Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-07-23
MEXICAN ANTIQUITIES.
THE COLLECTION RECENTLY PLACED
IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.


Abadiano's Casts of tho More Valuable
Monuments Of Aztec Civilization-The
Career of the Collector-The Gelatine
Process of Obtaining Casts. -t.,sss. 49,.
One Of the most recent collections that
have been placed in the museum is the
Abadiano collection Of Mexican antiquities
It consists of casts of the larger and more
valuable monuments Of the Aztec civiliza-
ton and is without doubt the most valuable,
though not the largest collection that has
yet been made 1t does not belong to the
Institution, as LAS been incorrectly stated,
but is only placed there by the owner in the
hope that some public spirited citizen will
purchase and present it to the museum
The writer recently visited the museum
with q gentleman who accompanied
Abadiano in his journey to the ruins and as
sisted in taking the casts Many interesting
facts were learned Of the struggles of the
young antiquarian to advance the study Of
the history of his native land and Of the life
Of its strange inhabitants when conquered
by Cortez The casts are splendid specimens
Of art, and bring out the characters en-
graved ON the original stone beautifully.
Their value can hardly be over estimated,
for if any thing more is ever to be learned Of
the Aztecs it will have to come through
these seemingly voiceless monuments The
collection of manuscript words were nearly
all of them destroyed by the Jealous priests
who accompanied the Spanish invader,
and thus the thread broken that
bound that nation to the history
Of the world Many of the monu-
ments were also destroyed, and some Of the
casts in the museum show the marks Of
axes handled by the hands of the 400 years
ago. The monuments are the mouthpieces
OF the past, but their tongue is numbered
with the dead languages and they can not
talk. But it is possible that the key to the
hieroglyphics on their faces may yet be dis
covered and thus new link added to the
chain of history. There is already quite
respectable collection of Mexican antiquities
in the museum, and it would lie a grand
work to make casts of them all and gather
them in one place so that men OF science
could study them, and in time come upon
the real theory of their meaning, This was
the idea of Abadiano, hut he did not receive
the Encouragement he merited He spent
bis fortune and has never received any
thing in return for it
REvOLUTIONIST AND ANTIQUARIAN.
The career of Abadiano and the way in
which he came to make the collection is an
interesting one and is curiousiy identified
with the history of Mexico under Diaz
The dashing revolutionist and the young
antiquarian were strangely enough init
mate friends, and Abadiano was an officer
in, lio1 a., han bn vayac Sf,ix,i 70,
wrest the government from Lerdo-the
and ate together and when they had sue
ceeded and Diaz proclaimed ruler, the anti
quarian retired from the army and returned
to his home in the City of Mexico Here
his family had for over 200 years con-
Quoted a large book store and he, in part
nership with his brother, now took charge
OK it. But his antiquarian tastes and his
service in the army had untitled him for
business and he soon withdrew from the
6rm.
Diaz had promised him an appointment
II the revolution succeeded and he now asked
for it, but the office offered him was so
much lower than he thought he had right
to expect that he would not accept it He
then suggested that he make the casts that
have just been placed on the National mu-
scum and Diaz agreed to get the govern
ment to buy them to send to the New Or
leans exposition. This was the very thing
that suited the nature of young Abadiano
and he put his whole soul into the work.
He determined to make the casts by the
most approved method and make them q
model OF their kind.
One can easily distinguish the difference
~ -
Desire Charnay who made the much written
Of collection presented to the museum of
Mr. Lorillard of New York In the former
you will notice that every little crack and
crevice, even the grain Of the stone, is
brought out with the greatest distinctness
DETAILS OF THE GELATINE PROCESS
This was done by what is known as the
gelatine process and it is very expensive,
especially in a country like Mexico where
The material is scarce and has to be bought
in small quantities at the drug stores The
stone of which cast was to be taken
had to be securely boxed, and the hot gela-
tine poured into the vacant space between
the box and the stone. You can imagine
the difficulty Of making a cast when you
think Of a stone weighing twenty -one tons
in the walls of a church, perhaps
'ixty feet from the ground, as was the cal
sndar stone A scatfold had to be built,
he huge stone nicely divided and the cast
made piece by piece.
The method used in making the Lorillard
,Olle ton is q very simple one, and the
most unlearned eye can see that it is very
Inferior to that Of Abadianc. A piece of
common brown paper was dampened, laid
over the stone and hammered until an i'm
preston of the characters were made This
VAS continued until the layer Of paper was
perhaps quarter of an inch thick. Then
t was left to dry and the cast made in
plaster Of paris Charnay made many fail
,res, and his collection consists altogether
If fat surfaces, while that of Abadiano in.
dudes specimens Of every shape.
Abadiano's work was nearly completed
when tide of ill fortune suddenly overlook
linn After he had made two casts and de-
troyed his gelatine plates the Mexican gov
rnment decided that the expense would be
90 great and declined buying it This was
! terrible blow, but the young antiquarian
lecided to finish the work This he did,
md carrying out the original plans of the
Mexican government he carried it overland
o New Orleans at great expense, paying
he customs officer nearly 81 900 duty On
Irriving at the exposition he did not place
lis collection in the building, for that
would bring him in no revenue, but rented
large storehouse in the French quarter,
ne of the most sparsely settled districts OF
he city, and there set it up So slow did
he careful antiquarian work that by the
lime he was ready to exhibit the exposition /
vas nearly over and many of the visitors |
ad left the city. Abaiiano was now
laced in a serious predicament He had /
pent his fortune on the collection and it 4
vas now useless to him. and he knew not /
THAT to do with il
At this luncture Of affairs Prof. Mason. /
{ the Smithsonian museum, appeared on |
be scene and effected q temporary arrange
nent, by which the exhibit was placed in
hat institution But it is to be hoped that
q the near future 1t will be purchased end
hus given permanent place IN the
ashtn.yfon