Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1889-07-26
With paintings and brilliant lustre. For ii


| information of those who have not seen spec.
| linens of these wares 1t is not easy in words
| to give an intelligent idea of their Iustre
decorations. No expressions can be too ex.
| trava8ant in describing their splendor. They
vary greatly in colors, some being red, 9th.
ers green, others blue, yellow, golden, sill
very, all rejecting light with the most in.
tense brillianoy, many changing colors as
they are seen at different angles, and all
reaching the highsst sheen when, as many
are, they are irideseent, flashing out every
color of the spectrum from every minute
point on the surface.
In the nineteenth century, when the study
OF the history of pottery revived with the
general revival Of interest in all art history,
the attention of collectors was directed to
the italian wares Of the quattrooento and
succeeding periods. It is Unnecessary here
to describe the rise and growth of the desire
perhaps it might well be called mania-
to possess specimens of those wares Prices
advanced rapidly, varying, of course, &C.
eording to the quality Of the specimens.
esteemed and desired were lustred pieces.
and especially the works of the great master
Giorgio. A Thousand dollars was and In a
moderate price for fair specimen, and for
elaborate works, where the paintings of dis
tinguished artists are heightened with 6ior-
gio's gorgeous touches, there is no limit to
the price asked and paid.
During the past thirty years many great
potters, and not few amateurs, have de-
voted much money, experiment.. and labor to
seeking the secret of the Gubbio lustres. It
would do no good to recite the various ex-
periments which have been made. Occas.
Ionally bright, even a brilliant, result has
come from the furnace; but it is fair to say
that most, If not all, such pieces have been
the result of accident, and in no case has it
been found practicable to repeat the process
with certainty of like result. The accounts
given OF the methods used by the Italian
potters do not prove correct when subjected
to experiment. The art remains lost art.
From time to time have acquired speci-
mems of the experimental works of modern
English, French, and italian potters who
were seeking the Gubbio secret. They at
least Afforded examples of that admirable
quality In many great European potters, the
willingness to sacrifice money in seeking
new field for their industries. It is tRis
quality which has given to the pottery in
dustries of all parts of Europe such vast sue
cess. Those who have been familiar with
the widespread desire to reproduce Gubbio
lustres, and the steady failures of all expert
ments, will understand the surprise and
astonishment produced by the receipt from
Mexico, two years ago, of half dozen spec
linens of a coarse pottery, decorated with
rude reliefs, and entirely covered with q
lustre rivalling in brilliancy and iridescence
the best old Italian pieces. They had been
discovered by Mr.. Charles Dudley Warner
in shop in Mexican city.
Here was certainly a marvel. No Euro
pean or American potter can produce such a
surface. Properly manipulated this dscora-
ton would be fortune to skillful potter.
But these wares are produced in secluded
part of Mexico, and, as Mr.. Warner learned,
by Indians. Had their ancestors made an in
dependent discovery of the glaze, or have
we here, transmitted from Italy and Spain of
the sixteenth century, an art which has been
Lost in Europel
While this Mexican pottery arrests our at
tention as an extremely interesting example
of North American Indian art, 1t seems we'll
deserving the attention of potters In this
country and Europe. If the information
which had been obtained with SO much labor
and perseverance by the lady whose paper
follows shall furnish to potters a clue to the
Gubbio secret, it will prove an inestimable
gift-to ceremicart. The fact stands that to-
day in San Felipe unskilled Indians are pro-
ducing and selling for daily use in Mexico
wares decorated with lustre inoomparably
liner than any metallic lustre produced in
Europe, and which, if potters can by expert
ment learn so to use 1t that different colors
can be produced if desired, will practically
restore to modern uses the lost Saraoen and
Italian lustres.
What is Good Form In Lawn Ten.
mis-.
lFrom Form in Lawn Tennis,' by DR.. James
Dwight in August Scribner.l
Form is the style in which the player
moves, carries himself, and makes the
strokes. Good form, I should explain,i ,is not
grace; it is making the stroke in suoh way
as to produce the greatest efeot with least
friction. In making stroke both feet sell
dom remain on the ground, and any violent
effort will destroy the balance of the body,
and thus make the stroke moro uncertain
and the recovery slower and more difficult.
This preservation Of the balance, to me,
seems the most important advantage of good
form. You can often make single stroke
well enough in bad form, but you place
yourself at such disadvantage In the recov-
cry that you must injure your chances for
the next stroke.
1t seems clear, then, that good form il
worth having; that 1t can do no harm, and
may do much good; but how is IL to be ac-
quireds By Watching the best players, If
possible, and studying out the position of
the feet and body in making the different
strokes; also by the direct teaching of some
player who has good style himself OF at
least knows thoroughly what 1t consists in.
"But," it has often been said to me, eve
live where there arc no good players; we see
no good plays; We have to trust to books for
instruction, and books cannot show how
player looks when he makes a stroke" All
this is true, and could think of no answer
to it until the idea occurred to me that
number of instantaneous photographs of the
best players might be taken, SO that the ex-
act position of the feet and hands might be
decided. A strong reason for photograph
how it is made. I remember we'll that
used always to preach that in the overland
service the racket should go very little back
Of the head. Two photographs taken at
different times show the head of the racket
almost touching the small of my back"