Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-07-28
THE CZAR'S DOMAIN
How It Is Represented at the
Exposition.
SURPRISES THAT ARE DELIGHTFUL


SURPRISES THAT ARE DELIGHTFUL.
Marvellous Beauty of the Enamcls Of the
Boyars-An Art of the .Ancicnts Revived
by the Russinns-Nntional Character
istics Which Run Throughout All Rus
sian Work at the Exposition.
WORLDS FAIR, July 90 - [Special.1 -
One OF the most delightful surprises of
This exposition is Russia. Few Of us ex-
oected much from her. We had fallen
into the mental habit of viewing the czar's
vast kingdom as a semi-barbaric region
where a few feudal lords rule many mill
ions OF serves. We could not get out of
our mind the notion that Russia is wild,
rude, uncultivated, inartistic. So we have
approached the Russian pavilion in Manu-
factures building with a feeling that duty
and curiosity are driving us to spend Il
few moments inspecting the back-country
exhibits of the steppes of eastern Europe.
Imagine our surprise when we find the
Boyars outstripping all competitors in
some lines of manufacture which require
the highest form of art and skill.
You can tell the Russian pavilion as far
rs you can see it down the great Colum-
bian avenue. No flag, no imperial crest,
no sign board is necessary to enable you
to determine where Belgium leaves off on
the one side and Norway on the other.
Russia's pavilion is characteristic. It
marks Russia in every line OF its dark
timbers, left in natura! color, in every
form used in the strong, angular architect
ure. One beauty of Russia's display here
is that everything she has is marked with
the same strong characteristics. The Rus.
slams are a people to themselves, their art,
their architecture, their designs, their
methods, are things apart from the re.
mainder OF Christendom. The pavilion
dates nearly three centuries back. It is
cathedral-like. One corner has a great
vestibule, wherein you see examples of
ceiling and wall decorations in vogue in
the Greek church. Along the entire front
of the pavilion run a broad platform, dec
Grated with urns and vases of hewn mar
BILE and other hard stones from the exile
mines in Siberia.
Passing within, one is drawn by some
fascination to the huge cases in which the
silversmiths of Moscow and St. Peters
burg present the first of the delightful
surprises which we are to encounter here.
1t is the enamel ware. We think we have
seen enamel work in the Belgian section.
in the Italian, the Austrian and elsewhere.
But till we see the enamels of the Boyars
we do not know what enamel is, we have
no conception of the marvellous beauty of
the effects that may be wrought by this
most difficult process.
Here we learn, moreover, that to the
Russian must be given the credit of reviv-
ing a lost art. Enameling on silver was
an art with the ancients. Then for e it
disappeared. Twenty years & the Rus
slams revived 1t, developed it, and it must
be admitted have perfected it.
regret lay inability to describe tho
beauty of these enamels for you, but the
prices will in a measure serve to give YOU
a hint. Prices do not always do this, for
it is as easy to say five thousand dollars as
one thousand, and there are exhibitors
here who exercise a great deal of license in
this respect. But the Russians, so the ex-
perts say, have not done this. Their prices
are q true measure of value. Take, for in
stance, this jewel casket. It is not large,
its material is silver, with not a bit Of
gold in it, and yet the price is $3.50. It
seems a high valuation, but stand nea.
and examine the exquisite character of the
fliRree decorations.
The value of these articles consists not
of their material but of the workmanship.
Silver is cheap, and enamel composition is
not costly. Neither is gilt. But the
melted enamel composition must be
poured with ten thousand deft, unerring
touches. One blunder and the whole
fabric will be destroyed. This explains
why this little jewel casket is worth $3.50;
why a cigar case Or card case is worth s85:
why a toilet set of eight pieces and two
vases to match is held at s4,15O; WHY
souvenir spoons are valued from $50 to $3.50
each; why a little vase that you could hold
in your hand is worth $500; why an inlaid
with cname silver tea and coffee service is
priced at S3,275. These are large figures.
but the value is there. The Russians are
not here to make big profits. They have
felt so grateful for Americas assistance
during their famine period that they have
spent much money in making a show here
that would contribute to the artistic glory
of the exposition. Less than any other
foreign nation are they hungry for Amer
lean dollars.
There are several notable pieces here,
One is q magnificent medallion, framed in
carved oxidized silver, which was pre-
sented to the czarowitch by his regiment
Of Cral cossacks in commemoration of
their crossing the Danube in the Russo
Turkish war Of 1873. The picture in the
medallion, exquisitely engraved, would be
ample proof of the skill of the Russians in
this art even if there were not many other
examples ut hand. 1t shows the czaro-
witch and his staff crossing the blue Dan
ube in pontoons; and with a low relief
there is deep perspective and perfect shad-
ings. The cost of this great piece must
have been many thousands of dollars, but
of course that is not given under the cir
cumstances.
The masterpiece Of the collection is a
giant punch bowl Of gilt, enamelcd, strik-
ing In design, magnificent in workman.
ship. 1t Is n of the finest specimens of
Russian classic art, and is claimed to be
the most noteworthy thing Of the sort ever