The Washington times., 1901-07-07
TEE SIDON SARCOPHAGUS.
A Reproduction Acquired by the
Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Tomb in ConSfantiunpte GaihtSu
by Joseph Lindon smith. 1t Bids
Fair to OutIasr the Original
BOSTON. July 6.-To possess the
original of an important work Of art is
naturally one Of the first ambitions OF
great museum, but it is seldom IN
deed that in obtaining a mere repro
duction it secures what is likely IN
some respects TO become more valuable
than the original itself Such, how
ever. is the case with the reproduction
of the so-called Sidon sarcophagus, IA
nous for its beautiful colored sculp-
lures. which has been recently added
to the department Of classical ancqu-
ties at the Boston Museum of tine
Arts. The prospective value Of the ac-
QUESTION lies in the fact that it is the
only full sized copy yet made of an
original the form of which is fixed
practically forever, but whose coloring,
unless it proves an exception to uni
versaI rule, is destined to fade away in
spite OF every precaUtion, while the
coloring OF the reproduction is almost
certain to outlast it by many years.
Many persons will remember the ex-
citement caused some fourteen years
ago by the discovery, on the site of an
cient Sidon. the Mediterranean capital
of Phoenicia during the five centuries
ending 100 years before the Christian
era. of the so-called sarcophagus Of Al
exander-the very coffin. it was at first
believed. which Alexander the Great
had caused to be brought from Greece
was OF special importance TO the world
Of art in that it not only represented
Greek sculpture at nearly its best
period, but had preserved also the orig
inal coloring with which, it is now gen.
orally believed by archaeOlogists, the
Greeks were accustomed to complete
their sculptured figures. In view of the
known perishability Of color upon mar
BILE, therefore. it is especially note
worthy that an American museum has
the only exact copy, made in the size
of the original, of 50 remarkable
work Of art 1t is said, indeed, that
the original-now IN the Museum at
COnstantinople, where, by the law Of
Turkey, every work Of art discovered
in the Turkish Empire becomes part OF
the collection Of antiquities under the
charge of Q. Handy Bey, director Of
the Museums already fading notice
ably, but it was only by special ar
rangelaent that the Boston Museum OF
Fine Arts obtained permission to make
the copies recently added to its own
department Of antique sculpture.
Like many other discoveries in an
cient art the finding Of the Sidon sar-
cophagus-now so-called in preference
to the earlier title Of the sarcophagus
OF Alexander, for whom, it appears, it
was not intended. despite the fact that
he figures IN each of the six scenes
with which il is scUlptUred-was
matter Of accident It was que in this
instance to excavations undertaken
with the entirely utilitarian object Of
obtsining building stone from a bit OF
land surrounded by garden but itself
OF poor soil and, as afterward deyel-
oped, better fitted for an ancient ne
crop0lis, or bury ground, than for cul-
uvatioE. The place was near Saida,
formerly SiGon, between Mount Leba-
non and the sea, and the excavation
opened up eight ancient burial cham
and containing altogether sixteen sar-
cophagi; not, however. Of the same
period, but ranging from the earliest
Egyptian form OF these stone coffins,
made Of black stone and shaped rough
ly 10 a massive human bulk of which
only the face was carved in detail, TO
the great" sarcophagus which is now
represented in the reproduction at the
Museum Of Fine Arts.
The tombs had been already violated,
for the practice in vogue in past ages
of burying various articles Of value
with the dead-necklaces. earrings,
mirrors. carved figures. etc.-has
proved time and again a temptation
that has brought unknown thieves into
these receptacles Of history much
earlier than the legitimate explorers
The Sidon sarcophagus, for example,
had already been broken open in one
corner, a sort OF rake inserted, and
jewels and other articles whose value
cannot now even be guessed at, taken
out and carried away. In fact, little
remained bur the skull OF the occu-
pant Fortunately, however, the pieces
Of sculpture ruthlessly Clipped of dur
ing this act Of vandalism had no value
in the eyes Of the destroyers. and it
was possible therefore, to restore the
sarcophagus almost entirely. Some
pieces, indeed, such as the heads Of
two figures. were not in the tomb al
the time Of the discovery, but for the
most part the sculptures were intact;
and, best Of ali. the color, so important
q point in the long controversy con
corning the actual place Of color in
Greek art, was quite uninjured, by rea-
son of the fact, of course, that it had
not been exposed, as il now must be in
= public museum, TO the light.
Since no cast can be made of the sar-
cophagus for fear Of injury to the color,
the commission for copying it was
given 20 a painter, Mr. Joseph Lindon
Smith, Of this city, who is best known.
perhaps, for his decoration Of a lobby
in the new Boston Public Library, and
for his frieze on the exterior Of the new
Horticultural Hall in Philadelphia.
More particularly, Mr.. Smith was al
ready well known not only for his ap-
probation Of the Greek use of color as
well as his skill in reproducing the few
delicate and dFHigt,Ir erar r,r,Ia. Of ~ aI