New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-06
THE opIGN or vALLArrIS-WlRE.



NJ Clement Massicr, the proprietor noticing
siiul,os. from cur questions that took deeper
interest in the pottery than the average run OF YSi-
tors kindly came up and gave ia Il tmll account 81
The origin aud growth Oi his establishments and
many other matters connected with tue mnnnlac-
turr From time immcnoral. il SEEMS. the maxi Z
of uoticry has been the staple industry Of VanurS.
Antique tiles and fragments of finer workmanship
may still be found scattered by thou
sands on the level space behind the VII
lace. known AZ les lncourdourcs which
doubtless MARKS the site Of the old Gnllo,kolnil
uppdum. Al the present day. besides NJ; Master .
artistic works the place contains no less IMAM
seventy common pottery iari"rcs; and we saw
coar., bowls aud pipkin4 10y the hundred drying III
the sun rs drove mp the main street. Perhaps 1t
was the presence of the Roman remains of lea
lnrourdnrrrs nj lfs very door which first set the
founder of the artistic Nalaurs ware thinking OF
the possibility ol brin- ling home keramc art to the
houses of the people. Some antique lamp or vase,
picked up as they often are. among the Vineyards
and olive groves may have gwen the prime Int TO
thr new manufacture.
At any rate. some twenty years since NJ, Massicr
hcthuught him OF adding q new branch 10 me
common pottery trade i'm which he had been brought
ND Ito produced few simple and gracefully
shaped pieces after ancient models and the expert
mcnt succeeded to admiration. A. visitors from tHc
growing town of Cannes began To buy his pretty
ware he wRXcd more adventurous. lie sought out
Greek Roman, and EtTuScan models OF higher
type Thou Il journey into Italy became necessary
80 VI. MaSsicr started OIL 10 60 the rounu QI the
Italian museums on his artistic quest. AT Roine.
Florence. Bologna. Turin, lr picked mp many IlnlS
lint II wns i'm the mex haustiblr MuSeO BOrbOnlCO ut
- ~
tl. ashes aud lava of POmpell, that hc lound Inc
larger number Of his choicest patterns Returning
tn Nalaurs, provided with casts ana draw lkSIll'l
fine notes with which he has kindly furnished me
show what a wonderful power he possesses OF knock
ing of the idea of a vase with u few strokes In u
thumb-nail shcGCl-hc SIT To work 10 reproduce il5
Etruscan or Pomprian prototypes in a commercial
spirit" His aim was to popularizc ancient aIU
and he has certainly carr ed his point As cannes
grew " ne said to me, d" we grew with It. NlstOr5
took la our pottery to every part OF Europe, ana
others who SAW il there adm ired and bought Z est
Fart mis- a Ia pO-teo do tout lc monde.
At first the NallauTis manufacture had TWO great
faults. For one. thing, ithlid not ring when SrnGN
and for another IL did not hold water l remember
well how disappointed wo were when we bought
our first lot of slender olive green and pale yellow
vases light Jugs with curling handles, ike those
from which the IIebe of Hellenic gems pollrs ont the
nectar for Xcus, and attempted TO arrange u rev
whie lOu0uls and golden daliOdis against the dark
green of the vase but to grief, we t0und the
surfacc All crIsted next morning by white cling
iiip eillurcscence, which the water had Drougnt
tI,rnuOh and dcpOsitrd on the outside Moreover,
thr mntcrial was painfully fragile. Even WIN our
avn careful busting the handles OF seml-Eg{ptlah
ciip came Oh in hands,, a. the hOnsenaids say;
after q most annoying fashion, especially as we hai
mo- one but ourselves to scod for it, But numerous
rXpcrimcnts have ut last succeeded IN rrncdEng al
thrs defects and tho ware is now technically per-
feet IL rings, when struck, with note clear ana
resonant rs bell metal; ii rrsiSts bieakAge rs sue
crssuv ~ the best Japanese pottery; ana IL hOlda
| water without difficulty, OF winch 1aGt nave ~
hi, moment ocular demonstration, ~ am writing
| with a duplicate bunch of jCnquilS and daiIOdlls
before my eyes, arranged IN stu loNcler cOnIHS
with certain dark green Trojan vase, where iainl
| wavc-linrs of black arr shot between the somDre
| pround-cour in wonderful fashion, OF when ]
! shall have more to say hereafter.