Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-12


ambassador to Naples.d during one of the old
Bourbon dynasties.
The Magruder collection comprises in all
16S specimens of bronzes, pottery and glass,
which. according to DIR. Thomas Wilson,
curator Of the department of prehistoric
anthropology belonged to the late Etruscan
and the early Roman period. This collec-
ton will appeal to the interest of the gen.
eral public since all Of it's relics are articles
Of the household or adornrnents for the
person. such as are used today. The
bronzes include an almost complete set Of
kitchen utensils. artistic ornaments for in
terror decoration and jeweiry, the most Of
which must have belonged to people Of
wealth and distinction, probably Of the
patrician class. These are such articles as
weighing scales, strainers, kettles, pots,
pans, cups. pitchers q punch bowl and
ladle, pair Of tOngs, lamp and stand,
an earring, bracelet, safety pins, fbulae
and small artistic casts. all of which are
completely patine; that is. enameled with
bright green corrosion formed on all an
cient cOl'pers or bronZes. Some OF them
appear to have as much strength and elias
ITCHY as would be looked for in the new.
The Ancient Safety Pin.
The weighing scales are of the same or
der as the modern steelyard. The weight
arm, about eight inches long. is graduated
into the proper divisions and distinctly
marked with ancient Roman numerals. a
hook is linked near the end. to be held in
one finger, and to the short arm is fastened
two hooks. which hang down SO as to hold
the articles weighed.
Two fibulae, or less scientifically. safety
pins made Of bronze wire, twisted into
a spiral spring at the head. and bent into
catch at the open end, just as the useful
article is made today. except that the
manufacturer has twisted curl into the
edge which was exposed after the instru-
ment was Clasped. Although it is possible
that these articles 1000 years ago. as today,
were necessary appendageS to the nursery
pin cushion, they are found to have been
particularly used as clasps for the toga.
for in those early days the brave warriors
had not to struggle with, the stud or but
ton. nor with hooks and eyes Another IN
teresting relic is cone-shaped, spiral
spring, which exactly resembles modern
bed spring, although DR.. Wilson has no
definite record that these luXuries were put
in the magnificent divans and lounges of
these early times. The wire in this spring
is quite elastic as though it were new
and doubtless would endure part of the
weight of a good-sized slumberer today.
An Ample Punch Bowl.
An earring or bracelet made of bronze
does not sound splendid enough for the
Roman society bellies Of whom We read in
ancient history. The earring in this col
with thick ring at one end The brace
let, which resembles a modern curtain
ring in size and weight, is of hammered
bronze, worked into a hollow band, bearing
no decoration further than numerous par
allel indentations running up and down
and giving it striped appearance. These
two adornments were probably part of the
paraphernalia Of some Of the more ancient
Etruscans or the lower classes Of Romans,
such as "pleb." or a slave. A large
h0yv nd a "a
in diameter, with long-handled dipper,
both bronze. help to tell the story Of how
the once ambitious people of Etruria be-
came subjects Of the Romans because of
Several pitchers and cups of the same
metal carefully and artistically hammered
into graceful shapes. which are seldom
initiated today in our machine-made metal
ware, appear as though they might have
belonged, with the former, in the same
household.
Although it Is hardly probable that the
Romans drank anything so mild as tea
or coffee, two shallow vessels, resembling
small frying pans, without bottoms are
classed as strainers. These were formerly
supplied with bottoms made Of thin per-
forated bronze, long ago crumbled away,
and are said to have been used for strain
ing wine, fruits or some of the other liquid
delicacies of the Roman board.
An Ancient Lamp.
The gems of the whole collection, how
ever are an ancient lamp and stand. The
lamp differs in shape from the regulation
Roman type, which In the later days was
usually made with handle on the side.
The specimen in question consists Of a
small boat-shaped vessel fiat at one end
and round at the other, with small spout,
through which the wick was inserted pro-
truding from the flat end. 1t may be sus-
pended from fastening in the wall or
ceiling by chain attached to the two
square corners and the center of the
rounded end. The most luxurious Romans
often burned highly perfumed oils in these
open lamps. The tall stand which proba-
bly, belongs to this lamp, measures about
ancient conception of the pano-lamp ped
estal. The three legs are gracefully
curved, and the top, only about five inches
in diameter is decorated with a hammered
broken tweezers, which is also in the lot,
being about the size and shape of a tun-
ing fork, was in all probability used TO
pull out the wick when it burned too near
the OIL
The earthen relies in this collection will
be invaluable to ethnoloEists who have not
had the advantages of foreign study. The
most conspicuous specimens among them
are two large terra-cotta urns belonging
to the later period of Etruscan art They
are both extensively decorated with groups,
probably representing the people of Etru-
ria, of whom no definite history has ever
been found The figures on these are form
ed by the bare hearthenware showing
through background OF black paint. DR..
Wilson says the earlier and more artistic
Etruscans used the Opposite method of
decorating painting the figures against the
ground of terra-cotta, just as it is done to-
day on china. Each Of these large urns is
bordered around the top by wreath and
around the bottom by hei''walls of Troy"
Between these designs on each vessel are
two groups. One of these shows two men,
one apparently young and the other aged,
with bowed heads, consulting over some
grave subject. On the reverse is a woman,
seemingly of high rank, with wreath in
one hand and a fan in the other, speaking
with a nude female figure, probably her
slave, who holds a dish and long spray
of flowers. The woman of rank wears the
typical loose robe of her time, her hair be-
ing arranged in the Psyche knot. On the
second vase she appears, and also the nude
figure of a man, in both groups.
Roman Stained Glass.
The other earthen figures, with the ex-
ception of few smaller vases, decorated in
the same reverse style, but without the
groups, are either masks or small statues,
expressing various human physiognomies
and many interesting styles of dress and