Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-07-24
A NEW TRADE,
The Making OF Old Furniture-Catering
TO the Taste for the ANTIQUE.

From the London Queen
IruQuase, although . term probably unfa-
miIiar to many Of our readers nevertheless de.
serves to rank among the finer arts of modern
CIVILIZATION. such Is the industry and skill and
ingenuity with which IL 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 good as old. The con-
nolsseur In furniture of the present day is well
aware that, for certain important qualities Of
soundness, good work manship and good taste,
the "old is BETTER" with valid reason also for
nis opinion. But the crowd, who have neither
MS leisure, his knowledge or his experience,
naturally fall into the hands of the scientific
experts or truquage, an easy prey to the spoiler.
The stock-in-trade OF the French truQueur and
ms English congener--quite as expert as he
an agreeable meliowness of tone-and nitric
acid are neither Of them expensive. The latter
initiates s pretty closely the ravages Of ants, and
noles bored with fine auger easily give the
worm-eaten appearance which appeals to the
lover OF the antique In carved furniture. The
writer was informed by q workman's wife that
ner husband was one Of those solely employed
IN the boring or anger business; but in Paris
i've worms are kept to do the work, ana do it
even better, and to order. which is more sur
prising. New oak can be stained by u solution
OF Old iron In hot vinegar, which darkens it to .
1shed. The price demanded, however, is such
that "bargains' can be boasted Of by the mex.
perienced, while really fine work always com.
mands its value in the open market
The unhappy pieces of furniture which have
70 date from the sixteenth century are severely
oeaten with heavy bludgeons, which serves to
give tnen the worn appearance necessary to
three centuries of existence. A common de-
vice Is to paint the panels OF cupboards rough.
they are then dried in the sun, and, after keep.
Ing some months, are washed In potash, which
removes the paint in patches, and the exquisite
ior granted by the buy err who il aware that in
the last century much good panelling was thus
pa1nea AND preserved to our generation in
lng and outline. Buhl of very ordinary
description Is ornamented by French dealers
OF elliot, who succeeded Buhl Those who can
De taken In by these mechanical reproduce
TONS must be lett to their tate. III por.
ceIain and faience one can only say caveat
emptor, SO clever are the tricks by which even
the learned are deceived. At Cages manufac-
tory at Versailles the falence de Movers is re-
produced to perfection; but here all is fair and
open dealing. II the buyer prefers his purchase
antique" NJ. Cage will bake it for him until
the glaze Crackers. 1t Is further meliowed in a
manure heap. and slight extra charge is i'm.
posed The special marks of favor!te potters
are easily initiated, and much pains is taken
with spurious ware, with extent to deceive as
would suffice to give value to real specimens.
Inc character of the early decoration is care.
July preserved-the even white OF the Nous
tiers ware; the dead, dull white Of the Marsel-
ia:se. aud the careful finish Of the old Delft
potters.
At Venice the reproduction of the old palatial
furniture is a thriving Industry, and the same
at Florence; but 1t possesses little no artistic
value. The ebony is black stained wood: the
s ST. are bone, and not ivory; the shapes and
patterns are however, Carefully copied, and
the prices are not excessive, and good patterns
are a dlstlnct gain in furniture; but the modern
production will not have the lasting Qualities of
the old. Ivory triptychs are manufactured at
Versailles. The golden tint Is gained by boil
Ing In Oil, then plunging into boiling water and
crying before hot tire, which cracks the ivory
10 perfection. These require skilled eye 10 de-
tect, as the carving is often meritorious Even
works of the highest art do not escape the tru-
Queur. Cloulon, the late eminent French scuIp-
tor, discovered that a group bearing his sigma
ture bad been sold for 4, 800 francs. Legal pro-
ceeoings were instituted accordingly 1t was
brought TO light that the work in question
was due TO one LebrOc, who had made it his
study to initiate Ciodion. Nevertheless three
eminent Judges-Millett, Chapu and Gulllauma
latter careful examination, and in spite of thu
signature, decided that, in their opinion, it was
not the handling OF Clodion. So the sales were
annulled, ana damages were not allowed by the
courts. ClodionS real name was Michel and
some OF his earliest and finest works are thus
signed. Inc arts OF truquage extend Them
selves even to literature. AS long ago as the
seventeenth century We find the printers of
Lyons and Rouen Stimulating princeps editions
OF Racin and Moliere. The t. pc, the paper, the
coopnons, ali being reproduced with unscru.
ious accuracy, ana then palmed OFT as genuine
upon the unWary purchaser. The manufac-
ture Sliil prospers, aided win the phOtOgravure
process ana Tue arts OF fac smile. So also are
Ola letters anu autographs successfully hoated
siSutu Uy CdIOlnai DC R.tZ OR Colbert, or whom
you please, fetching good price, and almost
challenging scrutiny. The history OF the Sha-
pira forgefies of the Pentateuch are fresh in the
recollection Of our readers. They were offered
at the moderate price OF FL ,OUO.OOU sterling.
SO also tile famous UerniS Martin can still be
bought 1t Paris, very like but still not genuine;
ana clever painters, whose work is as good as
Lancrets, can be found 10 figure as Wutteaus
with no mean success. But at present the
secret of the real Martin cefniS remains as i'm.
penetrable as IL is exquisite.
In buying Old oak furniture the buyer should
notice the presence or absence OF the ties or
cross-bars near the floor, which are invariably
In the construction OF the seventeentn-century
Joiners. Inc 1orger is apt to forget this aud
thus hlmseli brand the work spurious. Dec
orations Was formerly the proper art OF guild
OF FlorentIne artists in the fourteenth century.
Painters, jewellers, engravers and metal work.
ers lived III happy state OF coop. ative har-
mony, SO that a Golfer or cuSkeL mi sht bear the
successive impress of many clever hands; AS
the enamel, the setting, the lock, the jewel
work, would each be executed by an artist
craftsman, skiiied at Delio, Or Coiiini, or Chi
bert. 1t will scarcely 40 TO contrast the revived
mode Of painting on furniture, As we behold 1t
Id the shops, with this delicate aud mastery
work Yet many OF our young pain ters might
thought and putting real good work ON articles
ol daily use, which we have come to regard,
unhappiiy, as necessarily ugly because utllita-