Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-09

THE FRANCOIS VASE,
Restoration Of Famous Worf.. of Art
After It Was Broken.


After It Was Broken.
Guido Mazzoni. in the Foreigner in Italy.
A stool hurled with violence by re-
bellious custodian struck the window of
the Florence Archaeological Museum where
stood for admiration the Francois vase, a
vase OF royal worth, and, smashing the
glass, at the same time broke 1t into 63S
pieces with few splinters and a little
powder. This happened on September 8,
1900. Pietro Eel, with surprising ingenuity,
aided by the scientific tact of Signor L. A.
Milani, the director Of the museum, has
restored this example Of artistic vertu to
the establishment of the museum and for
the admiration of students, and, strange to
say. made 1t appear even better than be-
fore.
The "Atene Roma" In its October num-
Der publishes long and detailed biographi-
cal account Of Milani himself, and to read
ers of THE Foreigner in Italy" it may be
of interest to obtain a somewhat summary
review Of what the vase itself is, and the
restoration made.
This vase was found in October, 1874, by
Alexandra Francois inside a vault located
Duke OF Dolciano near Chiusi; or, rather,
at that time he found only two-thirds of
the body of the vase with only one of the
handles; whilst year later some other
u ~
ond handle.
Many years after another fra gment came
to light and was handed over as a gift
to the museum In 1866 by MARQUIS Charles
strozzi, when the parts previously found
had already been put together and SO firm
ly fixed that the vase remained undeterio-
rated till smashed into fragments by the
blow in 1900. From that time forward
the newly found fragment had to be leA
out, as no one would venture to undo the
other parts to fix 1t in its place. It Is
said that In the first piecing Of 1944-'45 the
pieces were not arranged so as to fit well
In their places, nor was care taken to avoid
covering with wax and mastio some parts
of the decorations. In the new restoration.
amid the attached parts, care was taken to
see the StroZZt fragment added and In
deed. some of the delineations appear bet
ter, While others UP to the present con-
cealed come out clear to view. OF those
hitherto concealed. one shows hand hold
ing two lances, another almost the entire
head OF centaur with name attached.
Two lances alone remain to record the
spot where the stool smashed to powder
the thin shell of the vase; the other, that
a certain visitor. proflting by the confu-
sion caused by the rebellious act of the
fragment.
Milani. who has delineated his makeup
by good representation, has also added
here the piece pocketed, and 1t Is to be
.iopeo lhe puflolner py TINS means may be
traced and its restoration obtained.
The most celebrated Of antique ceramiaue
ware Is the masterpiece of Ergotimos and
klitias, the most important monument of
the temples OF Scion and Pisistratus, the
most precious Codex of the primitive po-
etry, as Milani states 1t, referring to the
Francois vase. turns attention now to an
admiration OF Grecian art Of the first or
der In the sixth century before Christ,
Noticeable is the purify Of its form and its
black figures on a reddish ground To the
studious is of interest the delineation of
fgurings representing heroic enterprises and
the efhgies Of the gods connected with
myths and poetry.
Greece glorified In Achilles, son of Peleus
gram declared to be the Greece of Greece
Itself, glorified in Theseus, and these form
the fundamental theme Of the wondrous
fgurations. which, chiefly due to the skin
OF l.. A Milani, presents itself to US again
with new light from the very ruins them
selves in better preservation than before.