The sun., 1890-09-21

TIE Ro-.sss ar shs Rsysi Petssrsss-ThS
nassu. asd So.s oF ice Treasurss.

Auseuo and Bome OF tea Treaeurees
DRRspEE. Aug. 8O.-No one can help admit
ting that the Germans are sincere lovers and
experienced oonnoisseurs In ceramic ART; not
only do thor aa . nation possesa public oolleo-
tlons Of china OF enormous richness and value,
but AZ individuals they are equally we'll en-
dowsd. There are few ancient families who do
not own numerous rare specimens The great
nobles Of the Roman empire have beaueathed
to their descendants whole services Of delicate
porcelain. made purposely for them at Meis-
cen. bearing their crsets orcoats OF arms. Ger
man castles and residences awe evidence OF the
same artistic appreciation as italian palaces;
only In the latter. pictures and statues are
held in highest honors. while In the former the
treasures OF more brittle. but no less beAuH-
full, art stand enthronod.
There are very few German mansions In
town or country that do not possess these
precious ceramic heirlooms, for there was
time whom Nielsen was not the only important
porcelain mandatory; II had powerful rivals
in NymphenbourR. Fulda. Gotbe. Berlin. and
especially Haechst, in the Electorate of Mainz,
which enjoyed q brilliant II temporary pros
perity. Nowadays the finest works Of the art
illustrated by Boettger. Handler. Melchior. are
deposited In the royal. palaces OF Dresden.
GothA. and ChArlottenburR, although the mag
niflcent collections OF the latter two residences
have gone through severe ordeRls. When Queen
Victoria paid n visit to her father-in-law Err
nest H.. in order to congratulate him on the
treaty OF Frankfurt concluded In Germany to
the detriment Of the French. the whole ducal
family Of Gotha and their retinue were 80
anxious to do honor to the British sovereign
that the Invaluable Dresden service OF the
palace was placed in daily use and suffered
considerable damage The same thing oc-
In
presence OF Queen Victoria again proved dis
astrous to the ceramic gems. many pieces got
broken even some that had belonged TO Sophie
Charlotte. the oonsort OF Frederick & the First.
The "a, SV1a
tendent Of the Queens household. q vase Of
Berlin manufacture, with q note, SAYING,
as IL it were OF gold, for we are nearly paupers
now. We have only honor a mantle and
In truth porcelain was the sole wealth, as It
eighteenth century Zach reigninE dynasty
lHheu The saxon s. n rulers d had It manuiaCtured st
home, without counting the immense exp.ndi-
tSefr Se tastes SperopristSd ii how and Where
they could. When the Prussian troops occu,
pSS IF "a alter ns
the treasures 1t coniained, turned to the Gen.
erals OF his suite and invited them to select
Warriors charmed with the KinRs generosity.
chose what seemed to each most precious. 1t
SCISSOR OF the we'll Inown dinner service that
remained In his family tn 1887. However,
few months later Ersderek, being short OF
bills OF the articles they had chosen. with
request that they should be paid forthwith.
like. In one ii the Dresden museums are
stilI to be seen eighteen vases 81 Chinese
called t the Draooner M Iasen. which owe their
name to- one OF the moet singular barRatns
ever made by two monarchs,
ferred soldiers; his neiRhbor. Augustus IL.
Elector Of Saxony and hing OF Poland. cared
products OF Chinese ana Japanese ceramics
never calculating the cost OF gratifying ME
RuBg SnS OF the faS Mo IF
Frederick showed Augustus his colIee-
tion OF rare china; The latter con-
blue and white vases, but the Saxon
treasury was well nigh empty, and the Polish
was too prudent to part with his vases on
credit. but wanted to exchange them for the
nnest OF q the saxon Dragon u I'm -Ss German nan
the men were at once incorporated with the
PIussian army. The successors Of the Elector.
Museum. have probably moro than once re-:
Gretted that at the time OF the occupation OF
saIony Py the great TsderSE eSv Inc M eahssn
It is. however. to Augustine IL that Europe
plan OF founding a national manulactory: Of
Of securing The services Of the famous Fred
erick Boettger. The cal eer 9f this man was
fi Berin a as am an apot6eeaTy. then hsppenins to
Lascaris: who boasted that he could nuke
be lnfallible,. Boettger threw himself heart and
soul into alchemy and worked indefatigably at
ments. me one day he discovered the secret not Of
making 9ed s Pp o rare Re bs fooW
laboratory at KoeniGstein:
God, Who created the whole world,
Out Of . gold maker made potter.
Augustus II. settled the would-be alehemis,
the Victims aud henceiorth Meissen was.
Unrivalled as the discoverer OF new and mar
bic as they are beautiful. BoettRer was de-
plorable administrai9r; under his manage.
and he left them at his death in a Euinous CON
diton. His successor. Georges Herold. how
ever; set theoretically to work 70 restore them
apoeee OF it's fortunes: he summoned to his
assistance J. Joachim Handler. the clever ar
century into The clay no manipulated. and
fashioned the delicate material into daintyshop-
powdered marauises. fanci nj Instruments oi
| Arcadian music. and garlanded flowers. Wat.
teau and Boucher wore faithfully reproduced
Nielsen has scattered over u thousand Ger
| man palaces and castles its frail masterpieces
aud brittle ,stRtuettes. frivolous and charm ing
| as the epoch in which they wero made, which
| will long survive the men who fashioned them.
| Boettger founded the Royal Mandatory In
| 1908 and died In 1880: Herold reigned over II
for nineteen years. and after him. under NJ. de
| BrGhl the decadonce began. From being an
art the production OF china deRenerated into
| an industry.
The finest, and also some OF the rarsst. speci-
mems Of Dresden porcelain are those that benr
| the golden cipher Of the Countess Cosel. She
was the fair Anna do Bischdorl, twice married
! who achieved double celebrity by captivat-
| ing and retaining the affections of the most
| feeble OF all monarchB. and maintaining her
| self In favor far longer than any OF her preds-
cessors. Augustus II. showered gold and pres
Palace Of the Four Seasons, built purposeiy
marked With her private sign; AZ last. how.
when the final separation with her royal lover
had taken p ace the favorite refused all the
wealth and gave herself up entirely. 70
she was, After 9 while i@prisoned in ths
tor passed under her windows she saw
him and fired pistol at him he was not hurt
| and 0milInRly bowed to her. Even at the Elec.