, 1886-08-13
NEW THINGS MADE OLD.
ONE OF THE JFINE ARTS OF MOD
a3rnV ERIN CIVILIZATION. nofc

LA..L.
stock In Trade Of tho French Truqusur
Furniture That Has to Date from the
Sixteenth OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Industry-ILteraturo.
Truquage, although q term probably
unfamiliar to many of readers, never
thelcss deserves to RANK among the finer
arts of modern civilization, such Is the in
dustry and skill md ingenuity with
which 1t Is carried out. Burns cottar
mother was chiefly admirable for the skill
with which she gard auld things look
maist AS we'll as new" but the truqueur
devotes himself, on the contrary, to the
art of making new things look quite as
rood as old. The connoisseur Of furniture
OF the present day u well aware that, for
certain important qualities OF souudness,
good workmanship. and good taste. that
the -old IL better with valid reason also
for his opinion. But the crowd, who =
neither his leisure. his knowledge, nor
his experience, naturally fall into the
hands Of the scientific experts OF truquage
an easy prey to the spoiler. ~
The stock In trade of the French tru-
queur and his English congcner-quite As
expert as he-need not be large. Walnut
tuicc-which gives an agreeable mellow
ness of tone-And nitric acid arc neither
Of them expensive. Tho latter initiates
pretty closely the ravages of ants, and
holes bored with q hns anger easily give
the wormeaten appearance which appeals
to the lover Of the antique in carved fur
niture. Til writer. was informed by .
workman's wife that her husband was one
Of those solely employed In the boring or
auge business; but In Paris live worms
are kept to do the work. and do it even
better, and to order, which Il more sur
prisfng. New oak can be stained by a 30
luton of old iron in hot vinegar, which
darkens it to a deeper tone; It'll then care
manded, however, is such that H~barRains"
can be boosted of by the. inexperienced,
while really fine work always commands
Its value In the open market. r0irni
R THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY, l
The unhappy pieces Of furniture which
have to date from the sixteenth century
are severely beaten with heavy b~ludgeons
which serves to give them the worn ap-
pearance necessary to the three centuries
of existence. A common device Is to
paint the panels OF cupboards, roughly
carved on the premises, with white paint
They are then dried In the sur and, after
keeping some months, are washed in pot
ash, which removes the paint in patches,
and the exquisite finish Of the carving be-
meath Is apt to be taken for granted blythe
buyer, who is aware that In the last CEN
fury much good paneling wal thus
painted, and preserved to our generation
in consequence in all Its pristine freshness
Of cutting and outline. Bull OF 9 very
ordinary description Is ornsmented by
French dealers with brass scroll WORK,
after the designs Of elliot, who succeeded
Bull. Those who can be taken in by
these mechanical reproductions must be
left to their fate. sl.riN 3D. ID. .f.iI I..If.
In porcelain and faience one can only
say caveat emptor, so clever are the tricks
by which even the learned are deceived.
AT Cages mandatory at Versailles the
faience de Nevers Is reproduced to perfec-
ton; but here all is lair and open dealing.
If the buyer prefers his purchase san
tique," M. Cage will bake 1t for him until
the glaze crackles. 1t Is further mellowed
in a manure heap, inc a slight extra
charge is imposed. The special marks of
favorite potters are easily initiated, and
as much pains is taken with the
spurious wares, with intent to deceive, as
would suffice to give value to real spect-
mems. The character of the early decora-
tons Is carefully preserv ed-the even
white OF the Monsters ware; the dead,
dull white OF the Marseillaise, and the
carefu1 6niah of tho old Dalff noftara