New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-22
SEVRES TO BE SOLD.
THE FAMOUS FACTORY TO PASS INTO ALIEN
HANDS.

HANDS.
FROM Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE,
Paris, June T.
A storm of indignation has been created
throughout France by the announcement that
the State mandatory Of porcelain at Sevres is
about to pass out of the hands of the Governments
and into those of an English syndicate formed
for the purpose Of acquiring the works, stock in
trade and trademark of that celebrated estab-
lishment The Opposition papers bitterly assail
the Administration the subject, and assert
that at no epoch in the history Of the mandatory
has any Government, Imperial, Royal or Re-
publican, ever dreamed of suppressing it, and
that even the Revolution considered itself bound
in honor to preserve it. "Sevres," they declare,
." both in the eyes of the country and in those
Of the whole universe, forms together with the
GObelins, the Beauvas, the Louvre, and the
Coincide Franchise, that brilliant artistic crown
which France wears so nobly, and which makes
her the Queen of the World" OF course there Is
a certain amount of patriotic exaggeraton in this
picture but it must be confessed that the French
are entitled to be proud Of their far-famed
tapestries and porcelains.
With regard to the latter, it is, however, neces-
sary to talk in the past sense. For there is no
doubt that the once famous fabrique has since
the fall of the Empire been steadily declining in
public prestige and commercial estimation. OF
late the annual sale of porcelain produced at
Sevres has not exceeded 100000 per annum,
which is poor return for the subvention Of
$4,000 which the Government devotes every
year to its maintenance Moreover, at the last
two great international Exhibitions of ls7s and
1889, the once peerless Sevres porcelain cut but
sorry figure. not only by the side of the products
Of French ceramic art supported by private cap
tal, but also in comparison with the baked wares
fabricated by German, Hungarian, Italian and
English manufacturers.
The object which the Government has in view
in abolishing the annual grant to the Sevres
porcelain mandatory. and in permitting it TO
pass from State control into private hands is to
establish in lis stead National School Of Ceramics
No one is more anxious for the organization of
an institution of this kind than NJ IaUth formerly
the director Of the Sevres mandatory. Pot
terry" he declares. :" is art that stands by
itself, and which requires combination Of
genius, with a vast amount of practical expert
ence. One must learn the handling of the biscuit,
and also possess n considerable acquaintance with
chemistry, so as to know how the various sub
stances will combine, before undertaking the
study of the various styles of decoration" In
deed, the successful ceramist is required to pos
mass of special information which demands
much time and labor to obtain. national school
for the purpose of acquiring these various branches
of knowledge is therefore not only needful. but far
more likely to prove benefit to the nation at
large than the present manufactory 1t is esti-
mated that the school in question can he MAIN
tanned at Just half the expense now incurred
by the Government for the mandatory. Under
the circumstances, the change which has been
decided upon by the French Government in the
&c npn wi olfhou(h pNrltPS
of the Chauvnsts necessarily cOmmends ltseu
10 all persons OF sober minds and common-sense'
To collectors and amateurs of rare porcelain
the transformation will appear matter OF rel
atve indifference For II is Old and not moo
ern Seyrcs that eXctes their admira-
ton The best connoisseniIsS Of Gro. Sevt IS
pate tenGre, produced at the Royal MANDATORY
from the day OF its foundation to the END OF tne
eighteenth century. Prices that appear TO the
uninitiated absolutely preposterous VIII contlhue
Ia he given by collectors Ior Sevres porcelain OF
the Pompadour period, which dates from 1913 10
1854. Tor that OF the Louis XIV period, which
dates FROM S$ To- dos1 a rom ioT ' TO So
The collection Of Pompadour, or as II Is some
times styled, Dubarryn Sevres IN the possession
of Queen Victoria at Windsor castle nag H n"6
valued bv experts nj considerably over S2oO,ooO,
and vet there are only SINAI number OF pieces
which are displayed in the long gallery OF cor
ridor where Her Majesty usually receives ncr
rnests before dinner. The value OF old Sevres
porcelain i enhanced by the fact maj ever slnCe
the foundation of the mandatory sn eAacO
register has been kept of all sales. Probably the
most extensive sale ever made was tnst IN -,
10 . v ~ "a pieces a sum Of $4,000 which
rTSs T to about at the present day
One hundred and sixty pieces Of This service were
stolen during a cOniagratlon oil inc Palace ~
49, rioo 80 and found their way 10 England,
r5dTc thcy were purchased by the famous col
ector Bcord But with fey EXCEPTIONS ans t con
w. h,c, IN Russia Just before the outbreak OF
the Crmean War