Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23
Paris Carries on a Lively Trade in
limitations.
EXPERTS ARE OFTEN DECEIVED
Are Not Enough Genuine Objects
to Go Around.
OLD MASTERS TO ORDER
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

PARIS, March 10. 1901
A rich New Yorker was passing through
Florence. Although he had not received
any art education, his taste was good and
his mind alert to beautiful things. 1t thus
happened that word went around Florence
that here was a new American patron
ready to be loaded up with bogus objects
at high prices.
The new Yorker did not find it hard to
defend himself against the more vulgar
courtiers and the dealers great and small,
and he regularly emerged from the mix-up
pleased and instructed at moderate ex-
pense. He said he found the Florentines,
IN particular, so suave. gay, polite and
amiable, and withal so patient and forgiv-
ing when caught in the act that it was
boon to be cheated moderately by them.
One day, however, the appeal came from
new quarter.
1t was one of the courtiers, who came
with the story of a wonderful clock of six
tenth century Italian work in lapis laZuli
studded with little bronze figures. unique
art object and the property of noble
Florentine lady not decided whether she
would part with 1t. He thought, however
that 5000 francs would move her. The
New Yorker went to see the lady In her
palace-and found fellow eountryman. II
was an American, the widow OF foreign
years before. Coming originally from New
York state she has taken up her home In
the land of her widowhood. where she lives
in a fine old palace and the perfume Of her
good works, for she is charitable.
She showed to the New Yorker the S,oo-
franc Italian renaissance clock, among
many other delightful curios, scarcely any
of which she was willing to sell. To the
clock she admitted she had taken dislike.
It's price was 5000 francs S1,tpo), not ira
less.
Declared a Fraud.
Though confident of the good faith of the
proposition, the New Yorker had an expert
from Rome look at the clock. 1T Is an
imitation, made In Paris, turned out by the
dozen, to be sold to gogos," said the ex-
pert And so is this Venetian mirror
bogus, and this Rubens, and this vase, and
these carvings. The other objects here are
genuine" he added. looking about the
beautiful hall of the palace. Now, It was
exactly the collection pronounced bogus
that the lady had been willing to part
FROM
ut is plot to defraud" said the expert.
And / am confident she has not had these
limitations mixed up among her genuine
art objects more than few weeks They
all come from the same people in Paris.
When the New Yorker returned to his
hotel to think the matter over he picked up
a Paris newspaper. CHANGING down Its
columns this story from Berlin caught his
eye.
somewhat brilliant career In the auction
room here. This was the Virgin said to
have been painted by Raphael In 1910 and
bought by Prof. Louis Nicole in 1885 from
Herr Muller of Wiesbaden, who afterward
lent the buyer f.. 800 on 1t. Art critics
We're agreed to it's genuineness, and the
late Mr.. Vanderbilt was DESTROYS of buying
the picture for 100000 (s3ooo0o), but died
before the purchase was completed. At the
sale yesterday the picture was recognized
as a sham, and Herr Muller, amid general
laughter, bought 1t for $500"
"Wen,' said the New Yorker to his wife
and daughter, III the experts can be SO de-
ceived. and men SO well advised the late
Mr.. Vanderbilt offer fortunes for bogus OBJ
jects after studying them. we ought not to
be hard on this gentle widow from Albany,
n. Y, alone now in her palace with her
attention given to charitable works 1 will
see her once again." he said, and call 1t
square
The Man Who Made EN-.
1--WE will go with YOU said his wife and
daughter. But just as they stood outside
the palace. in company Of their expert from
Rome, a smart young fellow, followed by
porter carrying a heavy valise, descended
from it's noble portal. ''Why, it's Henri
x" exclaimed the expert smiling all
over, the very man himself-the man from
Paris Then he added hastily. Bear me
out in whatever l say to him.
VI ~
are the man we are looking for. L have j
commission for you, and good one. My
friend here Indicating the New Yorker is
a wealthy American DESTROYS of presenting
to the museum of his native city series
of reproductions of Renaissance art OBJ
jccts. l tell him that your house in Paris
can provide him with limitations quite as
beautiful originals, of almost the same
educational value, at a trifling COST
The young Frenchman showed no en-
barrassment, taking it for granted that
tho strangers We're In the market for re
productions" as such. Yes, his house could
charge itself with the work, and II mon
sieuT and madame and mademoselle would
follow him to the hotel he would be pleased
to talk the matter over with them.
Have you nothing with your the New
Workers. pretty daughter asked him inno-
Gently after they had been talking in his
hotel parlor. AS she said it she glanced
at the big valise The young Frenchman
first showed embarrassment, and then
showed his whole stock. In that stock they
found a clock Of sixteenth century Italian
work, in lapis lazuli, studded with little
bronze figures. a unique art object and not
the property of a noble Florentine lady.
It's price was 500 francs.
The New Yorker gave an order for the
clock and several other objects, to be de-
livered to him in Paris. The family parted
with the young French traveller on the
best Of terms. himself convinced-like q
Frenchman-that the rich and pretty
American girl had lost her heart to him.
ment in Paris. In this way they had the
rare luck to obtain entrance to the large
atelier he represented. whose sole manufac-
ture Is that Of bogus articles Of virtu-cer-
amics, Tanegra flgurines, some composed
objects like the lapis laZuli clock, old mas
tiers, Roman and Etruscan antiquities and
a limited amount Of old French, English
and Dutch silverware.
Takes Real Genius to Initiate.
There are artists working for this firm
especially the painters-who unite real ge-
MUS to astonishing intelligence and deft-
ness Of hand The world has not appre-
ciated their proper works; therefore they
find consolation and cruel delight in de-
ceiving the world by way of revenge Even
exaggerating their successful trickery, they
brag about the frauds they have palmed
off on the learned. How these latter are
always liable to be deceived by the stopping
over of their erudition is illustrated by the
celebrated case of the little porcelain pot
found in the ground in Amiens few years
ago and marked with the four capital let
tiers M. j. d. D." After research, the sa-
wants agreed that IL must he a Gallo Po-