The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1905-10-04
REEVES LOST ART.
POTTERY MAKING, 1000 YEARS
AGO, BROUGHT TO LIGHT.
Harry Firth, an Englishman, Duph-
Gates the Celebrated Blackware oil
the Etruscans-Hits on Scheme
by Roundabout Route.

I.ondon.- Of an art iose
more than 20 centuries and only reols-
covered by accident, have been eNniD''su
recently by Harry Firth, OF krNDy
LonsdaIe. England. The work onp.i-
Gates the famous backward OF tne
Etruscans.
Mr.. Firth spent the first 40 years OIL
his life tending flowers for me sqn'e
Of kirkby Lonsdale. He was common
gardener. earning in the neighhorhoo"
of six dollars a week. In 1880 ne De-
came interested in wood ca'Vlus'
through the fundamentally OF tne
Arts and Crafts Guild, an institution
originally started by Watts, RnsN'n'
Morris end number of other tSeh
youthfuliy enthusiastic artists. but no"
supported almost wholly by the various
county councils of England nnder inc
patronage of the queen and almost an
the royal family. In 1890 the Sn''H was
introduced into Kirkby Lonsdaie ana
Mr.. Firth. his little daughter, his wife and
other members of his family joined the
student ranks. He took up wood carV-
| ing. the daughter worked in color MS
wife embossed leather and all three
have made wonderful success.
Mr.. Firth speedily found that his'de-
signs were difficult of execution, how
ever. as he had no model with which 10
guide the movements of his chisel-
Hence he was quick to avail himself OF
a suggestion that he model his work IN
clay, afterward copying the design in
wood. For yearor more he laboriously
trudged seven weary miles with LOADS OF
plastic models to a neighboring 0rick
kiln. where they we're baked hard. BY
degrees his interest in clay overshad-
owed his interest in wood. and instead
of molding mere designs for his chisel
to copy he tried his prentice hand at
original work in pottery. The same sue
cess which had met his wood carving
followed him in this. and the same en-
ergy which had carried his models seven
miles after a hard days work in the gar
den carried his pots and his vases over
the same tedious road to the brick kiln.
A few months. however. and he saw
that he had either reached his limit as
q creative potter or he must devise new
means for firing his clay. This he did by
! building for himself a small oven in a
| little deserted shed whose owner al
| lowed him its use free of charge. = WAS
In this shed and in a little testing box
at the apex of his homemade oven that
Harry Firth. the gardener. finally wrest-
ed a secret of the ages ami made once
more the famous black Etruscan ware.
sung by Juvenal. Perseus and Horace
and sought unsuccessfu'ly W cd-
ing potters all through one Causiian
era
To the unsonhisticafed gardener.
playing at pottery. the discovery meant
nothing more than the loss Of so much
clay and so much labor. The rare speci-
mems OF newly found art he placed tear
fully away in corner where rubbish
piled up and dust covered them. There
they stood for weeks till an inquistive
clergyman with an eye Tor the 1r sic
anil an interest ia the rotter haaan
routing about in the shed ami mearthed
them. He was enthusiastic. and quickly
set Firth's heart beating wildly with
his tales of dead arms aad his praise of
she discarded treasures.
Then came the real labor for though
made once. il was not easy TO reproduce
an accident and II touh nine months of
daily work before Firth again managed
to duplicate the ancient worn.
Mr.. Firth has ceased eaf cning and
now makes his living entirely by his art,
but it is not much OF living, for he has
all the artists objection to making
money by his work He charges barely
enough to cover the cost Of his labor,
and lives laborious days. where a less
squeamish man might haze luxury and
the plaudits of thousands