Evening journal., 1898-05-24
MILAN NOSE CONTEST.
AZ which There We're 'gven ty three
smcIlers In Linc-Itgiinns Have
Respect for big Noses.

The nose has at all periods of their
history possessed peculiar signii- I
cance for Italians. As n symbol of in I
telligcnce IL figures in familiar speech, |
ancient and modern, homo nasutis-
sinus being Seneca's equivalent for
very clever man and Naso a name held
in honor by the Otacilian, Octavian,
Ovidian and Noconian gens, while
Naslca was q cognomen Of the Scipios,
one of whom, Publius Scipio Nasica,
was, as the most virtuous man in the
state, chosen to accompany the image
Of the Mater Idaea TO Rome. In tho
Italyl OF to-day aver naso and. esser di
buon naso (to have nose, to be of good
nose), are the first of a series of phrases
all turning on that feature in its sym
bolic sense and giving rise to proverbs
infinite I'm the variety of their applica-
tion. The great Napoleon was true to
his italian origin In his preference for
"blg nose" and the late Lord Bea-
consGeld, described from Venetian
Jews, never concealed his scorn for the
"hat-nosed Frank" lie held, I'm fact,
| that to be sinus was the first step to-
/ ward being a simin or ape-a "retroces-
| sion In evolution" admitted by some
among the "facts for Darwin" Such a
| horror have Italians of anylesion cost
| ing the face It's nose or robhing the lat-
! ter of its due proportions that rhino-
! plasty among them has long been ono
of the surgical fine arts" and the
| great Bolognese nnatomist Tagliacozzl
| Q5i0-00) has for all time given his name
| TO an ingenious method of replacing
the feature when lost. Quito In keep
ing, therefore, with all precedent, as
well as with the fitness of things, 10 is
I'm Italy that we find the "cult of the
nose" as vital as ever, insomuch that
within the last seven years She has had
two Concorsi di Nasi Cor nose competl-
tions), in which the owners of the fca-
ture received prizes according as they
could present it In greater perfection
as regards type, Size, beauty and olfac-
tory power. The former of these con-
corsi was held In 1891 at Padua on the
initiative of the students of TINT medi-
cal school, and the citizens were IN
vited, by universal suffrage and secret
voting, to name the possessors of nasi
piu sylluppatl rispettabh (uoses of
the most pronounced and respectable
E of the ancient Venetian town. The
prizes, consisting of pocket handker
! chiefs and snuff boxes, were In due
z course awarded by plurality Of votes.
At Milan, and quite recently, a muci
J better ordered and more conclusive
o. competition of the same kind has JUS
! come oiP, the whole proceedings being
3 | controlled by n committee and the eek
p aminations" conducted I'm a NnsOtecl
p furnished with drawings and wnte
r, colors OF heads well provided will
r. noses, such as would have gladdened tn
artistic sense OF William uogarth. Tn
r competitors numbered 80, but not NOR
: than 20 appeared before the examiners
= Tho first prize (gold meda0 was won D.
/ d Venetian, Fortunate Michieluti b.
.a name, vendcr Of luclfers, whose nos
L. was found 20 be of formidable prC
b. / portions, long, well pronounced, 40
rreseivc. trenchnut like q knife blade
Il The second prize fen to one Antonl
az Pozzl. possessed OF nose "domlnee
e. ing. assuming, with noStrNs wide an
~ 4 catcrnous." Tho award for this vi
a medal In enamel. while the thlr
u prize, q silver medal of the first orSle
y was adiudged 10 Carlo Asclni, for th
~ refined, symmetrical proportions of h
n / nasal feature. The last two prizes, 81
ld yer medals of the second and third OF
le ders, respectively, were given for
T. nose without pretenslon, ingenlou
.h but solid and well planted" and for on
Is considerable regular and worthy {
E respect" The candidates who wei
10 unsuccessful - perhaps 'ploughcd
you'd be a more suggestive word
~ shared the festivities with which Il
! committee concluded It's lnbors, and {
a the Concorso di Nnsi became q thing
I'd the past, TIL the Duontemponi (merr
IT. makers) Of a future year or anoth'
at city think flt 10 revive the harmle
a. | 0orur,n4fflou II pulou lancet