New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-06
THOSE TANAGRA STATUETTES
GENERAL CESNOLA TELLS THEIR FULL
STORY.

INTERESTING, NOT USIQUE-KARE, VALUABLE, d.
sIRABLE-BUT WHERE Is NE MONEY 10
COME FRONT
TO ne razor Of The Trt5Wn,
SIR: Within the last week received a large num-
Der of letters asking for the following information
concerning certain terra-cOta statuettes from Tan
agra, which wore on exhibition and for sale IN this
city
/. Whore is Tanagra when aud how have those
statuottes been foundf
.. To what period Of Greek art are they assigned.
and what do they representa-
3. Would such statuettes be a desirable addition
to the collections OF our Museum of Art
l. Is II true that banker offered to raise the sum
of II 800 necessary to purchase them. aud that his
offer was declined by he trusteesi
propose TO answer these questions in the order
in which they asked. If you will kindly allow me
space for this purpose.
l. Tana yr.l the birth and bHr:al-place of tho ia
nous poetess Corinna, was an important city OF
Beotia, and more than ono decisive battle had been
fought under It's walls between the Spartan and
Athenlau armies. At Present the place Is called
"Grlmalha," and Is entirely deserted.
visited the ruins Of Tanagra IN 1867 The city
was situated on the left bank Of a stream called Won
rieuc with the houses temples and theatres scattered
on the slopes Of q large hill, and the AcropoS on IIs
summit. There are vet visible traces OF the city
walls and the surface Of the ground Is literally
strewn with broken pottery, an evidence that lana
era must have been tnickly populated III its flour
ishIng days.
II 1870 some peasants If Skhimatari "a small
village nalf IN hours walk from Tanagra woe
digging II s1d in search Of building stones when
they accidentally came upon some ancient tomb7
which had not been opened before. These peasants,
as usual, searhed only for gold objects, and the
t,..
gwen to their children as paythings. A Greek
merchant who happened to pass through that vi
lage saw these stsruettes and brought few OF
them to Athens, but they did not at first attract
mucn attention.
In 1873 being in Constantnople, I saw in one of
the reception rooms OF the British Embassy select
little collection Of terTa-cOtfa statuettes which the
hostess. Lady Elliot, assured me had come rom the
Tanagra excavations. But by that time the dealers
in antiquities had already understood the value OK
those statuettes. and sOne sold by them, was
told. as high as at 81 400 aDiecel When the market
price was ascertaned, the peasant, Of Skhmatlr
and two other ueiglboriug villages KOkah and
Bratzi, gave up altogether their agricultural pul-
suits. 10 become "grave-uunters" This teverisA
excitement lasted Tor nearly five years, during
which time moro than 5000 tombs were opened.
The number Of stltuettcs prought 10 light may Oe
been previously opened was found {, contain FROM
one to three --ltuettes but very few Of them were
unbroken.
The museums Of Paris London. Berlin, Rome,
Vienna etc. So. ured tie hest aud largest number Of
them; ue1ertuele-s there are vet al the present
moment several hundred IF them in the hands 81
dealers ami private collectors VIII ch Ike those
owned by Mr Fru1rdeut of tins city. are for sale.
.. The statucttes discovered ~ lanaCrl belong
to he peuod between 400 and 800 years before
Christ. My friend. Mr.. Heuzey the learned keeper
of the antiquities of the Louvre Museum,
IS Of opinion that all these statuettes rep
resent detIes yet IL IS extremely
difficult TO identify all Of them with this
OF that deiv associated il the mind Of the Greeks
with the lower world. believe with Mr.. Luders.
Of Athens that thestaruettes from ranagra Ike those
which discovered IN Cyprus ,lhough the latter are
of i finer clay and superior eXecuron, represent for
the most part only uamee,s figures sucl a. We see
nowadays IN the china shops Of Mes,r-. Coilamorn.
Tiffany and Others thas originally they were In
tended merely To- b. pretty or attractive in some
way that they have probably adorned tl' houses,
as aitcrward, The tomb. of rich Bp0uau,, but will
ont amy deeper ,i-uih.ance.
3 These terracottl staturttes from Tlnogra Womb
make a very interesting addition to orr or p ans
other mu-rum. because from certain pecuhautirs
q u
they of locIl mauutac IRE. and serve 20 make
Us acquaIi ted with the every day Tie, the manner
Of dressing aud other domestic habits Of the
Bpotian- az a period when the Greek art had at-
tanned the highest degree OF perfection.
4 - far ~ know, no banker or any other pa
son offered the required - 800, and pre-
those sratuettes 10 orr museum; II such an 'rr
had been made, the trustees, ! an sure not only
would have accepted 10, but, Is usual SI;..aF
occasions they would have addressed % him letter
of tuaukS.
Nr. Cyrus J. Lawrence. true lover Of art, came
70 one evening at 10 % clock, and promised
TO raise 500 II the trustees would contribute rhe
other ~ 100 UIJbIu Cw0nty-tour hours. did try.
but the whole amount could not be- raised sucl
short time, aud my friend Mr. Thomas G Appleton.
OF Boston, became the pOasessOr, / hear, Of the
s,atuetJr>.
II Is very ensy 70 say that rho trustees II the
Metropolitan Museum Of Art should buy this or
tai and TO abuse them II they fail to Go
But where the funds 10 come fr1ulf
IL Is true that al tile great museums of Europe
secured, OT less some of lhe-e Iana2ra staJu-
etteS. But the trustees or directors of European
museums had only 10 say 10 their Governments,
" These statucttcs dre Important We ought to buy
then and thcy were Immediately bought.
l. tie gentlemen WHO are at the head Of the great
museums of Paris, London, Berlin, Wen u, etc.
lwith many OF whom am acquainted, had 10 20 III
peIsJn 10 beg money from tine public. A. truS-
strings Of theiT purse IN order 10 secure every vau
abe collection or object 81 art Obored for sale al
tie, n inst ItuiIOsis, now mJuy wUu-d 10 sl' MOI
ugle one, / an Lex IS no would CONSIDER them
il lacking 30 scholarly appreciation VI such OBJ
iects O1 arJ'f Respectfully yours.
L. P. III CEsNOLA.
1O7 Eds. FYty-sersSh-st., VEG OK Haych l. 1870.
NIDIGHI EEATHEH REPORT