Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-07-21
AUSTRIAN GLASS.
A Fine Exhibit at the Column
bian Fair.
MAGNIFICENT SHOWING OF ART,

"SAsADo AAAp SuAy k0FS~y
Just a month hence will be Austria day at
the Columbian exposition. Then the sons
Of that composite empire, the Teutons, the
Slavs, the Huns, the Bohemians, will have
q fete with Austria's splendid exhibit In
Manufactures building as its proud center
and with that curious pile, "Old Vienna"
situate in the sideshow plaisance, for its
finale. The sons Of Austria have right
to lift high their heads in the exposition,
for 1t 10 a magnificent showing Of their arts
and industries which they make here.
The most they have to display is in the
Manufactures building, but they contribute
to the fine arts, where they occupy more
space than any other foreign country, ex
cepting Great Britain, France and Ger.
many, to the mines, electricity, woman's
and other departments.
It is in the main building that interest
c%enters, for here Austria has reared hel
double-eagles over a 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 a huge crown. A crown indeed it Is
upon the empire of glass and porcelains
which reposes beneath. More thar a hun.
dred feet along that thoroughfare of the
nations, Columbia avenue, does this pavil.
ion extend, and siXty-iive feet in the al,
rises Austria's imperial crest. In the
towers at the corners OF IT, structure the
imperial commissioners have :oeir Offices.
and imperial soldiers form q guard OF
honor over these treasures OF the kingdom.
Within, more than Geo OF the Lest firms OF
Austria, Hungary and Bohemia displa,
their handiwork.
The pavilion could not he more appro.
pirate than it is unless it were made O!
glass; for glass is the glory of Austria in
this peaceful rivalry of the nations. lust
as pottery is of Britain, fabrics and per.
n 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. It is clearer
OF texture to begin with, and then the art
OF tashion1ng 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 b.
hemians in material, in design, in color. in
workmanship.
You must not expect me to describe this
beautiful ware. 1t is past description. It
must be seen to be appreciated. In the
shops OF your home city you may see b.
hemian glass that is full of color and
grace, but l assure you that you have
never seen such Bohemian glass as is here
displayed; for hither the makers of it have
brought their very finest specimens. their
PRIZE pieces, a number of which are not for
sale but are to 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-like filagrees
ana colorings which are simply marvellous.
All grades are displayed from the verv
finest to the cheapest, and it is allinterest.
ing. One may easily devote a couple If
u to study of this single feature Of the
Austrian exhibit.
l was surprised not to find any cut glass
among the wares from Prague and
Vienna. They have almost everything
else, u 1T seems cut glass is o one Of
the developed arts in those centers of the
S o~"Sc AAuuooAys 4u0 CuRllSQ a00 The
Americans appear to take the lead in cut
glass, and l am not sure that three or four
OF our United States firms are not ahead
of their foreign rivals in this beautiful
art. Why the Bohemians have not taken
up ecu glass among all their other beauti-
ful work in the glass line I could find no
n to explain.
One admirable feature of the Austrian
QYhihIt Qn6 mo vuh;ol -,o~..-
e1gn nations would do we'll to initiate. ia
the employment of bright American girls
to show and explain things to visitors.
We get along better as a rule with clerks
OF u own nationality, who not onlv
speak our language perfectly but under
stand us. One of the young women in tho
Austrian exhibit told me the prices If at
least q thousand articles, and when I
asked her how she could remember m
many figures she replied: II have been at
the Philadelphia, the Paris, and the Svd.
ney expositions, doing just such work az
this. This is the greatest exposition ~
them all, but it is too big. That is the
only fault that can be found with II. Az
TO memory for figures, I used to be EN-.
ployed by q life insurance T
could remember every policy holder in u
DSS anu Wucu ne GeODe0
In the door, without the slightest idea
what his name was, l could call his num-
Der, select his policy and save him the
trouble OF waiting. When I went to the
Paris exposition a man came into tina er-
hlDlt where l was employed, and though
1t had been four years since / left the IN.
surance Office I could see hi number writ
ten oil over his face. I said to him: Il
don't know your name, but your policy
number is 81, 64s,' and when he Got home
he sent me a letter telling me I had manned
the correct number"
On entering the Austrian section tho
hrst thing that attracts your attention il a
collection of Tanagra figures, now for the
hrst time shown in this country, They
are a species Of terra Gotta, but If ANYTHING
more exquisite in finish and tint. Thev
are made by a Viennese artist named
Muller, who has access to the royal oaller-
les and museums, and who copies the
Greek antiques which he finds there. Con-
sidering the beauty of these reproductions
the prices are not high. Eight dollars
buys q little gem Of a statuette. a Psvche
with both hands In her hair, that ia gimnIv
perfection. The Danes o the same
figure In terra Gotta, but for once the Den.
mark artists are outdone in their own
Held. The Tnpayro A~,~o :,