Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-01-21
SEVILLE TILED CITY.
Spaniards Once More Making Hand
Painted Porcelains In Competition
With the Moors.
civilian f. Curtis, in Chicago Rec
ord-Herald)


ten been called the city of fans and
fandangos, because of the character
istics of its people, and the grace with
which the fair Sevillanos handle the
fans that are always between their
fingers. but | think 1t ought to be
called the City of Tiles. because al
most every building. be it palace or
stable, Is decorated with porcelain OF
the most beautiful colors and designs.
The finest display is in the Alcazar,
the ancient palace of the Moorish
kings. The Spaniards inherited from
them the art of making and the use
of enameled earthenware. which they
call ''azulejos,' from the prevailing
color, which is blue. In the mosque
of Cordova. which described the 9th.
err day and in some of the older edi-
fees are tiles which must nave been
made as early as the fifth or sixth
century. Those in the Alhambra are
the finest in the world, although not
80 old. In some of the converts and
palaces OF Seville are beautiful azule-
jos pictures after designs by Muir
lilo. Valesquez and other famous art
lists
This charming art fell off consider.
ably during the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. and the best ex.
amples We find were produced pre-.
vious TO those periods. it is, or at
least 1t ought to be. cause of hu.
mility 10 know that the people of the
present generation cannot make tiles
"A IL -.
or 1000 years ago. 1t Is not a lost
art. but modern artists and manufac
turers will not spend as much pains
and labor in The production, and arch
itects and builders will not pay as
much money for them. Perhaps 1t Is
because they can get building mate
rials for n smaller price. Here | am
told that the best tiles sti1k come
from Morocco but the art Is reviving
in Spain.
The Moorish tiles and those which
now come rom Morocco are painted
by hand. Modern tiles are stamped
with colors and designs, which makes
all the difference. Machine made ar
ticles are more exact. but lack life in
the design and depth in the color The
old-fashloned tiles cannot he seen to
greater advantage than in Seville. al
though perhaps those at the Alham-
bra in Granada are superior Experts
talk about them with as much inter.
est and learning as they show con.
corning pictures and sculpture. and
point out the peculiarities that dis
tinguish different artists and factor
les in ancient times The earliest
tiles are blue; about the 18th cen
tury whites and yellow came into fash
ion then puppies, greens and various
shades of orange We're used, while at
the beginning of the seventeenth cen
tury yellow and brown tiles were pro-
duced almost exclusively. You can
find all of the schools and all of the
periods represented in the Alcazar
and in other of the old palaces of
Seville that have been restored from
time to time. The Duke OF Alpa, that
terrible wolf of the Low Countries,
was given a house here by his royal
master. Charles V, 1t still remains
in the family and is called Las
Duenas," and is one of the most beau
tiful of fifteenth century structures,
containing eleven patios. nine foun-
tains and a hundred marble columns.
Another wonderful display of tiles
is found in the so-called Casa de Pill.
atos,' a costly and extensive palace
of the Duke of Medina Cell. built by
Marquis of Tarifa, after a visit to
Palestine, 400 years ago. in alleged
imitation of the house of PLATE at
Jerusalem, although there is not the
slightest resemblance between the
two except the ground plan. The
Judgment house of Plate. as it is
called in Jerusalem, is now a barracks
for the Turkish guard. and has not
been very much altered. II bears no
resemblance to modern dwellings.
while its imitation in Seville is built
around patio, upon the conventional
plan of Spanish houses, with a chapel,
drawing rooms, dining rooms, kitch-
ems, baths. bedrooms and all OF the
other accessories. Its builder en-.
deayored to make the likeness more
striking by introducing VIII 3 claim
ed to be copy of the pillar which
Christ was scourged. the sin in
which the hands were washed the tab
le UPON which Tho lots we ST. and
al the top of the stairs Is G. = ed u re-
presentation of the cock crowel
three tlmel while Peter ied his
Lord as II the marquis had not at.
tended Sunday school, and did not
know that this celebrated fowl belong
cd to Calaphas and not to Plate. But
IL is beautiful house. nevertheless,
and the balcony from which il is said
that PLATE spoke to the people. and
said, Take ye Him and cruelty Him
find no fault in Him." is an archl-
tectural gem. The tiles are glorious,
also. and the gardens. with their palms
and fountains. are delightful. AS an
oriental palace it could not be sur.
passed. The exterior walls are very
plain and over the portal is the mot
to In Latin: Unless the Lord build
eth the house, they labor in vain who
build It,"
Our meditations were disturbed by
\ group of small children. who fol
lowed us persis,ently. screaming IN
glis! Inslis' money! money! money.
cinco centavos,' and other appeals.