Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-07-20
FRED. W. HARRIS. Editor.
Ysrhg d Tie South Dakota Pvsss Association
POTTERY AND LACE
Glory Of Belgium at the Column
bian Exposition.
HOW BELGIANs ARE LIKE FRENCH

| MsLy Of Them Speak the Language of
Trance and Their sympathies Are in
1 Common - The Beautiful Blue Delft
i Ware Which the BeIgians Make Exhib-
1 tied at the Fair.
WORLDS FAIR, July 90 Especial. -
I inst as the Belgians and the French live
] ide by side in Europe, so their territory
/ adinins here at the Columbian exposition.
i IN the great Manufactures building, which
! il a sort Of show place Of the nations. the
! next pavilion after the French that you
Z come to i nwaIking down Columbia avenue
i that Of the Belgians. 1t is not easy to
4 tell where the French leave off and the
4 Belgians begin. AS ingenious and artistic
/ as the Partisan, though not as numerous
or wealthy, are the men and women Of
. Brussels. They are like the French, too,
In much Of their work, in their touch, in
their fondness for millinery and display,
things which man or woman wants for
/ personal use or ~adornment. They are
1 French, too, in their s~ympathies, in their
own dress, in their thought, in their polite
treatment of all visitors. Most ofthe edu-
ated Belgians speak French like Paris
ans. 1t is French that we hear through
mt this pavilion.
The glory of Belgium, as found in this
I exhibit, may be expressed in two words
pottery and laces. Though l still adhere
I TO the belief that the English are the finest
clay-workers in the world. it must be con
fessed ones faith is much shaken when
he inspects the wonderful blue delft ware
Of Brussels, the porcelains of old Vienna,
the terra cottas of Denmark, the Berlin
n porcelains of Germany and some of the
best work of the japanese. AS / am
troubled about my selection of British
pottery as the best in the world so would
the judges be troubled who might award
the grand prize to the Doultons, to the
Limoges ware, or to the delft.
II The selection of a ware or article that is
first best, and another that is second best,
I, Is, after all, a mere matter Of taste, it is
more or less fanciful, depends as much
upon the judges as upon the goods. AT
one international exposition the English
q may get first prize in pottery, and at an
other the French, at a third the Belgians,
though all are in competition on every oc.
casion. For this reason-because the selec-
tions are often arbitrary or fanciful and
therefore meaningless I'M glad that al
III this exposition there are to be no first or
ii gold medals, no second or silver medals
a no third or bronze medals; but every ex.
hibit that reaches a sufficiently high
standard of excellence is TO be compli-
I mented by a medal with an accompanying
q diploma which shall set forth in plain
words wherein the exhibit or article excels
!: and Is thought worthy this distinction
Isl All the medals are to be of bronze, and al
Il Of the same significance n value.
~ There can be no doubt whatever that
this beautiful blue ware from Belgium
IN will receive a medal, and a diploma OF
warm praise. The delft ware is noted fol
the s~oftness OF it's colors and for the per
lection with which they are blended. But
VI most OF the articles are purely decorative
S They are vases, great plates, plaques, bird
a cages, and other ornamental designs. II
M Is in the making of the high-art table ser
II vice that the English excel, and it is OF
u this ground that / would put the Britonl
ahead OK all their contemporaries. TIL,
Belgians show nothing, nor the French
& nor even the A~ustrians, that is equal Il
ii the work of the English potters and artists
!. II table ware, though it is often a combi
nation Of the efforts of the French paint
y ers with these of English molders ane
firers that produces the work which oul
sN British cousins take their stand on.
The delft ware of Belgium is distinctive
M ly decorative rather than serviceable. Il
Is unique in shape and design as well as il
Nh color. Here u grand plate, some thre,
and a half feet in diameter, elegant for tn,
mantel but useless on the table, which ha
III in its border eight exquisite cupids. N,
I two cupids are alike, neither in form o
is the expression of their faces, yet ali ar
perfect. Such a plate sells at s6s, and
as notice that five or six Americans have al