New-York tribune., 1908-06-21

something more than age alon. to co,...-
it. has long ago passed out Of the r1art., 80
an article TO be cheaply and haphazardlv -
tered for. This. on the contrary. seams ..
fact that is anything but generally k,o-
especiaIly to the average American abr,.s
whose lack of knowledge Of such tbfnx. ~ ~
the security from punishment and N. n-os,-.
the fraudulent miscellaneous antiqus s.,I.-
.sThus largely as the result OF Ann.-4., =,
rnand-a demand that has long outero,r, -.
suppIv. and which has increased with ,,a s.-
annearance Of the genuine antique-such -
sfstible opportunity and reward have basn 40
fered the forger that now. thanks IN n.
ductive industry, there Is both abundance -.
variety of supply again Of antiques srscr,.s
with all degrees OF skill. varying from the e-,a.
products OF amateurs to others OF such n-o-
tsntious workmanship as often 10 puzzis ~.
connoisseur himself.
"Rare old-period furniture. given The r1os,
and appearance Of age by constant rubh,,-
with bone and pun1ice stone: old haud-rolIss
conner plate which has not been r1ads sirc.
1S4O a most favorite article OF deception ovs.
one thousand pieces of which have been lately
examined without finding half a dozen seuuin.
specimens: Spanish worries. skilfully aged
brown by acids: hrst-state engravings and
nrints: Queen Anne silver. superstructures n,
which are built up on the handle Of an Old
snoon bearing genuine marks: old Bristol and
Waterford hand-cut crystal, and that particuIa-
! kind of china which is in most monentary de-
nand. whether it be Oriental blue and whits
| or I<ouestoft. abound everywhere in such whole
sale lots as one would think should alone serve
| to excite the suspicious Of any thoughtful per-
] son.
.'In the preparation of this article visits vers
| Maid to scores Of antique shops. from few Of
the more trustworthy ones in the large cities "a
| those Of the smaller and more cunning and less
SUSPECTED ones in nearby villages and along
motor car highways the latter establishments
| generally conducted by some interesting old
| character. who sat smoking his pipe Indifferent
". offering his wares in some basement difrcul,
| of approach. the windows Of which were con-
| ventionalIy screened by thick net Of cobwebs
/ "The first delusion to be got over is the rather
,revaIent idea that this fad of collecting. or tn.
actual love for antique objects. is something pc.
| c,,1iar 10 the people Of the United States. who
are s,,pposed to put greater store upon the pos.
= seesion Of such things than is common abroad.
] This is a rnisconceptiOn- On the contrary,
, throughout Great Britain. and even more so on
| +he Continent. collecting has been passion
| since the eighteenth century. The British isles
! have been searched up and down from door "a
| door by- experienced collectors for upward Of
| fftv years. and not being large geographically
\ the thoroughness OF the search shows the re-
| mote likelihood of picking UP something good
/ for little money at this late day during few
! weeks Of a summer sojourn abroad
| ..0on.t look for bargains in antiques. II ons
| wants genuine things he should WISH oeaef
| of recognized standing and reliability. for ther'
| are few such: pay him his prizes which Is sure
| m he high. and purchase only upon MS Wri'Ieh
guarantee that the article is as represented gen.
| uiuely old and actually OF the period one can
| not become a judge of antiques by reacins
! few books and if person has neither tne means
/ TO buy nor the experience necessary 70 se'0(
what IS really worth purchasing. II Is lAF H'Oi'
| satisfactory 10 buy first class reproducuohs' 'a
] latter are what one generally finds IN tne aver
! age antique shop az more tnan '"i'7
| actual value -
.,RoUare Of buying Robert Burns chairs ana
Mary Queen of Scots tables and all such llii50'
- sofa - cav that they are spurious. Beware
especial1v Of shef1eld plate: it is practcaAy az
! modern. or old pieces plated over. winch com
! nI4+eIv destroys its value an antique Dus
the new as such at one half the prices dSN'1
| for it by the antique dealer
| .eFayyara also Of engravings and prints NAM
| reprnductfons Of old prints are MADE oy a. So
I of great ability. with no intention at
| some of these I have lately seen IN an'i4
! shops. artfulIy aged and hung IN old NN,11s,
the unscrupr,lors dealer asking four or nVe llnis'
the price the prints can he purchased loI "a '
nubIiabers CRYSTAL and china are aIso niaN -
the old shapes and often in the actuai -, ...o-
80 . b,,rdrsd years ago: these are legi'lma'7
! reproductions II is the so-called ah'iqu.
who tpvs them UP and offers them TO 'ne u-''
sophisticated as genuine