The sun., 1903-11-01
The BiRa of Norchia.

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The bronze chariot found in 1901 at
Norchia has been placed on exhibition
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1t
is singular piece Of good fortune that
our museum should come into possession
Of an antiquity Of this Importance. Re-
viewing the progress OF the two great
museums Of London. Of the museum OF
tho Louvre and the museum OF Berlin,
for the last twenty years, we do not find
that any OF them has in that time ac-
quired an object OF equal note and in
terest.
Taken in conjunction with the frescoes
of Boscoreale. which We described at
the time OF their acquisition and which
are now shown most advantageously at
the museum, it must be admitted that
the Rogers bequcst, from the income of
which both were purchased has become
operative under the most propitious con-
ditions. The trustees have our cordial
congratulations upon the excellent judg-
ment and enterprise which have enabled
them to achieve, at the very outset Of
their new powers, a step Of such signiti-
cant Importance.
The bigd, or two-horse chariot, was
discovered in the course Of some excava-
tions undertaken by country builder at
Norchia. a small town almost thirty miles
north OF Rome, in what was once popu-
lous part OF Etruria. With it were found
number OF bronze vessels and some
pieces Of pottery. of u character familiar
among Etruecan remains all of which
we're also purchased and are now ex-
hibited.
The bigo as found consisted of num-
Der Of thin sheets or pieces OF bronze,
more or less chaotically disposed, and
OF two wheels which relatively retained
their original shape. When tho various
and numerous fragments were removed
from the soil they were readily resolved
into their true character and it was seen
at once what they had constituted. They
we're roughly cleaned and almost imme-
diately taken out of Italy in order that
a purchaser might be found for them
under conditions more favorable than
those which that country affords. Va
rious offers were readily forthcoming.
but it remained for the trustees Of the
Metropolitan Museum to courageously
avail themselves of a proptious moment
and secure the.treasure Now that the
various parts have been intellgently
assembled and made to resume their
original relation as whole, it is for the
first time justly apprehended how i'm
portant a discovery the bigd Of Norchia
really was
To set the fragments up it was neces-
sarv to reconstruct the original chariot.
The wheels alone retained their shape.
This cntaied work Of great delicacy
and difficulty. work OF character which
has nowhere been done with such skill
and discretion as at the British Museum,
and yet We venture the assertion that
never there or anywhere else has any
thing been done TO .urpass the restora-
tion Of this bronze chariot. ScrUtinizing
il a. ii stands now it ijimpossble to form
anv adequate idea OF the difficulty and
complexity Of the Undertaking, and it
can be adequately realized only by one
familiar with the conditions which e1-
listed when il was taken in hand.
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extraordinary work of at that the bronze
has undergone no treatment whatever,
except the ordinary cleaning necessary
to detach the soil II is in precisely the
condition in which it was fund, except
that the color has changed from atmos-
pheric causes The large plates OF the
front and sides were almost completely
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tone to them that is now in great part
lacking. 1t has been replaced by the
natural color Of the bronze and by GER
tain amount Of verdigris. also due 10
atmospheric action. The bronze, too, is
fast assuming a dark and very beautiful
p1tine and how far this process will ex-
tend may not be determined at present
Neither can it yet be said how far there
may be cause for concern in the presence
of the verdigrls, which is a relatively
new appearance, and of which it is not
possible at present to foretell what the
effects, under our climatic conditions,
may be.
The outline illustrations on another
page will serve to give a very good idea
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bigd. 1t is Of the size and type Of the
war chariot which came from the Orient
but it must be borne in mind this partiou-
lar bigd was not fighting vehicle, but
was made for votive or professional uses,
In it's original state it was far too costly
and elaborate an article. with its ex-
quisite designs filled with rare enamels,
and its inside ornaments OF ivory, and
doubtless other accessories Of which
there remains no trace, to have served
for the practical purposes OF combat.
What the designs imply we do not
know. We incline to think that the
large group on the front represents
THETIs receiving from ACHILLES his
sword and helmet after victory; and
that the designs on the sides convey other
fragments Of the Homeric legend. Their
elucidation can be prudently left to
scholars who must inevitably have much
to say and to do with this bronze bigd
in the future, and for whom 1t will for
some time present a mighty interesting
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