The New York herald., 1876-12-19
THE CURIUM TREASU RE.
WHAT THE ENGLISH PRESS SAYS OF GENERAL
DI cEsSoLAs DIscovEgY-THE LEAK IN THE
HISTORY OF ARr-f.THE LoRDLY WAY IN

WHICH AMERICANS DO Bl5lNEss.
From the Saturday Review. Dec. 2, 1s76.l
"A bitter Cyprus shalt thou sail TO. says Antinous
to 0dysseus when the latter, disguised bcggar, is
boasting about his tfayclg The name o! Cyprus has
become bitter indeed to tho English lover of art and of
Homeric scholarship Only icur years ago students
and artists had the modification OF seeing the largo
and varied collection OF cyprian antiquities which
General di Cesnois brought from the site OF Golgos
sold, after somo chaflcrng in this country. 10 an
American museum. Tho same thing has happened
morc by no fault are happy TO believe. on the
par, either Of the discovercr Of tho antiquities or of
the authorities of tho British Museum. The tale Of
the finding OF the temple at Curium is like
page from tho .'Arabian Nights" whilc tho
story OF its bref stay in England is merely repetition
Of passages too well known IN the history Of English
collections. Alter seiling his former collection to the
trustees OF the Metropolitan Museum in New York. for
500 000 General di Cesnola returned TO Cyprus
and began TO excavale the sites OF buried
cities. saamls, as he says in letter TO contempo
rary yielded him next to nothing, for tho princes OF
the house OF Lusignan had been there before
him. Curum seemed less promising; II was
q town OF which little is known The Argivcs
founded il, according to rumor mentioned by
Hcrodotus, though S,ephanus OF Byzantiun holds out
Tor Ph9niciau or Syrian eponymous settler. Steas
amor the tyrant of tho cy went over to tho Persian
side, learn from Herodous, in tho battle IN the
pam OF Salamis We also know that Curium was one
artists TO Esar Haddon II Is impossible tc how IL
came 10 perish so utterly that General d. Cesnoa was
among :, the nrst explorers who identified inc
site Tho most striking romans broken
columns. onder which the General found
that diggngs had been attempted Alter exca-
waiting to the depth OF some thirty eet. he came on
chamber IN the rock. wherein were throc rooms.
One full OF offerings la gold, second of treas
urcs OF silver aud the third OF relies in bronze 1t
only wanted fourth chamber, haunted by the LADY
OF tho Land, TO complete legend the style OF Sir
John Vaudeville Neither lady or dragon appeared.
hs aud mfr isfC inn ha nf fhn
Turks, General dl Cosnola brought his treasure to
England.
art has lor some years been fully recognized.
One OF the tributaries OF Thothmcs III, tho
island felt Egyptian influences before u came into
the hands Of Assyrians: Whether the Cyprans
were originally "Japhetcn race, as Mr.. Rawnson
calls them, not, there were several early colonies
OF Greeks in the country, and Ph9nician fac.orcs
not rare, while Greek and Phunician merchants
constantly coming and going. Now the temple
at Curum, II one may judge by the treasures, had
been
ENRICHED ny MEMBERS OF MANY RACES
tor a period OF at least thousand years Few
among the offerings perhaps be proved 10 be later
than the great golden bracelets which bear in Cyprot
characters, the name OF Evandros King OF Paphos, in
the seventh century c. On the other hand, Assyro-
ogiss assign almost Incredibly early date to some
o the cylinders whilc the official seal OF ThOhmes Ill.
takes US back far enough in all conscience How
Curium fell and by what means the temple treasure
escaped hcing sacked, wc do not know; but at all
events IL contains the history OF tho development OF
art through many centuries.
Thc collection has not yet been definitely arranged
with any attempt AZ chronological order Will IL be,
IN England. When the arrangement is we shall cx-
pect the silver and golden bowls taking prom
nent aud instructive position There very little
cient silver in European museums-though, during tho
last week, much has been found at MycenR-bccause
the metal becomes oxidizcd and OF dull clay color
and clay like scEcy. The peasants rather
in the habit o breaking any silver vessels they may
nnd IL digging in tho belief that they arc worthless
Tho Curium treasure, however,, includes many vases
Of elegant shape but especially remarkable is
golden bowl, which Is curously deco
rated. Animals with unmistakablo resem-
blanco to reindeer are scratched with much
spirit in band round the inside OF the vessel Tho
style at fiat vessel is almost OK
actly that which may be seen IN curious Assyrian
plato belonging to the Museum and representing as
il socms visible world The plate is lull OF slight
elevations, which stand Tor mountains and in each
HILL and valley tho figure Of a bear, lion deer is
the style, and Is easy 10 gree with the theory
OF Brunn illustrated lately by nr. A. S. Murray that
Homer in describing tho shicdo Achilles had work
OF thus sort in his mind moe elaborate design In
silver shows hero struggling with genuine Assyrian
lion. In other vessels the characteristic ornaments
Assyrian and Egyptian art ac, SO to speak, inter-
woven mixture or tins sefrt is apparently OF tho
essence OF phancian art Homer full Of anecdotes
OF crafty Phnnician tradcrs who brought gold ana
silver work towns tho seapoard OF Heilas, and
carried away kidnapped children and slaves The early
Greek designers would thus have the example of q
sty.c before them which, though somewhat bastard,
and perhaps even dcbased, was irec at least from
attic restrictions. Cypriot art on tho whole, camo
to that OF the Etrurans than OF any
II would be difficult TO trace tho exquisite dignity and
comeliness Greek anything learned from with.
anything Dut the ulVlne gilt OF the of
beauty which Transmitted the abored efforts OF earlier
peoples into perfection Still tho treasure OF Curium
docs contain wonderful collection OF these Efforts
the latest of which touched with the spirit OF
Greece. In the immense variety OF rings and OF other
jewclry
may be dscerncd. Many OF the rings almost bar
baric; they arc gold crclcts, with revolving seal
stone, silver clrcels which SO rused tGo
longer be turned round. 1t is very curl
Gus that the liner the gem intagllo the
coarscr and poorer IS the setting The most bcauti-
ful gem Is no doubt Boreas carrying OF
Orcithy,a-.the most precious example, says
Mr.. King, ''of Greek art just emerging from the
archaic stage yet brought to light" One OF the feet OF
Boreas is slightly distortcd II seems; but we
remember that on the chest of Cypsclus, according
Pausanias, snakes tails hath he IN place OF feet
This grocsque survival gives the chest OF Cypseus an
carrier date than the cypriot ring, which indeed is
clearly OF later execution. Mr.. King, whose eminent
authority will be acknowledged, speaks in glowing
terms OF two other gems, which English students
to no longer. Rings as many and gilt
tering those OF Andvari's hoard IN the
Saga will be stored in the Metropolitan Museum
OF New YORK. As years roll on American ladies'
will learn that PhGn,can Is not the European way OF
p,onouncng venetian and popular education will
thrive immensely.
we must confess that though not SO instructive as
the gems, the ncckcts, arme,s, earrings and hbuln
from Curum are even more attractive to the amateur
OF gold work. Tho Etrrscans never beat tho patient
gran uation which Cyprmns lavishcd OH morseis OF
gold, and have never dcsigns-thosc Of
Chlmarm and dragons for cxampc--so full OF spirit
and LIE. Tho little ortoscs on studs are tho
pretticst Of "totems;" ana, IN fact, II scarcely
OF the icwelry OF CurMm. The bronzcs and sculp-
lures have only been un)ackcd Tor short time, aud
few people have had the good fortune to them.
Report speaks very highly OF sarcophagus, adorned
with relies from tho important myth oil Medusa,
which some Transatlantic scholar may elucidatc ut
his leisure. Tho designs have been engraved In tho
Revue Arch6oioyiqae and nothing can be more curious
than the mixture OF Assyrian trees and beasts with
thoroughly Greek warriors going 10 the chase in
shields and helmets. The whole collection has been
bought by the New York Museum for sum Of about
fl4, 900. In this county perhaps we lind "cross-
~gpi oh su m hich iva
in. expensive for 1t % DO possible TO pay
f12, 600 fora unique colaction. Tho eighty-ono ton
gun might be fired several times for fl2, 0O0 When
we glance at the annual report OF the Metropolitan
Museum OF Art Now York for 1870 find good rea-
10 admire
THE LoRDLy WAY IN WHICH AMERICANS BUSINESS.
Tho Museum in tcbt trado depressed, but
tho insttu chad sutn strong hold its friends
that they responded most readily and checrfuily
to its call for assistance" short time ago 'the
Museum was without .unds for tho purchase OF tho
new collection" But, as soon 1t was known that
England hung back, tlis Amer rcans came forward with
alacry succeeded in getting what the guard
ians OF s'europcan museums long for in vain. Poor