Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1884-06-19
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ono Of the chief delights Of Continental
travel, as every person Of experience viii al
init, is ,Ao ualimi.od opportunities it affords
for buying antiquities. The statuary, TIE
coins, and the pictures that may be pur-
chased in Italy are source Of never falling
interest to English travellers and of never
failing prof. % italian dealers Andalusia,
again. is q huge curiosity shop. Beingoncc
upon a time in Seville, VIC came across re
fired British grocer or tailor, OF something
Of that kind, who had JUS. purchased Ma
donna and ChiId-unhsppily, Unsigned
which he had picked up for few pounds
in a dingy back street. lie was going TO
20 send it TO the Exhibition Of Old Masters,
aad, ifhe ever did so. he probably fouat
that Il was worth only pound or thirty
shilling at the outside. Il is the same. in
deed throughout Spain. The altar cloths,
che broken fans, the inlsid tables and cabi-
nets, - rcsplendent as anything in the con
vent Of the Car,uae 81 GranG,ia, the wonder
ful chairs. and the still more extraordinary
scraps Of ancien, lace, upon which all who
have ever travelled 10 spain have spent much
noney-these abound from Malaga 10 Irun,
and naturally one is inclined to speculate u
little on the odd circumstance that the sup
ply is morc abundant than ever, although
the demand is fairly brisk. TanSiors IS, we
should say, a hot bed OF modern antiquities,
md even Mg. Chamberlain bought some Of
them when he was over there year or so
ago. lie ought % have known something
about this class of goods, being BiTming-
ham man, bur the chilllike faith Of the Pres
iioat Of the Board OF Trade in al things an
cicnt is notorious America, oddly enough,
has taken % this business Of manufacturing
.heantiquc Dutch cabinets that, with bronze
panels, dingy and marked With the cracks
OF fictitious centuries. are turned out every
DAY from Chicago furniture stores, and for
some purposes they are quite as useful as if
.hey had indeed belonged 70 some departed
bufgher in The dead cities OF the Zuyler-
Zee New Y ork experts in this sort Of for
gerry make a specially ofQueen Anne chairs
aad tables, and the imitation is so perfect is
20 deceive al bat those who have studied
such things minutey in Europe. The ex-
plorer OF furniture stores may come upon
magnificent specimens Of English Gothic
chamber pieces orancient-looking ChippeR-
dale and Sheraton chairs, which might have
belonged TO Queen Elizabeth but for the fact
tha. they dill not. II must be pulling az
first % discover in New York shops stamped
leather chairs Of the time of Louis Trcizo
plen,iiglly oraamented with bras nails
Vie beads arc fully an inch in diameter
aud iho citizens Of that enserpsising city are
invited 20 become the happy pOssesseEs Of
as many Of these treasures as they like on
ridiculously low terms. IT. however, the ex-
plorer is inq1isitiye, and the furniture ven
ders are ia a t0lerabiy candid mood, the Wis
itor msy be conducted into some back yard
where these gems Of arc artproduced \
Queen Anncs chair just made can, Tor in
stance. be supplied with worm holes By the
simple process of fitting it bottom side up
and firing charge OF pigeon shot 1alo the
bottom and front OF the seat OIi A'mo'
800. Is good line Ia this business, the draw
iugs required for the purpose being made,
from the collection 10 the Grand opera
I{oYso +, Paris. Iissail tia. Birmingham
,--..--.. Non, ,,is h-,,.h NJ The
80.
trade, ana mat helmets Sn'c'i'' Gas i'e''
breast plates, aud complete suits % mail are
regularly manufactured for the ratification