The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-19
AUSTRIAN GLASS.
a Fine Exhibit at the CoIum.
bian Fair.
MAGNIFICENT SHOWING OF Art.
How Bohemian Glass Is Fashioned and
Decorated TO Perfection-Cut Glass Not
One of the Developed Arts-Tanagra
Figures First Shown in This Country
An Admirable Feature of the Exhibit.

/ WORLDS FAIR, July ls.- [Speciall =
g Just month hence viii be Austria day al
the Columbian exposition. Then the son:
OF that composite empire, the Teutons, the
4 Slays, the Huns the Bohemians, will hav:
4 1ete with Austria's splendid exhibit il
: Manufactures building as its proud center
and with that curious pile, ''Old Vienna,
situate in the sideshow plaisance, for it,
> finale. The sons Of Austria have right
to lift high their heads in the exposition
for it is a magnificent showing of their art.
and industries which they make here
The most they have to display is in thu
Manufactures building, but they contribute
to the fine arts, where they occupy mors
space than any other foreign country, ex
cepting Great Britain, France and Ger
many, to the mines, electricity, woman.
and other departments.
1t is in the main building that interes,
centers, for here Austria has reared hel
double-eagles over handsome pavilion
! that does not suffer even in comparison
with the gorgeous and costly structure OF
Germany, its next door neighbor. This
pavilion is light and graceful, and it has
one remarkable quality in that it resem-
bles huge crown 4 crown indeed it is
upon the empire of glass and porcelains
which reposes beneath. More than hun
dred feet along that thoroughfare of the
nations, Columbia avenue, does this pavil-
ION extend, and sixty-five feet in the all
rises Austria's imperial crest In the
towers at the corners OF the structure the
imperial commissioners have their Offices.
and imperial soldiers form guard of
honor over these treasures of the kingdom
Within, more than 600 of the best firms of
Austria, Hungary and Bohemia display
their handiwork.
The pavilion could not be more appro-
pirate than it is unless it were made of
glass; for glass is the glory of Austria in
this peaceful rivalry of the nations, just
as pottery is of Britain, fabrics and per-
sonal furnishings Of France, marbles and
carvings Of Italy, watches of Switzerland
silver work and terra cottas of little Den
mark. Bohemian glass is without doubt
the finest glass in the world. 1t is clearer
OF texture to begin with, and then the art
of fashioning and decorating it is nowhere
! else carried to such perfection. Perhaps
| the Venetians are nearest it, but even
! these deft workers fall far short of the Bo-
| hemians in material, in design, in color, in
workmanship.
| You must not expect me to describe this
beautiful ware. 1t is past description. 1t
must be seen to be appreciated. In the
shops OF your home city you may see Bo-
hemian glass that is full of color and
grace, but | assure you that you have
never seen such Bohemian slass as is here
dlsplayed; for hither the makers Of it have
brought their very finest specimens, their
. prize pieces, a mum Der of which are not for
sale but are 30 be returned to the old coun-
try for preservation as finest examples OF
the art. ThiS glass is shown in an infinite
variety of forms, with fairy-hke filagrees
and colorings which are simply marvellous
All grades are displayed from the very
finest to the cheapest and it is all interest
ing. One may easily devote a couple OF
hours to study Of this single feature of the
Austrian exhibit
Twas surprised not to find any cut glass
among the wares from Prague and
Vienna. They have almost everything
else, but it seems cut glass is not one of
the developed arts il those centers of the
fine glass industs, lie English and the
Americans appea 20 take the lead in cut
glass, and / am ut sure that three or four
of our United States frEs are not ahead
of their foreign rivals in this beautiful
art Why the Bohemiars have not taken
UP cut glass among all their other beauti-
full work in the glass line l could find no
one to explain.
One admirable feature of the Austrian
exhibit, and one which many of the for
eign nations would do well to initiate, is
the employment Of bright American girls
to show and explain things to visitors
We get along better as rule with clerks
of our own nationality, who not only
speak our language perfectly but under
stand US. One of the young women in the
Austrian exhibit told me the prices of at
least thousand articles, and when
asked her how she could remember so
many figures she replied: 81 have been at
the Philadelphia, the Paris, and the sgd
ney expositions, doing just such work as
this. This Is the greatest exposition of
them all, but it is too big. That is the
only fault that can be found with it. AS
to memory for figures, / used to be en-
ployed by a life insurance company I
could remember overy policy holder in our
in the door, without the slightest idea
what his name was, could call his num-
Der, select his policy and save him the
trouble of waiting When l went to the
Paris exposition man came into the ex-
hihit where | was employed, and though
1t had been four years since l left the in
surance Office could see hi number writ
ten all over his face. | said to him: I
don't know your name, but your policy
number is 5I1 ,643, and when he got home
he sent me letter falling me / had named
the correct number"
On entering the Austrian section the
first thing that attracts your attention is a
collection of Tanagra figures, now for the
first time shown in this country. They
are species of terra Gotta. but if anything
more exquisite in finish and tint. They
SIRE made By q Viennese artist named
Muller, who has access 10 the royal CALLER
les and museums, and who copies the
Greek antiques which he finds there. Con-
sidsring the beauty of these reproductions
the prices are not high Eight dollars
buys hetle gem Of statuette, a Psyche
with both hands in her hair, that Is simply
perfection. The Dsaes copy the same
figure in terra Gotta, but for ouce the Den
mark artists ara outdone in their own
field The Isnagra figure of the Viepnese
is superior.
just within the entrance are pair Of
old Vienna porcelain vases. about four
feet high One IS painted with figures Of
Neptane and Amphitrite. the other with
BaechUs, Ceres and Cibeles. Both are
marvels 81 the art Of moulding. painting
and barning. There is nothing finer II
the world n porceiaias, and the price Of
he pair, 81 0co do not seem exorbitznt