New-York tribune., 1909-04-20
ANTIQUES AT AUCTION
Henrg ". Poor House and the
CaUigham Collection.

II is impossible TO observe without regret the
break UP of that fabric of artistic design which at
present exists in the house of Mr. Henry W. POOR
on Gramercy Park. Put together by the late Stan
ford White who had genius for assembling an
tiques in a modern dwelling, IL is scheme OF
wondrous harmony, in which old carvings rare
tapestries and the furnishings which are associated
in our minds with the romantic past are maoe
beautifully TO serve the life of to-day Now 1t IS
all to go; simply such movables as chairs Ia
bIes hangings and on. but mantelpieces ana
doorways. the woodwork of rooms and elaooratey
decorated ceilings Everything inside the mouse Is
to be sold there next Wednesday, Thursday FIJI
day and Saturday afternoons Architects decora-
tors. antiquity dealers and private buyers VIII
doubtless attend in large numbers, for the oppor-
tunity offered to them rare indeed
The prevailing style in the house is that OF the
Italian Renaissance. Other motives are present as
in the reception room on the entrance floor, the
walls of which covered with exquisite LOUIS
XVI panellIng in white and gold. the furniture oe
ing of course. in the same style Another room
on the same floor contains old doors ana frames VI
Snanisb origin But it is from Italy that most Of
MI Poors treasures have come, from tnat ItaIS IN
which things entering into the solid construction Oh
a palace were as much the objects OF the creauVe
artists zeal as were his pictures or statues VIZ
mass the two magnificent ceilings the main hall
and the drawing room. carved and painted designs
at once OF extraordinary richness and the most as
tInguished taste. In these parts or the mouse anu
elsewhere there are carved mantepieces which are
over each of these pieces for it's sake, yet one
is perpetualy distracted from details by the beauty
of the ensemble. The contents OF all ule IoOiil7
have been left undisturbed. Nowhere Is there any
savor of museum From the ceilings and walls
the eve travels over innumerabe objects or 1urnl-
ture and these all fit consummatey INTO uieii
places They are all, it may be added' du1heili'
examples of the fine craftsmanship of an Garner
day There are nearly seven hundred NUMBERS III
the catalogue and save for the apparatus In the
gymnasium every item in the large collection IS
well calculated to appeal to the connolsseur- Ihe
latter fascinated whichever way he turns VIII par
ticularly rejoice over the tapestries
these are superb works of the historic periods
IN italy France and Flanders, some Of them Illus
trating the boldest scope of the pictorial deslse
and others like the two fifteenth century pieces IN
the dining room belonging in the category OF more
formal things. Most Of the tapestries when FORM
a fairly imposing group by themselves, are large III
scale and essentially decorative. but there are also
several small examples of such rarity ana Value
that they are justly enshrined in frames II "oula
he good to see them, by the way, in the Metropoh-
tan Museum but there are 10 tell the truth. any
number of objects here which would go well into
that institution Especially would we welcome
there the antique marble temple in the dining ROOM
work which, with its slender. graceful columns
would spendidly adorn one Of the courts at the
museum.
There is another collection Of antiques now on
view in this citv that formed by Sir Roland Cal
rgharn of England. 1t may be seen at the Fifth
Avenue Art Galleries, where it is TO be sold on
Wednesday. Thursday, Friday and Saturday after
Moons There are also some fourscore paintings IN
this collection hut they are of special impor-
tance. The merit of the great mass of material
resides very largely the furniture This IS espe-
ciallv good where the English pieces concerned
The chairs dating from Elizabethan and later pc.
ricds include many that are Of a high quality.
There are too. some very handsome settees and
old cabinets a number of pOrcelains are included
and there is an uncommonIy fine group Of cups
saucers teapots and so in cid Wedgwood The
collector of this especially recommended u
visit the show. A few pieces of sculpture are eI-
hibited among them a notable medallion attributed
to Andrea della Robbia- This collection of antqut-
ties running about three hundred numbers, Is
not of absolutely uniform excellence There are
things in it of quite ordinary character; but there
is much. too. that repays examination Decidedly
this spring season is giving their chance 10 those
v-ho have houses to decorate.