Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-03
More Faxed Antiques
For Unwary Americans
Ial Correspondence of The Star.

LONDON, January 10, 1907
II ARGELY, It is said, because the de-
mand for English and foreign an
tiques on the part OF Americans is
greater than all the rest of The Albany to-
able for genuine old paintings, old furnl-
ture, old china. ct cetera. have risen to an
amazing extent during the last few years.
while. for the same reason, the production
of faxed" antiques has become an ever
increasing and more profitable branch of
industry.
England particularly. is overfcwing
with these spurious specimens" said Basil
Dighton, the Cover street dealer. in dis
cussing the subject the other day, while
Rouen turns out enough limitations of old
empire furniture to furnish the Tulleries
a hundred times over. One of the leading
experts in London recently had a copy
made of valuable Chippendae table, and
when the faxed table and the genuine
piece were placed side by side the expert
himself was unable to tell which was
which.
For all kinds of English antiques of the
eighteenth century" continued Mr. Digh-
ton, prices have risen steadily for the past
five or six years. A Romney, which was
worth $1,000 then, is worth $4,000 or $780,.
COO now. Engravings have doubled and
trebled in value. Chippendale furniture has
risen remarkably. set of chairs from the
Orrock collection sold recently for 5000.
auction for 800 1t was Immediately re-
sold for $4,000, and shortly afterward a
dealer disposed of it at the handsome price
of $10000-I am told.
"The owner of Hoppner portrait, ig
norant Of It's true value, recently offered 1t
to a Clergyman as a gift The minister,
knowing something about pictures demur-
red at taking advantage of his friend and
advised him to sell the portrait at auction.
1t realized 100000.
There are shops in London with whole
stocks of bogus engravings, silver boxes,
miniatures and the like, and the bargain
hunters are easy victims. The demand for
genuine old prints Is very keen. and per-
haps the most notable instance of their
appreciation in value is that of prints sold
at 81 in 1850. which now bring $500"
~
One of the traps by which American
| tourists, in their craze for antiques, are
often caught is thus described by con-
nosseur. People touring in the north OF
England" he says, "see a fine piece of old
furniture in a farm house, and, never ques-
tioning the genuinsness of anything found
in such an out-Of-the-way place, they buy
it. II the tourists should return few
days later. they would find a similar piece
in place of the one bought, as bait for the
next visitor. These pieces are all spurious
ones and the takers are so well acquant-
these limitations to the country places to
be sold. Through this practice a Welsh
dresser has often been placed by mistake
In a Yorkshire farm house, but. OF course
1t takes an experienced eye to notice such
little incongruities.
England is Overlooking with faxed, an
tiques," he added. There are faxed Chel-
sea cupids. holding little baskets of flowers
faxed Old TObys, parsons and clerks. re-
cumbent greyhounds and harvest jugs with
notices.
"All kinds of English china are faxed
Lowestoft ware Is faxed so cleverly that
It cannot be told from the old Sheffield
plate, which is worth five times what 1t
was ten years ago, Is faxed but the
takers cannot produce the glow OF the
genuine work. Pewter Is faxed In Ger
many by the ton, and there are factories
near Nuremberg which turn out pewter
stamped with place OF origin and date
couple of centuries old.
1.-The German government makes excel
lent copies of works by Reynolds Romney
and other English artists, which sell for
dollar or two. They are easily disposed OF
at higher prices to unwary tourists Hun
dreds Of limitations of Morlands pictures
are sent to England from Holland, where
they are made. In Dresden they initiate a',s
the old Dresden SO we'll that 1t Is hardly
an imitation; 1t is simply reproduction
of the same thing. Not long ago saw
Napoleon table bearing the TuillerieS
cipher. 1t was faxed
"At the same time real bargains are still
to be found now and then. but 1t takes a
most expert connoisseur to be sure Of
table for 80 cents and 1t proved to be worth
$50. and a table for 81 which would bring
$125. Such bargains. however, are becom-
ing rarer every day"