The New York herald., 1877-12-17
WHAT OUR BAZAARS CONTAIN.
Peculiarities Of Egyptian
and Persian Art.
THE LOOMS AND PENCILS OF INDIA.
Contributions for the Present-Gyers from
China and Japan.

New York. growing moro catholic and cosmopoli-
tan In its the advancing year. has accumu-
lated enormous store OF articles desirable 10 vr-
tuos IL Is doubtful at this Holiday season, whether
any other city collected great variety OF fab
relations illustrative Of the arts, ancient and modern,
ot all countries and whether student OF the arts
rouippsd with moderate knowledge and quick appre-
aension could do better than investigate the show
rooms of the metropolis before entering upon severe
studies in the European museums.
Few works ol antiquity modern renown bave
not been reproduced by the genius OF contemporary
artists and artiaccra Tho sculptures. the pottery,
the textures. embroideries and curious handwork OF
all races been IN turn the subjects OF imitation
by skilled anonyma in tho service OF great
European and American factors If an antique
statue discovered straightway its measurements
were and It was copied in half dozen sizes in
marble or bronze II ancient city was cxhumed
its architecture its tapestries the costumes and orna-
ments of its Inhabitants, were Initiated Tor the mar
kct IN Jewels ceramics and other personal or house.
hold luxuries Thus the jewels OF the Cypriotc COL
lccton--lhc treasures brought by Cesnola from the
island Of Cyprus, and secured by the Metropolitan
Museum of Art-have been exactly copied, and the re-
productions are exhibited and ready to be sold for
Christmas presents
The countries of the ancient East are contributing
IN late years to swell the metropolitan
market OF arts and curoses. Immerso invoices OF
goods from japan, China, Indln, Turkey aud Egypt
have been shipped to the port Of New York, aod the
best furnaces France, Belgium and Holland arc en-
p.oycd in reproducing for this market those antique
vessels in which American connosseurs and ama-
ieurs taking SO unprecedented IN interest.
Almost everybody in New FORK remembers the
two Egyptian statues in bronze which Stood sad Sc
Ious aud solemn in the window Of one OF the great
establishments Broadway which concerns itself
only with beautiful things. To gaze at them was to
recall the Egypt OF the Pnaraohs OF the sacred Milo,
which was without tributary from It's leap among
the Abyssnan mountains TO its confluence with the
Productions themselves OF modern art, these 1g-
reminded US OF how art sprang in tho kingdom
OF Cneops, Chelrcn and Mycorenus, 1000 years be-
fore tho Christ whose birth cee.
bratc was born. They reminded us of the stupen-
dous obclisss Of the twelfth Egyptian dynasty, OF tho
wonderful tombs OF BcnHassan, OF the golden age Of
Egyptian civilization when Rhamses aud Sesostris
regned, and when wero erected those splendid
temples and monuments the ruins OF which have not
yet utterly disappeared. The pyramids OF Memphis,
"Hundred-Ga,ed Thebes - the temple OF Karnak,
with It's Pylon entrances, Its lotus capitals
aud coumns Luxor and its colossal sphinxes, and
Memnon and his gigantic consort seated by the hill
all these ghty images OF the past we're brought up
by the two hgures-a male and femac-which by
their expressions appeared to mediate
over tie dusky Egyptian past.
II vas little startling, entering the great esab
hshment wherc they stood, 10 encounter in the
Egyptian collection there reproductions OF almost
every object celebrated in tho annals of Egyptian art
There wero tne pyramids, obelisks and sphinxcs In
miniature, and vessels and basreliefs illustrating
Egyptian painting and Egyptian sculpture.
Neither sculpture nor painting ever attained In
Egypt TO the dignity oI independent arts. Standing
almost exclusively In tho service of architecture they
seldom rested on their strength, being fettered
by Inexoraole architectural laws In the reproduc-
tons ahd engravinRs which are attainable
here Egyptian sculpture presents sinewy, slender.
elastic OF bengs-breasts and shoulders without
roundness, broad and powerful; the arms long and
muscular; tho body with slender hips and legs. Tho
heads have the stamp Of unmistakabIo Shemitc de-
scent The orm Of the skull is Nat, with roccding
brow dcnoting deficient imagi gination. The small,
oval and obqucy placed eyes suggest acuteness and
cunning. The nose, coming out from between the
prominent choek bones, with the bridge slightly
lowered brought into close with the project
Ing lower parts OF the face which from tho voluptuous
lips and tho corners OF tho mouth drawn upward
bear expression OF sensual ease. The Egyptian
statues all present the fixed expression, the
imperious bearing, the same symbolic attributes. In
the sitting figures, for example IN the Memnon de-
picted by Miss Edwards in her book, "a Thousand
Miles up the Ne," according to Oriental etiquette tno
feet placed equally side by side the upper part OF
The body maintaining strictly solemn position, the
head directed forward with a fixed gaze. Boh arms
with their fiat outstretchcd hands, 1T close TO the
body and waist as II moulded out Of one cast A
similar absolute repose Is maintained by the standing
fgurcs-a fixed look, legs Joined, and arms crossed
breast These figures stand their positions
architectural supports, like the Caryatides and
htlantas Greek exhibiting a strained
but in Oriental passvencss.
Stii, the mighty figures which the Egyptians loved
TO fashion in colossal size are just different from
the drcamily tender or wild fantastic figures OF the
Indians as they are from the strong, compact and
somewhat coarscy Inclined creatures of Assyrian
There Is curious absence OF all distinction OF
aqc true Egyptian sculptures whether statues
bas rclies crctr; and the Egyptian gods, rhot
Rhe, Auubis, Ammon, Hathur ana Meth, are distn-
guishcd by placing on their shoulders tho heads OF
birds and animsls-the ibis, hawk dog, ram. aad
honesa
From Babylon and Nineveh those lands between
the Indus and the Euphratcs, where ancient cviza-
tion affected as in Egypt by mighty streams, and
whose populations were Isolated from the OF tho
world for centuries come relics OF almost forgot
ten until modern for tho antique revived
and extended these last lew years oi those lands,
rich from earliest ages in rapid changes and agilang
catasrophcs the oldest seat OF culture was ebopo.
tamia. There works Of vast extent and grand SIM
pncity Of design arose. There the Temple OF
Iaal There hung tho wonderful Gardens OF
Bemrrainis piece OF tapestry, which u
offered for sale at price disconccrting
10 any one but nabob. Is claimed TO
represent one OF the bas reeis In tho Temple Of Baa
10 which, as IN the sculpture OF the Egyptians. tho
nt applied to the deIineation Of actual Iiie and
generally confined TO chronicng the deeds OF rulers
rho forms are 1rmiy and distinctly designed; the
hgures stout and inclined to obesity, with strongly
ruryed noses, large eyes with expressive arched
brows voluptuous lips and full chns. But IN judg-
ng Of the unkeihood that this tapestry presents an
,uthentic copy IL must be remembered that tho
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