The sun., 1908-12-13
PEASANT POTS AND BRAsSES
RoRg FOUND BY POKING ABOUT
n GRH FOREIGN QUARTERS.
6ntIsSlisad That WIn show the Taste and
1fadltIsn OF Half DoLen Nations
20 ss Had fer SIS or SO--Are Useful
ana Ornamental as Wen aS Cheap.

ana Ornamental 80 Wen 10 Cheap
a pIeasant form Of dissipation In New
\ Nhyle Is tho collection Of peasant pottery
ma Kitchen utensils for use and ornament
Thsse things are not TO be had In the
ordlnaFy shops Of any quarter and are
10 be picked up only by industrious
nnking about in foreign groceries, restau'
fanka and drinking places.
IA nearly every foreign quarter some
fhiliod handicrafts, among them tht
rnstine Of domestic utensils In wood
- metal, persist In the face Of hopeless
hhuspetitlon with the American factories
bsaes and copper workers ply their trade
- dim cellars of the Jewish and Italian
6eatters sod turn out sugar bowls, coffee
bets. eatnovars and quaint oil lamps
+ hat poFpetuate forms in use long before
Ur. Rockefeller began TO enlightsn the
4trid, These workers are 80 ounningly
hiHdan away amid the multitude Of their
RtIlow o0untrymen in crowded tenement
Monpo districts that only the patient
easker can find them, but their wares
are worth the trouble of the search, for
hoy are good in form, apt to their pur-
0ngo, honestly made Of good material
and moderate In price.
As to peasant earthenware. 10 is not
manufactured here and little Of 1t is i'm
ported. Some Of the most attractive
+ Cernan vessels, especially those esrthen
Dftchefs encased In wood, much used for
nerVlng vine, are ofteneet seen in the
i hands of women and girls sent to the
6parest weinstube to fetch home drink
+. f6f the midday or evening meal.
A few German pewterers still ply their
e,ade In the city, but they manufacture
!, I;ls for stems oftener than complete
vessels. They have. mouIds for vessels
bg various shapes. and any customer can
order such at moderate price. The moulds
Are Imported from Germany. Pewter
c6seia Of foreign make are not commonly
found In the shops. and the Germans
B are 90 jealous Of such domestic treasures
that thay do not often. come into the
hands og strangers
Greeks and Armenians in New York
nse . good deal Of cheap Oriental table
ware. Their brass bowls have gone every
where, and so have their ewers, pitchers
and coffee pots, trays. candlesticks and
braziers. These things are sold by weight
z h q dozen shops Of the Syrian quarter,
and are occasionally displayed by street
Z Vnnders uptown. -,
O9lfee cups of cheap pottery are used
n the Syrian and Gfeek quarters. They
ftb usually of Turkish origin; most OF
thorn are garish in decoration. but one
lndg NOW and then pick UP demitasse
pf good form and quiet decoration.
Water jugs of porous. light red earth
hnwhre are sold in the Syrian quarter.
They are good in form, and usually almost
=: : :..los;;;ss o5s;;;ss decoration beyond band Of
simple pressed work. They have long.
slender necks and swelling bodies. with
rather small base. Hung In draught
tIIey Keep water cool for many hours.
E4cellent beechen bowls are still made
b this city by skilled wood turner's, and
few are imported Some Of the best
ere iCld In West Side shops below Wa5h-
:hethh Square and in the shops, large
and small Of the new French quarter
which purvsy articles for the Use of
bkfIIsd cooks. 1t Is In the bigger shops
n the kind that one finds casseroles Of
many forms, most OF them being OF French
o. Italian origin.
The common Italian casserole. usually
Without lid, is fascinating utensil and
comes In all sizes, from shallow vessel
three inches across TO one holiing q
gallon or more. They are sol In nests
= :. .. ~ eight Each has its hollow han6le,
its bit Of coarse glaze coating the entire
.nnde and its exterior of plain unRlaze1
red in texture and color much like a
H#t1n flower not.
Fbr the bachelor who likes to surprise
hte friends with curious steTs they are
Rn excellent possession. and when not
in use they make decorative COMPANION
mugs. They range In price from 10 or II
ccnta to nearly 50.
Some Of the most interesting OF the
Italian peasant ware is hard to find in
i|fe shops. Now and then the wanderer
with q wary eye will see hanging in an
ifalian grocery a Greek looking two
handled wine vessel Of coarse gls- e.
d6lightfully mellow dark brown color.
With darker streaks or smears that seem
almost accidental.
Il H. in such shops that one finds
the bubhIelike fascherrelli OF thin green
6inss. fascinating by reason of their
rureIg IL their pinched throats. A re-
can't alteration Of taste threatens to stop
Tho importation of these vessels and al
ready the grocers of Mulberry street IRE
hEfering in their stead TASKS of VII ice
eIa4s. thick and heavy, and usually
without the pinched throat. These. it
is found, are less liable to breakage In the
course Of importation and Ia use and the
thfifty Italian housewives begin to prefer
fbe more durable ware to the more beau
tiful and artistic objects.
# Curious Italian drinking vessels are
feeH IN restaurants and saloons OF the
VARIOUS atalian quarters, but are seldom
10 Ise bought in the shops. Three handled
loving cups OF coarse earthenware with
Eorid decoration are among the best OF
these vessels. They are crude. but with
q certain feeling and tradition that gives
therh charm and character never seen In
oheap mericau earthenware.
Sometimes theT ean be bought right
out OF the hands Of the wine drawer in an
itntfan Restaurant, but oiiener the pro-
.erletnr jealousy guards them as being
esDnpially pleasing to patrons among mis-
Iei,nw cpuntrt--nen. A West Side restau-
fnFt and drinking ri"ce keepa behind
the bar ore OF those curious Ieathern wine
xesseis which the Ticinese mushroom
hunters are accustome1 10 carry with
them bn their all cay JOURNEYS over the
molintajns. IL holds more than half a
taIion. aud has a neck made Of chamos
ankle bone.
e be seen are those used in the cellars
VI thetEheissale wine and liquor dealers.
flI,ny kstHtwithout other decoration than
hat dupbiied by thu natural color of the
metal and the curl OF lip or curve OF handle
IHnf inaitras sarvipaability but thapa