New-York tribune., 1876-06-21
FINE ARTS.
TIE BRYANT VASE.

have contributed to the Offering IT, believe, the most
stately gift made this side the Atlantic
gle Individual 1t only be compared In importance
with the copy in silver Of the famous Warwick Vase pro-
sented many by citizens of Boston the late
Daniel Webster. But the commemorative OF our
poets Soth birthday is more interesting than the Webster
vase, partly because is honor paid poet and not
paid to politician, and partly because 1t s from be-
ginning to end, the work OF Americans IL Is copy
Of any original although its general forms borrowed
"a new vaseform, worthy to be called snch, being .
thing apparently impossible discover In these day.
every Imaginable combination OF lines having been used
by Greeks and Etruscans, Chinese Japanese Indians
and Arabs But in the details Of the design entire
originality has been aimed at-the whole OF IL drawn
from American objects-while the workmanship under
taken by an American house, Is due entirely 10 the sk
Of American workmen.
OF this workmanship 10 may be said-and how pleasant
t Ia TO be able to say freely and without that
it would be impossible to surpass 1t in decacy aud pre-
cision When 1t s at the Great Exhibition in Pha-
delphia it will be In few days, win be gener-
ously acknowledged, We have doubt, by the best
judges from all parts OF the world that merely piece
of siversmith's work. 1t would do honor TO the best
hands in Paris Vienna London. In respect
Of the most noteworthy pieces OF work
made and the firm that produced it have reason for hon.
est pride in the fact that this great anniversary they
are able to show single object eptome OF Amer
lean anu mecndulca Sklu
that may stand the face OF the world and challenge
it's criticism with sure confidence.
In the July number Of Hdrper's Magazine there
Of this vase accompanied by several woodcuts
intended to give a notion OF what IL is like But al
though the main facts correctly enough indicated In
these engravings, the cuts do great injustice TO tho
decacy Of the original design and to the nene Of The
execution. 1t is pity. too to have called particular
attention to the medaions which the weakest part
of the design They are besides treated unusty tLess
illustrations, the forms having their original eight
,tumpiness and want Of grace exaggerated In very
unpleasant manner. This is perhaps owing to the de-
sgns having been photographed from the round OF tie
vase upon the fat OF the woodbleck on which the en-
craving was to be cut They should not have been 90
but should have been copied By hand from
the original designs paper. Perhaps they were SO
copied but the result unfortunate that have
preferred to put the blame upon the shoulders OF the
science of Optics rather than upon those Of the drauh
man.
Every part Of the body OF the covered to profu
sion with flower, leaf and plant forms, Laid over and
about trelske ornament which is only broken by the
handles and by the medaions 10 which we have alluded
Four o, these medallions contain bas-reefs from the
poets ie, arranged-two Of them on one side OF the
vase 70 the right ard left of very spirited portrait bust
Bryant low-relef, and two OF them on the other
side the relation TO an alegory OF Poetry con-
tempating Nature. The figure OF Nature is very prety
conceived, and wrought out Win most
Ing hand that Of Poetry, and Of all the other nus
these medaions is unfortunately heavy aud lifelea
There are besides smaller medahons, the one
aiming the figure OF flying waterfowl. the other an
elnblC matte flower, while the handles shelter In then
deep eonvoutons figures Of birds very sweey designed
and ssilluy wrought The vase is thus all oyerembem
all gory and illustration and this prouson Of ornament
could only have been carried out In such perfection a
severe LABOR aud strenuous determination TO excel
Having thus cordially appreciated the ingenuity
that has gathered all these details together aud grouped
them with much harmony as was possible rcurd Al
sngo vase, 1t becomes necessary to say OF the desg
that as a work Of art the Bryant Testimonial is had
worth considering all Strictly speaking there nwi
composition IN at all, and connection Of any sOs
between the different subjects symbozed by all tha
emblem and allegory Merely as design, nothing couS
well be more unfortunate than tbs way in which
me0Gons stuck to the sides OF the vase wthoa
the attempt TO bring their framing lines into hE
ucuy 7t'h 20 rest Of the work The manufactured
point out with peasurable pride the fact that wth
exception OF the handles, which cast land they NAL
well be proud OF the casting, too . every bit OF M
ornament is beaten out (repouss) from the solid n@
the least portion of 1t is applied fastened on. YeI
what the advantage H. artstcaly the chief ornsmeOpI
OF the applied, FOR, they are" stuck OIL
without any OF having grown naturally out OH
fundamental tb, ne OF decorationl SO with the ntiI
circles containing he widfowl, the book theemolena,
flower and the printing press these, however shh1
wrought have normal connection With the rest OF
ornament, and in parts Of the compoSito
It surely needs demonstration that there can oe b1
design where there is thought, and II is no less ind
putable that there is thought in merely GOVERNS
gwen surface with skltil limitations OF things ~
matter how truly these flowers and plants copef
after nature, matter how oxquistely they bead
out aud chased there is for the artist pleasu
for his sense food for his mind in them, than
one of the jeweled watches In Tiffany's Taes
watches and this simply clever pieces OF ec
ansm and until we can learn the difference betHoei
mechanism and art IL would be better not TO conhI'
ourselves too unrcservedly confessions OF our want
perception in costly pieces OF plate like this
The flowers and birds upon a common Japanese'' ''.
have often much life and spirit as these nowers s
birds and they always have moro relation TO the opei
for which they are designed SO far as execution soe1
even the best japanese workmanship Is hardy oe"'1
than that upon this vase, but the beauty OF Japaoe
work is always lost In the excellence OF the desg-
This il the vital point OF difference between their proas
ti,,s and those of Western Europe This fact must
reneated again and again until some perception o.
daxns ON the minds OF those who attempt such WORKS
This For lust this lack OF design all the wonderful VI
chanical skill expended this vase goes for naugn'
the artistic world and must after time, DO consn,
please only the uneducated though ut nrst II ihay u
We feel how h,rd and ungracous IL seems to soy "
hnt there is no otLer thing 10 say. The only hVle
better things In art IN this country Will De lounu ~ II
obility of onr people recognize the dileronoe -
tween art and mechanism, and IN the n.l1N' an
which we acknowledge what 80 many OF Us ieei'
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PUBLIC OPINION