Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27

most entirely oriental, and betrays in its
selection the judgment of the true anna
teur and artistic expert. There are in it
a few European pieces, each in itself a
gem. Another local collection of similar
character is that of Mr.. MacMartin Of
this city. In it japanese carvings pre-
dominate, if indeed they do not hold
complete monopoly. Mr.. W. C. Oastler
has a brilliant collection of japanese
worries, and the collection of netsukes of
MIR. r. Austin Robertson is one of the
most fascinating features of his cabinets
of masterpieces of Japanese and Chinese
art. Mr.. E. D. Church, is another
notable New York collection. It is
mainly japanese, though it contains
some fine Italian pieces.
This predominance of orientalism in
ivory collecting is due TO the fact that
comparatively few fine European pieces
come to this country. OF those that do
Mr.. G. P. Morosinl possesses a notable
number Of the best examples, particu-
larry of italian origin. Mr.. E. G. Moore
has also q number of noble and beauti-
full European pieces, and Mr.. Henry 7.
Cox Of Brooklyn a collection as choice in
character as 1t is limited in numbers.
MIR. John w. Mason of Brooklyn, Mr..
Henry Graves of Orange, and Mr..
Thomas B.. Clark of this city, are also
possessors of high class specimens of ORR
entail art in ivory. Latterly Mr.. James
w. Ellsworth of Chicago has become the
owner of some priceless pieces, and the
ivories OF Mr.. Bement of Philadelphia
form an important part of his collec-
tions. There are probably five hundred
objects in ivory in Mr.. BEN ent's cabi-
nets.
For their supplies of art IN ivory the
collectors have to look abroad, to France,
Germany, Italy, or the farther orient.
The honors of the art of ivory carving in
this country rest entirely on the shoulders
of one mana young man, full of the
enthusiasm and fire OF art, whose labor
has, with him, much of the gravity of q
religious rite. The son of a German, this
artist brings into our veneered and artl-
ficialized life a souvenir of the simple
and frank spirit which made Durer and
Holbein immortal. In his open, blonde
face with lines as delicate as his own CHS
elings, is reflected the brightness and sim
ceritY of that hopeful heart of the artist,
as pure, as ductile and as strong as yir-
gin gold. Commencing the study OF art
as a schoolboy, Watching the labor of a
pipe carver in his fathers workshop, F.
r. Kaldenberg continues it, in the same
siDglenes of spirit, with no thought be-
yond his labor and no ambition save for
its results. His earliest important sculp-
ture in ivory, a copy of the Venus of
Milo, twenty-one inches in height, exc
cuted from the original marble, ex-
hibits already, in its soft and subtle
Elasticity, the manipulation of master.
His latest, a Characterization of the
"Mignon' of Goethe, a magnificent
tusk chiseled into magnificent head
over fifteen inches in height, gives him
definite and permanent rank as an orig
inal and creative artist. Nothing could
be more gracious than the touch with
which he gives us the delicate modelling
of this child IS face, just trif1e saddened
by pensivenesss, with cRrelessly trained
locks peneiling her brow, and the twisted
scarf, with which she is to dance the sar-
aband dance, browning her head. a
triumphant work which the artist has in
contemplation is a crucifix, which he
proposes shall be the largest of this ma
terial ever carved. Its commencement
awaits the arrival of tusk of the proper
dimensions and quality, for which an
order has been in the hands of the Fan
zibar traders for more than year.
In some newspaper paragraph, now
wandering about in the press, 1 found
the other day a description of an ivory
carving alleged to be beautifully COL
ored and gill; This is an impossibllity.
Ivory, like the lily, is perfect in its ma
tive uuritv alone