Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-04-15
ART In IVORY.
New York COllections-An American
Artist.

Artist.
From the Collector
The value of ivory as vehicle in art was
recognized when art itself was grouping in
the darkness of the primitive ages. The
Greeks gave 1t its glorifcation. The legen-
Diary splendors of the Jupiter of Phidias
may amplify upon the genius of the artist,
but they cannot do more than justice to the
material of which this storied masterpiece
was composed. In the whole range of natu.
raj products offered to the artists hand, none
exceeds this prize Of the African desert and
the Indian jungle in captivating beauty.
Marble is cold beside It, and clay coarse in
the most refined hand. Like gold among the
metals, It has no rival, and it is more pre-
cious and perilous than gold, since Its natu-
raj construction restricts the dimensions in
which it may be employed, and renders the
scar of a false touch irredeemably conspicu-
GUS. There are carvers in ivory and artists.
OF the former it can only be said that they
carve we'll, and their errors and successes go
hand In hand. OF the artist in ivory a DIFF
ferent tale is to be told. In his hands the
material takes unique life and beauty, like
the rough diamond made glorious under the
lapidary's skilful fingers. But where the
lapidary simply releases from the gray peb-
BILE the imprisoned splendors of the gem he
polishes, the ivory sculptor creates in frag-
ment of bone complete revolution, from q
thing of crude and rude substance to one OF
grace and beauty.
Probably the most extensive collection OF
ivory carvings in the United States Is that of
Mr.. James F. Drummond Of this city. 1t
may be averaged as containing at least
thousand pieces, and its owner, in spite of a
stereotyped declaration that he will buy no
more, it constantly adding to it. Mr.. Drum
mond's collection is almost entirely oriental,
and betrays in it's selection the judgment of
the true amateur 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.. MacNartin of this
city. In it Japanese carvings predominant,
If, indeed they do not hold complete mono-
poly, Mr.. w. G. Oastler has brilliant col.
lection of Japanese ivories, and the collec-
ton of netsukes of Mr.. R. Austin Robertson
is ono of the most fascinating features Of his
cabinets of masterpieces of Japanese and
Chinese art Mr.. E. D. Church's is another
notable New York collection. 1t is mainly
Japanese, though It contains some fine Ital-
ian pieces.
This predominance of orientalisn In ivory
collecting is due to the fact that conpara-
lively few fine European pieces come to this
country. or those that do Mr.. g. P. Moro
sini possesses a notable number of the best
examples, particularly of Italian origin. Mr..
E. G. Moore has also number of noble and
beautiful European pieces, and Mr.. Henry T.
Cox of Brooklyn q collection as choice in
character as it is limited In numbers. Mr..
John w. Mason of Brooklyn, Mr.. Henry
Graves of Orange. and Mr.. Thomas B. Clarke
of this city, are also possessors of high class
specimens of oriental art in ivory. Latterly
Mr.. James W. Ellsworth of Chicago has be-
come the owner of some priceless pieces,
and the ivories of Mr.. Bement of Philadel-
phia form an important part of his colleo-
tions. There are probably Eve hundred OBJ
iects in ivory in Mr.. Dement'S cabinets.
For their supplies of art in ivory the col
| lectors have to look abroad, to France, Ger
many, Italy, OF the farther orient. The hon
ors Of the art of ivory carving in this coun-
try rest entirely on the shoulders of one man
"a young man, full of the enthusiasm and
fire Of art, whose labor has, with him, much
of the gravity of religious rite. The son
| of a German, this artist brings into our ve-
neered and artiicializsd life a souvenir OF
| the simple and frank spirit which made
Durer and Holbein immortal. In his open,
blond face. with lines as delicate as his own
cerity Of that hopeful heart of the artist, az
pure, as ductile and as strong as virgin gold
| Commencing the study of art as a schoolboy
watching the labor Of pipe carver in hit
fathers workshop, F. B. Kaldenberg contin-
mes It to day, in the same singleness of spirit
with no thought beyond his labor and NJ
ambition save for it's results. His earlies
important sculpture in ivory. copy of th'
Venus of Milo, twenty one inches in height
already, in Ito seft and subtle plasticity, th
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