New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-16
ART IN SILVERWARE.
A TREASURE HOUSE WHERE ARE
SHOWN THE DESIGNERS GENIUS,
THE sILvERsMITH's CUNNING
AND THE COLLECTORS
JUDGMENT.

AND THE COLLECTORS
JUDGMENT.
RICH AND RARE SETS AND SINGLE SPECIMENS
OF THE FAVORED SCHOOLS OF THIS BRANCH
OF ART-ABsOLUTELY CORRECT IN STYLE
LOVING CUPS AND PUNCH BOWLS
DECORATED WITH TROPHIES OF
THE cHAsE-GoLF CUPS
Having In recent issues had ~omething TO tell
the public concerning the sparkling collection Of
gems and the interesting exhibition of bronzes.
porcelains and objets dart In the establishment
OF Theodore p. Starr, The Tribune man is to-
day tempted to supplement this information by
review necessarily brief when the merits OF the
subject are taken into consideration OF the truly
remarkable collection of silverware shown by the
disciple of the arts
The first impression conveyed by a general view
or this assemblage OF the best work of all nations
Is the unusual one that each set and each piece is
an absolutely correct" exponent Of the school to
which It belongs. There is no bastard art here, no
composite specimens in which conflicting styles
battle for the mastery. In a somewhat extended
study OF such matters 1t has never been the
writer's good fortune 10 see q better example OF the
Henri II style than Is shown In very complete
set which includes breakfast dinner and dessert
services, besides odd but useful additional pieces
The breakfast service consists of a kettle. teapot
coffee pot cream jug. sugar bowl and Stop bowl
all shown upon a tray large enough to have served
as buckler for the mighty Front de Bnuf' in
his many arguments with Paynim foes. The din
ner service includes soup tureen meat platters.
entree dishes. vegetable dishes and gravy boat
For the dessert are dishes for Ice cream, for bon
bons. compotes, a punch bowl. which only a life
long habit Of self-restraint forbds one from desg
In workmanship and design that it should never
be desecrated by aught more pebeian than terrapln
Another feature OF this service OF plate Is the set
OF what are called cover dshes-siver plates, Of
take their seats only to be whlsked away unused
and replaced by dainty porcelain
stated. is in the Henri II STYLE. a rather dorld
raised ornamentation in flowers, leaves and con-
ecutio4 Of Which is enhahced by the dH French
gray background upon which they appear In
fact much of the best work shown in this collec-
ton Is SO set OF. and with manifest advantage
There is rich assortment Of English silver, OF
both the modern and the antique schools. which
do not show the wide difference one might expect.
favorlte decorations and the forms are more sub
bowl, with cover, is round fat and capacious. 1t
speaks of the days of four-bottle men, and its
polished sides might we'll have reflected the beneyo-
lent face Of Mr. Pickwick and his associates in the
polished surface; is heavily, garanded with holly
Several ferneries In the lace work style are so
arranged that by removing the inner receptacle
which contains the ferns. they become handsome
dishes useful for Mowers or other purposes. So
too. with some asparagus dishes having movable,
perforated bottom pieces when these are taken out
the dishes are seryceable for entrees or for ice
cream
The visitor Will inevitably pause to admire an
especially fine punch bowl OF almost heroic size in
laid with vines clusters Of grapes and Bacchlc
faces. kettle in the ford Georgian style Is very
ornamentatlon, to the surrounding pineapple
Colonial patterns, many of them graceful In them
most cherished OF our family heirooms. sIngu-
larly beautiful example OF this epoch Is a Kettle
The French siiversmiths like the lawmakers of
n re fo S Sa to- year French
who spent much time over and evinced much in
words OF praise, which evlnced rare Judgment
to say that while the collection as an
Paris yet T added SE You could not sell in Paris
Pressed for a reason he explained thar the French
Patterns handed from the r. ESr n
msans, marrles, and in the course of time finds
thht his menage, lacks a suitable chocolate pot
wants but the price is beyond his present re-
sources He has no need to order the pot put
aside for him; he simply retires and starts fund
When this reaches the amount required, be 1t
twenty years afterward. he goes TO the same or
for the unchanged price. He has made up his
mind once. and is never detected from his purpose
An advantage possessed by Mr. Starr in carrying
this branch OF his business lies in the fact that
his saesroom is not the outlet for the product or
a factory, which keeps turning out It's work
day afte" day, whether that Work proves acceptaDe
to the buying public or not Thus being IN indie
pendent purchaser of the best to be found any
where his shelves and vaults are not loaded with
dead material to place which the clever GID
tongued salesman has TO supplement- the shortGt0n-
ings Of the designer and workman. Everything
which finds place in this collection Is especially
chosen by experts for Intrinsic ana artistic merit.
Noteworthy some small silver pieces. pepper
pots etc. reproductions or the Italian Renaissance
These STYLES are be found In no other mouse.
Then there are silver cups with movable interior
receptacle. for Roman punch. made In the form
Of champagne glasses silver casseroles, with
porcelain interior cups for crabs, farcies or ter
rapin, loving cups and punch bowls OF silver, com
blned with the horns Of deer. caribou and cham0ls.
or tusks of the wild boar; candelabra Of richest
ornamentation I'm all the prevailing styles, some OF
them ceverly bored. so that electric wires may he
led through them.
In glassware, such as decanters, claret jugs and
linueur and spirit sets all in the French style, the
collection is peculiarly rich. Especially noticeable
etching The quality OF the glass in this speci-
men Is remarkable, the white lights producing an
effect like snow.
Two toilet sets shown we'll worthy OF sep
arate mention Entirely hand work: one Is nm
ished I'm artistic shapes with dead white surface.
and is unique in that IL will never be duplicated.
The other also hand work. has In the centre OF
each piece a medallion Of richest, deepest blue
Limoges enamel, with exquisite hand painted
figures in classic designs.
Near the centre of one OF the rooms liz large
round table loaded down with novelties and sus
gestions appropriate TO the Christmas season the
chief difficulty, with such wealth OF selection,
being to settle upon any one choice.
Towering high upon its pedestal Is the LenoX
Championship Cup, made by this house, and now
taking its honored winter rest In safe quarters "A
ing tried for IT, have another's name inscribed
thereon.
HARVARD WINS THE DEBATE.