entire collection was shown, but it at
tracted the attention OF tho whole society Of
learned and artistic people. In France, in Ger
many In Italy too, great enthusiasm was excited, aud
each nation made effort to she collection for
herself Russia too, nbbed at T., but, fnily, II sp
peared that the practical issue lay between England
and America. The English very coyetous and hr.
Gladstone especially exerted his strong influence in
favor Of s purchase did also Prof Rawlinson and
Dr. Samuel Birch. the learned Curator OF E@ pan An
tiques in the British Museum TIE obstacle was net
Of course, the lack Of means simply the refusal
of tue Museum authorities TO keep the collection To-
gether and to call it by the OF its discoyerer D
who : Of his American citizenship aud
who is also bound to his adopted county by more
intimate ties not only strongly de-
TO have the collection lodged IN
New-YOrk, but made it an absolutely In
dspensable condition Of its purchase by whomsOever
that should bear his condition founded AZ the
majority Of people will no doubt agree IN thinking in an
honorable pride and in vanity. SO while the authon
ties Of the Museum we're hunming and having debat
ing whether they should lose the great treasure or
should consent do for di Cesnoa-a foreigner, and
what was worse American, what they had done for
Observation-Disclosures and Towney aud Egin, and
Newton, and LayardAmerica quietly stepped IN IN me
person Of a wealthy New-York merchant. who on tis
occasion did the first time the Ocean CsJs
for an OF splendid munifceucc, and without any
further discussion the coveted treasure became pos
session OF our people.
II is certainly piece OF great good fortune that
building been found well suited TO the lodging OF
this splendid treasurerOye the one IN which the pup
lie will soon be free study and admire it. Although
not are-pl oof-which is much to be regreted-itss0
isolated and 50 simply planned that With the Danger
az ire ought TO prove practically ucOnsiGorable Al an
events IL is a very pleasant house conveniently sta
ated and well suited TO the purpose 10 which 10
devoted. Every room in 1t is well lighted aud large
and the stairs lead to the secoud hOor are amps
and OF easier than used to seeing in TINS
country even in our public buildings. on entering the
visitor Guds himself In large hall with this large star
way facing him. on either side OF which he VIII passlo"