The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-09-29
Correspondence,
CENTENNIAL LETTER.

the opening, is the opinion expressed
now on every hand, and it is evidently
pretty well founded. The sturdy yeo.
man and the representatives OF cities
and towns all over the Country are
Low turning out in their might, filling
the hotels and crowding the thorough
fares beyond anything that has lately
been anticipated.
One of the most attractive and in.
structive exhibits in Memorial Hall the
Art Gallery is the collection of Greek
and Roman Antiquities, objects of me-
diaeval art and italian bronzes. This
collection belongs to Alessandro Cas-
tellani OF Rome and is now exhibited to
the public for the first time, arrayed
in suit OF three rooms in the east cor
rider OF the hall. IL one room are the
marble embracing sixteen busts. most
ly portraits of the imperial time in
Rome, two statutes aud q comic mask
OF Hercules. They are all rare works
of art. The room containing the en-
graved ems and personal ornaments
probably attracts the most general atten-
ton. There are rude necklaces, anulets
and ornaments for the hair belonging to
the ancient bronze period. Beside them
is case of amber; some of the pieces
being simply pierced by a hole in order
that they could be strung together, the
substance seemingly being too precious
to be cut, and others carved with quaint
devices adapted to the shape of the piece.
In the next case are several ornaments,
found in the cemeteries of Eruria, with
scarab beads, and figures in glass and
silver, plated with gold. Next come the
gold ornaments from the ancient cities
of Caere and Clusium; specimens of the
earliest Eutruscan work in that ancient
art ofgranulating gold-an art preserved
only in tradition for centuries and but
recently re-discoyered by Signor Castel-
laniis brother in Rome. Among the
specimens here exhibited are some of
the finest kind, showing that the art WAS
at its best, and others again of an earlier
and cOarser quality. The articles are in
both cupulated and uncupulated gold.
There is Il small flask shaped something
ike an amphOra, in which the minute
globules Of metal are sOldered to the sur
face in fine zigzags, and other patterns
of great delicacy. Another fine speci-
men is a strip Cf gold with granulated
lines, between which is a row of birds in
relief. Just above this beautiful rose
shaped ornament, with Il finely carved
head in the center, and beside it is
lovely wheel of gold, ending in acorns of
exquisite workmanship. From Greece
the cities of Metapontum and Tarentum
yield ornaments of the Italo Greek stvle,
made $50 years before the Christ. Here
are earrings and ornaments IN god
(whose use is uncertain) of unsurpassed
beauty and excellence. \ pair of helix
shaped whorls, terminating in noblv |
carved wOmenis heads; an ornament like
Il brooch, with elaborate rosettes and |
pendant; a pair of dolphins; fibuke of
stars and birds-all show the work of
master artists, and indicate this as the
best period of the goldsmith,s art. From
4 period of 90 years later, are necklaces
md carriages and pendants in gold and
'olored enamels, perfect specimens of
he new method already influencing and
the decadence of the nobler
lrt of working the pure metal. These
and birds resplendent in
green and red, and blue enamel, the
'uplds and winged animals, spirited in
lesign, but overelaborated and 100 mi
lutely finished, give us glimpses of Old
World luxury such as no words can con-
ey. The excavations from which these
precious ornaments were taken we're
made by Prince TOrlonia. So rare are
hey that the British Museum has only
ne specimen. From Syria are frag-
nents of rich diadems, medallions, and
racelets of the Ptolemaic period of
iracO-Egyptian art. Here is aremarka- c
lie band or spray of vine leaves with 9
earls for grapes, and beside it gro;esque
cures on pins and earrings, with a gen S
raj lack of refinement in the design and 1
nish in marked contrast with the Italo- G
ireek work. Following the decline Of l
ne art under the successors of Alexan-
er we have ltalo-Greek funeral orna- Il
lents of an era 100 years before Christ, h
len the gorgeous jewelry of the Impe- t
al time when gold was largely used as T
mere setting for emerals, garnets, and .
Their stones; and, finally, with some ex-
mples from the times Of Charlemaone. n
hen the workmen had lost their cum a
ing, and the noble metal had been alto 4
ether debased to secondary uses. the :.
election ends.
In the same case with these ornaments Il
&c several Roman gold coins of the I'm G
arial times, still in the settings-a rare G
ling-in which anciently they were ;,
orn as decorations. Here, too, is n set =,
toilet articles in silver-a mirror in \
; case, strigil, flask, and a small il
,und box, divided into four compart- o,
ents for cOsmetics-once the property J.,
some wealthy Roman lady. Here ~
so is fine collection of bronze and al
Iyer military ornaments of the eleventh. W
ielfth, and thirteenth centuries, and i
me heavy gold articles of adornment :.
more ancient style
The collection Of engraved gems con- al
ins upwards of 270 specimens. They O1
I've a case to themselves and a number 81
them are framed and hung up so that III
ey can be viewed by transmitted light
ID their exquisite workmanship studied Ie
advantage, the collection forms a com 81;
etc history of the glyptic art from the tiC
rliest times down 20 the fifth century :,
Christ. Here are Assyrian cylinders
I'M Ninevah and PerSepolis; Greek, Vi
rabs, amulets and gems in intagliO and dJ
meo-many Of them published and tiC
own to collectors as among the most no
teworthy examples extant. There are =
astrological subjects and imperial por a. u
lts on sardonyx. Thus in this one IN
lection is to be seen the refined execu- 70
N of the early Greek and Roman bo
lere beauty OF design is the theme =
d the Roman canoes, with their more II
less realistic pOrtraiture; the student pa
n ask for no more than this. pr
Of rings, particularly gold, there is VIC
lection of upwards of $50, extending u,
IN the earliest Tyrrhenian to the end CIV
the sixteenth century; besides gold Is
ere are rings in silver, bronze, glass, &C
lber, ivory, and several kinds Of stone. ~
my of them are of special Interest to -,