The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-30


OF 1900 lire; TO avoid shipping expense,
will sell II TO the English prospect at
that figure" Well. better close with
| the Austrian offer, counters ;he exper-
fenced prospect" A week later It be-
came the property Of the English villa
dweller, at an advance OF so lire over
his original offer. His skill and cou-
rageous assurance at barter had been
previously bought and well paid for in
a market full OF clever fakes"
Walnut was Italy's national VOID, as
eak was England's: its age Is past the
supply nearly played out A regrettable
| neglect OF conversational practice In
view of the rich color. beautiful grain
and durable. age ripening quality Of the
material. A few years ago Old walnut
sold for a song; nne cinquecento pieces
were snapped for the product OF fac
tories retailed through the big stores In
London and Paris. Collectors revived
tho demand and made a fancy market
with the inevitable consequence Of
smart reservations and ingenious inLta-
tons guardedly exposed in dim lit shops
Two fne Florentine chairs In a shop.
to the eye precisely mated. stately, mas
| sive, thronelike. The dealer: They
came from the Strozzi palace. This is
very interesting one. The last Prince
Strozz! who occupied the palace died in
lit ! ask f1b apiece" But the English
man. tempted. passed on: The TWO
chairs we're 30 much alike 7 was afr aid
they had got mixed up and l might
not get the legendary one" The same
mathematics that doubled the value 20
the dealer cancelled It for the might
have been buyer
Condensing the amiably discursive
catalogue and looping of most Of the
personal narrative and comment. the
mildly speculative philosophy of furnl-
ture and life tina, tighten and enlivenst,
| the mere enumeration OF the treasures
| is entertaining. sixteenth century
cassone. dover chest. has "A front glori-
fed with Renaissance carving, family
crest set boldly In n shield at the CEN
tire OF a wide panel. broad, rich, eye
| resting PLAIN surfaces on either side.
Less simple IN decorative device Is a
sixteenth century bijol cabinet, from
Nine. buses collection, twenty eight
inches high and twenty two Inches
| wide. an eXquisitely carved front
swings open. disclosing a nest o; small
drawers: In which lay the love notes
OF the lady OF old Italy, in which the
| tradesmen's unpaid bills. odd combina-
ton Of sentimental bijouterie, lost
records Of personal history. curious,
maybe ira gic? Cabinets for the hall
undiscoverable IN Florentine shops in
precise s,.iting nf the requirements, were
fnally picked up In the store Of an Eng
ash aa:iquary, one, GerOese. eight .cet
high. "a grand, outstanding piece
Of the seventeenth century, deliberately
carved" with two doors opening the
whole height. three panels in each
lavishly fooled with suggestion Of
French feeling: the other bearing the
imprimatur OF Tuscan workmanship
noble in ITS massive proportions and
severely restrained ornamentation.
Sideboards. tables and chairs are pic
tured ~ text ana photograph.
In little oaken niche, thirty inches
high French work from ;he palace o.
f'ontainebleau, stands a carved Tuscan
Madonna, 800 years old; and she Invites
to speculation on the contrast between
the symbolistic piety OF the southern
land and the crude, cold expression 81
religious feeling in English handiworl
of the same time:
| In our English homey our forefathers n
the seventeenth century had no counterpart
! Madonnas and sSnts which tho Italians o
the Renaissance fondly possessed and hon
estIy Nenersted our nearest approach 10 re
| | ugious art in the home was carved GAL
Bible box our Puritan foretath
ers had religious zeal hut their artist!
knowledge was eNcruciatlng IN some Bibl
boxes witness the one In the writer's pos
session. the carving IS crude and grotesaue
I and never rises above the level ~ the vi
age craftsman The puritan ruth
p lNssly destroys image and carving In cRthe
e dra' and church throughout the Land. an
praises God for the deed of grace his icono
, elastic hand performs and then hc sits dow
, and with tho same hand carves himself
Bible box out OF oak and pu,s into II all tn
. cunning at command.
; Some very beautiful pieces of majolic'
, are reproduced and described, Speci
mems that could have been bought 70
a song in Florence ten years ago ar
= now held extremely high. hotel pro
. prietor told of an experience like that o
the man who used Turner's plates L
start fires: His father had had bacl
, yard full of old pharmacy Jars, mostl'
, Caltagirone and had paid so Centime
apiece to have them carted away. Nov
such wares bring so to 1900 lire apiece
, A vase Of Jrbino make cost the autho
$50 lire:
II .hone with a eevenfod lustre, gather
| ing the lights Of heaven from all quarter
| on Its luminous face. The blues, the green
! the reds the yelows ran on the surface q
c | the lar like .treaks OF liquid. molten colo
l shaping themselves dramatically into leave
! Of the oak. forming themselves into trui'
D | Of the orange tree and purple clusters OF IN
@ vine crossing and recrossing one another o
tho shoulder OF the like Stats In
~ mimic diamond garden fence-the who
!, | too hot too fiery TO touch with your hand
"A mass Of burning splendor flashing throug
y the veil OF white enamel.
. II will be seen that the author is some
. thing of an enthusiast in his subject
. a fairly contagious enthusiasm. His de
+ | scription OF his house, cellars and gar
!, dens will tempt to envy. HIS accour
!. of his Italian neighbors is amusing s
/. long as It remains confined within tn
r metes Of individual idiosyncrasy' bt
. does not go down so easily when he in
/. dulges In CONGRATULATIONS on the racl'
l. character There was a nclGhbor VIII
y had lemon trees in his garden but neve
a enough Of the fruit for his house. TIL
v cook brought lemons from the mark'
. three times n week. "Watchtul wait
Il ing" revealed that she was taking he
bot hri