Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1882-03-06


ton have the pleasant custom of organizing
every year loan exhibition illustrating some
particular branch of decorative art. Last
year Mrs. Holmes embroideries were the at
tractive feature. This year they devote
their space to the feminine and most inter-
esting subject of fans Private cabinets have
yielded up their treasures both in and out of
town, and certainly no collection of fans
nearly SO large and valuable has ever been
brought together here before. With much
care and taste and good deal of research
the fans have been grouped chronologically,
and whatever is known of them that is in
teresting historically and artistically is stated
on cards which serve as catalogues. The old
est fan in the collection is a Venetian dagger
loaned by Mrs. Chauncy, dating from the
last half of the sixteenth century. The back
is of ivory, with arabesques in black, and
within the handles-a whole history in min
iature of Venice the mysterious hides the
dagger. It is no dainty dagger made to
trihe with the perfumed envelopes of a
lady's notes or the fruity fullness of a
peach. 1t is gger-deadly, solid
of sharp well-weighted steel,
dagger easy to draw in any emergency, and
mans little hand. Who knows what tales of
the balcony and the gondola. of midnight
and the masquerade, that little blade could
tell? Equally significant is a large Spanish
fan belonging to Miss Furniss. This fan re-
calls the old French chanson describing the
invention of the fan. Open it and it seems
the shield and screen of prudery, fit to hide
the blushing Graces from the eye of Cupid.
But slyly introduced amid its gaudy decora-
tions are little fakes of transparent mica
through which the Graces might peer I'M
seen. Another fan, quite wonderful in COL
or, is an old Spanish fan, owned also by Miss
Furniss. This is painted in various tones of
yellow and brown which age has brought to
an exquisite harmony. The case which in
cludes these fans is devoted chiefly to fans of
the time of Louis XIV, among which are
several Dutch fans made in imitation Of the
French and Spanish work in color but queer
parodies after all upon the elegancies of
Vatican. The sticks of these Dutch fans,
however, are especially handsome. Various
ly colered spangles are lavishly used, which
produce fine effect by artificial light. A
Spanish fan loaned by Mrs. Oothout has
design after Vatican, framed and wreathed
with these gEttering gauds. These fans are
of thin muslin and paper. A fan loaned by
Messrs. Tiffany & Co., which was presented
to the Polish Ambassador by Louis XIV, is
remarkable for it's slender sticks laden with
ornaments which contrast unfavorably with
the beautiful lace like carvings of the earlier
French work. The Louis XVI. fans are dis
tinguished by their small and narrow sticks,
and by the greater space given to the upper
decoration. The transition is curious from
these to the fans of the Directory, in which
the classic influence of the school of David
appears in Greek subjects, while the narrow
Louis XVI. sticks are still used in the mount
ing. The fans of the Revolution are repre-
sented by paper fan very simply mounted,
loaned by Mrs. Alsop. In the center is a
portrait of Mirabeau, with an inscription
which shows that the fan is of the first years
of the great cataclysm. On one side is the
new map of France, and on the other the
map of Paris, as redistricted. In the same
case are several bone fans doubtless of
Dreppe work, as deliberately carved as the
ivory fans and much more attractive in color.
separate place is assigned to a small col
lection of Vernis-Martin fans, so called from
the painting being covered by the species of
lacquer which the French carriage painter
Martin, during the time of Louis XIV, discov-
cred and applied in this way. The effect is
that of an enamel. The color is now delight
full, having taken on a, quality that of the
colors of early italian art The designs &C.
quire dignity from this quality which they
did not originally possess. On one fan,
owned by Mrs. Butler Duncan, the tale is
told of the heresy of the golden calf, Moses
standing by the idol in threatening attitude
with club in his hand. Another, owned
by Mrs. Belmont, appears to celebrate a
young Bacchus. Mrs. Hunt sends one de-
plotting an Assumption of the Virgin, and
Mrs. S. l.. M. Barlow one adorned with a
classic subject, the bringing, probably, of
Chryseis. Associated with these are some ex-
quisite specimens of Chinese work in ivory
of the last century belonging to Mrs. G. w.
Childs and Mrs. John Cadwallader, silver fl
igree and blue enamel belonging to Mrs F.
w. Jones and gold fligree and blue enamel
fan owned by Mrs. Butler Duncan. A whole
case of fans is contributed by Mrs. Astor,
chiefly belonging to the Louis XIV. period.
One of these deserves to be mentioned for
the attempts at decoration on the sticks in
which the clouds are simulated in pearl, the
figures being in gilt on the ground of a web
like carving The most beautiful fan per-
haps of the collection is here. This is
modern work, painted by Beaumont, in which
the composition and the coloring belong to
the best French school. The fan is superbly
mounted and bears the owners monogram in
diamonds. An equally magnificent but less
artistic fan is a modern Spanish fan owned
by Mrs. r. L. Stuart. This has the sticks
adorned with vine the leaves being of
green enamel and flowers of diamonds.
There are several modern French fans
worthy of examination. Mrs. Belmont ex
hibits a hunting scene by Charles Detaille and
a more elaborate hunting scene introducing
hounds and drag by Pene. Mrs. Del Monte
has also hunting scene of horses and riders
at full gallop, by Pene. To this interesting
Mrs. Grant. One given her by the Queen of
Siam has curious decoration strongly re-
sembling Chinese work, and on the reverse
side Siamese poem. silver filigree fan,
the gift of the City of Mexico, is a beautiful
specimen of that kind of work, and there are
also several beautiful lacquer fans and some
extraordinary hand screens made in the
Deccan and given by an Indian rajah.
A fan loaned by Mrs Alsop has been
framed. This is believed to be the work of
Guido, and is valued accordingly. The sub
ject is NEUROLOGICAL, and one corner, in which
mother gives her child drink out of a wine
skin while two youths are dancing, is very
charming The exhibition is, taken as a
WHOLE most unique and attractive. 1t will
remain two weeks.
Insanity from a Practical Joke.
youngstown (Ohio) Correspondence Cincinnati En-
qufrerl
most remarkable case of insanity result
ing from practical joke has just come to
Il. ia Iu.1, IL,