Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-25
MARBLES FROM ITALY
INCREASING IMPORTS OF GARDEN
ORNAMENTS.
Antiques and Reproductions in Re-
quest for Country
Estates.


Visitors to fine country estates must have
observed in recent years the increasing use
OF Italian garden marbles as features OF
landscape architecture. Such marbles have
been even more noticeable Of late in some
parts Of this city lining the sidewalks ad-
joining certain establishments which deal
in art works and antiques" both real and
imitation. These displays include well
curbs. fountain basins, wall fountains. gar
den benches vases, sarcophagi and an ex-
tensive variety of stone marble lions
rampant. PEASANT and couchant, with and
without heraldic shields, and with express
sions ranging from benign placdity to
snarling ferocity. There many or
these objects in such sidewalk collections
that the passerby naturally wonders where
they all came from. in what age they were
produced and to what purpose they are des-
tined In this country.
a representative of one Of the firms deal
ing most largely in these articles. when APP
piled to for informa ton on the subject. said
that they were all imported from Italy. and
that Regular importations of them began
only about five years ago. Previously sue h
objects We're imported only special COM
missions. = steadily growing demand for
them had Leen caused by the increase here
of large and handsome country estates,
with d ConSe Quent demand for Sucn Or.la
mentS by landscape architects who often
found their use at certain points of much
value in carrying out some desired effect.
The demand. 1t was said, had increased
largely within the last three or four years.
and i'll the last two years the marbles had
arrived in quantities. There are only two
firms in New York which import them ex-
teHsively, but they have also been imported
OF late 10y I: house in Chicago which sup
plies them for fine estates in the wes..
Clever Copies of Old Works.
The proportion of genuine antiques among
these works Is confessed to be very small
Such genuine pieces as reach here are very
seldom bought through European Dealers
but are usually obtained by the importers
directly from some bankrupt italian family
which is compelled to part with some of it's
possessions. and 50 sells it's garden mar
bles. Italians. the importer said are the
cleverest fakirs' of antiques in the world
They employ expert marble cutters and
have close copies made of fine works of art
on private estates. especially in the neigh
borhOod of Florence Naples and Venice
Copies are also sometimes made of pieces
In museums but not SO often. While the
antique works are usually of the white
Carrara marble or the pinkish Verona mar
bic. the copies are chiefly of Sienna mar
Die. lstrian stone or a hard cement which
closely resembles stone
A variety of processes are SkillfuIly ,,sa5
to give the limitations the desired antiuue
effect. Among these are judcious hammer
ing TO remove any sharpness of outline
the use OF acids and other chemicals ex-
posture to rain which has dripped against
iron and burial of the object for a time in
the earth. The Italian makers will usually
swear by all that is holy that their prod
ucts are genuine antiques. even to Ameri
can importers who know that they are
lying. and tell most elaborate stories of
the history Of the articles and how they
came into their own possession. They do
ora" the line at stone and marble lions
however, as these are too plentiful and
nearly all are admittedly copies of an
tlques at garden gateways and palace en-
frances 1t IS said that only some six or
ever been brought from Italy to this conn
Try but more have been secured for Eng
land and France.
Some Samples Of Values.
There Is very wide range in the value
OF both antiques and limitations. the prices
varying according to size workmanship
and demand. A fine copy of good work Of
art Is far from cheap even when sold by
a reputable dealer for lust what II ia The
importer who has been quoted showed to
the writer a copy of an antique marble gar
den seat. with beautifully executed dance
Of bacchanals on the back. and said that
the price was $500. for which 1t could be
sold without difficulty. Near by stood two
small Byzantine columns. from near Rome
which were declared to be genuinely old
and to be worth $500. But for the fact that
it would be hard to make use of them eff
fectlvely. the price would be $1,000. A we'll
curb. deliberately carved was said to be the
largest ever brought to this country. hay-
ing an inside diameter of six feet and a
rim foot in width This was pronounced
an antique and to be worth S., 200 The well
curbs brought here are generally filled with
earth ana used on country places as jardi-
nieres. Such pieces are also used in garden
plots attached to costly private houses in
the city, and in some of these dwellings,
built on the American basement plan one
VIII ma a marble garden seat on one side
OF the entrance hall and a sarcophagus on
the other.