New-York tribune., 1876-08-05
FRENCH MEMORIAL VASES.

words the English language possessing historc or
legendary wen philosophical significance. iew are
more interesting than the word CeraInl1s III opens
up an old word not often associated with te
vases plaques cups and plates which ono examines as
specimens Of ceramic art. AIiddnes story Is toeiaby
well known how she loved TBeseus and eNtricatcd
him from the Cietan labyrinth, and how her
migrate lover deserted her. and she hunS herSeil
in despair For the present purpose one mus cct the
above end OF The plot for that Of other writer's VINO III
troduCc Baccus the comforter of the dsco>Olhle
Aratne Their son. Ceramus became the patron "i The
potter and the place within the bounds of Athens as
sigoed to the potter was caled Ceramicus The pecu
aty Of the Aradne story is that her tomb was shown
by the ArvCs and her ashes were found III an eartc
urn in their temples, that by the art 10 Wh!oh
the son gave his cinerary ufns had aSduy Ot'l
produced before the mother met her death sueh how
ever ia the ythic recalled by the word eera-
mics" and it is fortunate that the interest does not
stop with the end OF the story conalncd in the name
Much of the attrdctyCues OF the art Is due To IFS con
necuon with history TIE history Of ceramics IS tic his
tory Of civilization. Vases urns have been usco'
cred which the fossils of extinct nations Just as 'he
fossils of the rocks the relics OF the fora and fauna
of past ages. They show the ancient idea of beauty OF
ornamrntation and gTacefniness OF ioins one Is also
enabled by studying the antique forms and tracing them
20 the countries where they were reproduced To marx
the course civilization and the extent of one nations
Indebtedness to another. Comparative ceramics 3y
The Centennial Exhibition, IN so far as ceramics are
concerned, has both historic and present attractive
ness one sees there exhibited samples OF manufactures
the origin Of which is in many lost IN misty an
tquty One sees others which are deserving of G'teh
ton chiefly is representing the SKILL in the plastic art -
which the nations contributing them have now attained
thus and in connection with what has been SAID ci the
comparison the pottery OF one country with tAdt OF
another marking the OF civilization, one finds in
the Danish exllbs an attractive form Of the art dis
plyiug considerable mechanical proficiency, but little OF
nothing distinctvey Danish They show that Denmark
up 10 pres time has not been able dscad e ou
els and ven the figure subjects supplied by
ancient Greece one is almost surprised TO una vase
of rccan foI1n and oamentei with an illustration OF
Hector dragged round walls Of Troy, called sample
Of the terra Gotta Of Denmark On another appears
chsrioeer driving Guadriga. Others have similarly
classical orig n The problem thus presented Is curious
one These vases are reproductions, intended apparently
for ornament alone; but while can understand why
the ancient Greek artist should prefer to nser among
the creation, suggested 10y the legends and history of his
own country and the usages OF his own time 1t Is less
easy to appreciate tho fascination the same subjects
have for the modern Dane. The wonder il IN
creased by consideration OF the different uses
tn which vases we're then devoted compared with 10
day One finds vases sent from China, Japan SPAN
Fur,,n1 Denmark France from every country IN fact
il which the art IL cultivated and they all 80 fd as
one knows des gnCd merely ornaments The cracAic
OF Japan aud the beautifully acquered porcelain OF TIE
same country the Gotta OF France Denmark and
the East msoiica of Italy France or England are
AL devoted to the production OF vases. Few Of them,
any are intended for any practical purpose. They are
ornaments and nothing more. what that "n0'hlbs
more" implies will be discovered from brief glance at
the vases OF antiquity.
Among the samples which have been preserved Of
carly Egyptian pottery many Of religious character
Their ornametation either directly representative or
s1ohocll OF the gods the Nile The lotus flower,
cred as tie symbol of the Goddess Of the North con
,tntly appears on vases The scarabcds, symbol OF
creation ard representing Phtha the creator Is ais'
frequently introduced, sometimes IN one iom' some
times IN another Among the Chinese have been dsc'y
cred images gods and with mystic AMI symbol
cal o onsment,tion These used by them for
religious ceremOnils royal rewards 20 deserving sub
,ects and as complimentary gifts between friends
The Greeks carried the same practice fur
Their The story is told by Homer that some
uo-rs seeing him pass called him to sing 30 them. anu
uromi.ed him specimen OF their art the reward Of
his coml ace. Amoug that people vases were applied
TO certain domestic uses, but mostly intended a.
decorations Some given prizes 70 the victor, at
the gaines others wedding presents. pledges Of
love or friendship and all have appropriate legends
Others sin were commemorative. one OF these bears
the legend "The beautiful horse twice conqucror al he
pvtbian pa,ncs" Onmany are Inscribed the names Of
| great mem kings and poets and they were evi'
IDENTIFY meant as acknowledgements OF merit and
| testimonials Of esteem. That they were also
| commemorative in the same sense as statues,
appears from OF their having been made In m
age subsequent to of the person houored In the
fifteenth century there made commemorative dish
Of mioc known as the Sforza dish, and said TO have
been made in eommemoratiOn OF the edici passed by
Giovanni SfOrza in 1is6, TO protect the manufacture oil
maolica at PesarO. II is alluded TO now merely as a
spec,men the application OF the plastic art 70 such
purpose To return to the II has been said That
/ i'll, hoo Al f11
as works Of art in material model and ornamentaton,
there is only exception 10 the statement that none
of them are intended for any other than decorative
purpose The exception which alIusion is made is
pair OF faence vases from Limoges. The figures by
which they are Ornamented give them an unusual ap
pearance and one widely different from that OF the tall
Arita vases Of Japan that also there il precedent
although one is almost sorry 10 say anything which
might cndanger their claim 10 perfect originality.
vase OF co!ored terra found in Sicily and now AT
the Louvre shows the same kind Of sculptured orna-
ments Accessory TO the vase itself are several pieces
sculpture Winged Tr oDs ornament the sides, ana
draped divinity is placed the neck and rises to
hight far above the top OF the vase proper Other
figures are placed lower down, and all are
modelled in fun and rise from the body Of
the vase like a well arranged group OF statuary
Similarly the figures stand upon the French works
now spoken about. Their general design may be briefly
indicated. one is intended 10 represent the year In
which the United states won Wdepchdehcc' 'ho
other the hundrodth anniversary of that event The
bases OF both are symb0ca In the former old cannon
rocks and curling surges symholze tho confusion OF the
struggle. On the body Of tho vase are the American
eagle on the wing and the American ag ON either side
Above this gilt letters the names of the sisners of
the Declaration bust of George Washington stands
on the Of tho top the center of which Is occupied by
deep starry sphere On either side are statues OF
Fame and Victory. The base of tho other synhelAes
peace ana prosperity by means Of fruit corn &c Above
ths eagle the names Of the Presidents aud bust
representing Liberty placed the top In front Other