New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-10
THE AWARDS AT PARIS.
AMERICAN SUCCESSES.

PARIS. Nov. THE Champs de Mars and the
,aoutful orounds near the Trocad6ro have in spite
If the crowds that thrOnged them, wsrn for several
DAYS an aspect of misery. The sun Obs'lnateiy de-
rlines 70 shine on the closing scene OF the EXPOSE
tion of 1878. A dull eaden sky deepening occa-
sonaly into backness, as 1t Is swept by raln-laden
clouds. damp raw atmosphere that strikes o chill
10 the hearts of the most warmly clad, htful
wintry wind and the shivering forms and pinched
faces of the visitors all tend to dependency, or at
least TO the extinction of enthusiasm. OF the lat
fer cannot discover single spark whereat to
warm myself. Unless there Is a great change, the
closing OF the Centennial Exhibition amidst rain
and discomfort will, with certain local varIa-
tions. be rcenacted here Sunday. To
add to the prevail ng feeling of joylessncss, the
melancholy sound of the hammer Il heard ON ali
sides Ii reminds that choice displays are DelhR
packed away in ungamly cases, that The EXhlDl-
ton is eyon now being shorn Of It's glory ana that
the curtain will soon be rung down, In perfect
keeping with all these things are the feelings OF
some the exhibitors. They, IN effect, tell both
iudRes and visitors, I've have piped unto sou and
We have not danced" They sigh for Artemus
Wards discriminating public" that by its ap-
probation they NAV be reveuged upon the jurors
who have had the shameless audacity TO deny their
prze-worthy merits. All minor hOnOrs they desplse
-dut aurpn aut nihil-a gold medal or nothlng-ls
their motto. and, until the authorities intertered
it was no unusual thing t. come upon piacard 10
the effect that the exhibitor upon whose siaud II
appeared had refused a bronze medal l am not
aware Of any Americans having resorted to such a
method of protestahOn, and there can only be a
few who have any reason whatever for doing so.
As body our exhibitors have been very successful,
and there are among them individuals who have
won the highest honors they could have obtained.
In manufactures science, and industry gene rally,
America holds high and universally recognized
position. In the fine arts, making every allowance
for the few who have attained to fame her position
ia less assured and in those branches of art that
lie between the fine arts and the industries, upon
which the names industrial and applied arts
have been Observation-Disclosures the dividing line
between applied, and fine art is at times altogether
jnylsble-lt may be said broadly that America has
Dot hitherto been known. She has in fact scarcely
been recognized therein as competitor by either
European or by Oriental countries. 1t is there
fore all the more surprising that what is really her
first essay should have been followed by such
success as has attended TIffanys display of silver
ware at the Exposition. MIR. Charles l.! tiffany
has been appointed Chevaher OF the Legion OF
Honor and a gold medal has been bestowed upon
the firm.
was highly pleased and not little amused to re-
ceive a few days after arriving in Paris, letter from
friend in which my attention was specially called
TO Tiany's exhibit. As the writer is himself engaged
In one Of the industrial arts. and has had abundant
opportunity Of seeing and studying in every city
and in all the best collections of Europe, the work
of every people and period, his words carry with
them exceptional weight 81 can give you opin-
Ton, he says, upon modern ceramics, but would
call your special attention to TIffanys reprOduc-
tions of Japanese work in siYer-ugs teapOts, etc.
They excel, in my opinion, anything similar either
in the French department OF i'll the modern Japan
ese." That similar opinion is entertained by many
others who ought to be judges, is attested by the
fact that specimens have been bought for the muse
ums Of Berlin Vienna, Dublin. Stuttgart, Brun, Of
several towns in France, Italy and England, and
also for the public collections of Japan itself The
royal and titled purchasers of Tlhany's products
have also been numerous. The list includes the
Prince of Wales. his brothers, the Dukes Of Edin-
burgh and Conuaught and Prince Leopold, the
Grand Duke Alexis, of Ruesia. the Count Of Elan
ders the Prince and Princess of Saxe-COburg. Prince
LOuis de Bourbon, Prince Constantine kadziwlll
the Queen Of Portugal. Archduke Ludwig Victor,
of Austria Prince DemdOf, the Duke of SaIe-We-
mar the Dnke OF Westm usler, the Earl Of Dun
raven, the Duchess of Manchester, the Marquis OF
Bach, Barons Gustav and Albert Rothschld, and
know not how many others. 1t may safely be SAID
Of these ladies and gentlemen Of high degree that
they ENJOY exceptionally favorable opportunities for
the study of the works OF the siYersmIth and gold
smith. The assumption NAV be allowed TO toliO"
that they know something about art O the KIND re-
ferred TO- and that the art that attracted them one
after another, must OF necessity be good Inc most
cursory examination shows that 1t Is SO.
The Messrs. Tiffany have made the greatest prog
ress and their most marked success III the treat
ment of metallic alloys, and IN the lamination of
different metals By the former OF these processes
very rich aud beautiful effects produced, and as
the colors are those of the alleged metals and
reached by the of neither ensmes nor of oxides
they have tho rare quality OF being durable. Ham
All md aTa pd
colored reiefs in alloy the ground is colored and
the reliefs in pure metal, or panels Of gold
served IN the hammered silver aud decorated with
cOlored reliefs, As to the Eliminated work, Amer-
can visitors may have seen kind OF Japanese metal
work called veins of wood" or mOku-me. Specl-
mems were exhibitedat Philadelphia two years ago.
and Others NAV no doubt be met with elsewhere
IL consists of sodered and hammered lamins Of diff
ferent metals, such as silver, copper and alloy, all
of which appear IN the welded sheet when made into
vases or other vessels 1t has a peculiar Hottled
and very attractive appearance The Messrs. Tiffany
have taken up the Japanese method and applied
il IN very effective and entirely novel manner to
the decoration Of hammered silver. Sometimes
eight and even ten different metals thus lam
mated and when laid upon q silver base the con-
trast IS striking and sngularly beautiful. The
japanese are themselves charmed by it, and have
bought several specimens to take home with them.
One large and 6uely modelled vase has three bands
of different alloys or metallic combinations laid in
triple festoOn round the neck, and the arrange
ment of the vanously cOlored metals Is highly ar
tistic and very pleasing. The objects made and
decorated in these styles are generally considered
the most thoroughly original in the Exposition.
They are quaint, entirely unique and beautiful.
Each piece moreover, represents the teeldg and
idea of an individual artist. and there ID conse-
quently no repetition.
As ImitatOrs the wOrkmen of the firm have, by