Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-22
THE FRENCH CAPITAL.
The INDUSTRIAL ARTS IN PARIs-QUAINT Nooxs
AND CoRNERS-INTERESTING EXBfBlTIoSs-A
SALE AT THE HOTEL DRoUor-IdE SALON FOR
1ssD-AMERICAN EXHIBITORS, ETC, ETC

DrOnZe, iron, &C 1nere mas lately been an eX-
hibltion of these designs IN the rooms of the
Society of Industrial Art, Place DIES vosges.
Before noticing them this old Place deserves a
word of mention. 1t is the scene of the tourna-
ment In which Henry ii. husband Of Catherine
de Medicis was accidentally killed. The ami
able queen long time afterwards, by way of
graceful tribute to her dear departed, had the
| unfortunate man who was the Involuntary
cause of the fatal event seized and cruelty put
to death near the same Place. Near the Place
de la BaSttle you turn down short street (l'pe
de BiGqne) from the rue st. Antoine; at the
end OF 1t rises quaint old arched gateway;
through this you enter the Place des Vosges tits
large square with sides formed by rows OF
rather shabby-loOk1ng houses, ". tn a certain
cir OF having once considered themselves very
| handsome. Low vaultcd arcades run beneath
| the second story On all sides OF the square. Ia
the ground floor are queer shops OF various, lt-
tlC-&noWn commodities. Heavy gates stand at
| Intervals, with massive knobs and handles. IL
| they chance to be ajar you will have gimpSeS
INTO clean, quiet courts, where retired, but most
| respectable dwellings, are hidden from noise
ana dust. Here many arts and manufactures
thrive,-the making of artificial pearls and
| precious stones, eating Of gems, working AMI
engraving of metals &c. In the square there is
| statue OF Louis XIII. 1t replaces very old
| one OF that monarch removed some fol " years
| ago. 1t is asprited and noble equestl .an statue
| and one wishes the stone might live and put
| some motion into the drowSy place. There are
| tees about 1t, and little, aid, gravelly park
But over all there is dull and sleepy air, and
| even the children who come to play there a"e sub
| dued and Od-Word looking. 1t Is as IL the place
| had been long time sealed up and forgotten.
| and having been suddenly opened TO modern
times, sunlight and air, it felt overpowerc L. and
| was trying to dOze OFF again.
In the south side OF this square are the rooms
OF the Society. 1t is for the encouragement
| OF industrial and decorative art applied to
| household objects and things OF USE There are
beautiful designs and models OF wrought metal
fine shawls. painted papers, stamped leather,
wood carving, ivory,-the endless list OF fabrlca-
| Inv rs
| humanity. They ill two large rooms, and On
| the walls and on various rests and stands the
designs competing for the diploma prize were
| displayed The exhibit was interesting from
the fact that many OF the drawings were by the
| pupils OF some OF the schools for women. They
were of many degrees OF merit from the crude
| original idea tmperfectly expressed to the we'll
| balanced and harmonious design beautifully
executed. Many bore the names OF those already
distinguished In such art.
An exhibition OF decorative art has been open
for some time in wing OF the PalaiS d InduStre,
the building the Champs Eiysees, which was
erected for the first Exposition Universelle."
Here lofty suite OF rooms Is occupied by many
very beautiful examples Of modern manufac-
ture, and by some fine antiques loaned by the
great artiicers and by wealthy and noble pa.
! irons The whole Of the immense corrido. of
entrance and the stairways are draped
and hung with carpets OF Turkey and
rei TonaeU III IN SIZE spen1dor
cases of rare china Of Limoges, fairy like glass
| and crystal from the best Paris house3 rlvaling
the finest work OF the fabnques OF Venice,
services of plate. sparkling. cutlery, Chief
d'oeuvres of the SevreS mandatory OF porce-
lain, silks and velvets, gold and silver emOrOidc
ries, &C., &C. Here and there cases of antique
| who made noise In their day and name In
history. One little fragment of brocade, frayed
and faded, was labeled Part of robe worn by
Gcbein tapestries, some framed designs for en-
craving and for lace, these last, like flowers
woven OF cobwebs and dewdrops. There are
would seem, with the dust OF finest gems, so
vivid and intense are the colOrs 1t Seemed a
somewhat mixed collection, of which this de-
but the effect was charming and the morning
passed by swiftly In seeing it. One side OF the
first room was fitted up as sort of dIvan-
and furnishing it. The rooms were nearly
empty Of visitors, for the hour was early and
the only sounds disturbing the silence wee
those OF the workmen'S hammers in the adjoin-
Ing part OF the building, where preparations for
the opening of the exposition OF pictures were
going forward busily.
Salon opening we will go one afternoon to the
great auction hall OF Paris-the Hotel Drouot =
spacious SS dingy building In the rue Rossi2i
this season auctions are held nearly every day
and in the various rooms one may find object:
of every grade, from fine pictures costly bric-e
brac, rare china and precious books, to the com
, mon and cheap articles OF household use. In
| the middle OF each room there Is desk, behind
which the auctioneer and his clerk are seated
! In the space before them stands sort OF crier
: who offers the articles and receives the bids
and one or two poILerS who handle and place
: | IN view the objects to be sold. Everything Is
, done rapidly and quietly; the purchaser Of eact
lot Immediately hands the price to the clerk
getting receipt and the number of the article:
bought; which are removed to side room til
The room In which our interest lay on this
occasion was one containing a rather hare
and bare array OF furniture, mostly old bureaus
p ny,dn nn of fIrar
3 mains OF an old collection In the rue Seryan
, doD1, street, narrow and tortuous as cleft in
a mountain, leading from the Luxembourg to
the st. Sulpiee Place and Church. Here, for long
D den, gathering into it many rare and valuable
3 antiques. They were like two old spiders In
. thick cobweb, and the flies Which were caught
| | in 1t stayed there. The woman was Willing
enough to sell. and evidently rejoced in hope
2 at the appearance OF customer; but the man
' seemed as If he parted with his life blood when
, condescended to the indigGity OF second price
, He would often draw back from an advanta
geouS bargain, and refuse 70 complete a sale
: Among his things there was a certain piece OF
rich stamped plush and some small pieces Of
, cabinet work which my friend had long wanted
J and having at last acceded to the old man;
Terms, sns Went win me to secure the objects
one morning some weeks ago. We found the
shop closed and sealed officially. From an up
| Fer window In the court where the two old
: creatures e.T;ad had lived, woman Spoke to us
) ..the old man and his wife; the Old man died
FIRST and the woman in a few days alter
she had lost her mind, the Door
old woman. think they nearly starved them.
selves to death--and with all those precious
thiEg about them. Now the state has taken
possession OF all, for they had not soul belong.
Ing to them,-not soul. But IL mesdamej
wish yet to have some things it will be possible.
for there will be a sale OF them at the Hotel
Drouot." We received promise from this
nejghtor to send US notice Of the date of the
sale and went away, moralizing q little ON the
folly OF human nature in general and OF the old
curiosity dealer in particular. In q few DAYS
the notice arrived OF the sale of the effects i'm
the shops OF the rue Ser gandoni. But at the
| Drouot we soon saw that in the complicated
net work OF legal processes and other transit
tons the smaller and finer things OF the colec-
ton had filtered through. Only the large solid
pieces OF furniture were there with one eXcep-
ton, a fire-screen, which evidently once had It's
place In some elegant and well furnished salon,
Judging by the coat OF arms engraved On an
ivory tablet, the tnlaid wood of the frame and
the quaint, pretty embroidery OF the screen.
| On this we bid, secured 10 for small sum- and
| took 1t home in cab with q little touch of
sentimental pleasure undeniab'y heightened
by the real value of the object) at having a
souvenir OF the old curiosity shop In the rue
Seryandoni.
the Salon of 1880 opened on the 1st of MAY.
and now. indeed, one has some idea OF the ex.
tent to which Paris interests itself In its mic
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