The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-07
SUES DUYEENS
FOR OBTAINING
HIM TO PRICK
Porcelain Expert Says lie Lost
Big Sales Through Their
Criticism.
ASKS S575,0O0 DAMAGES:
ART DEALERS DENY TT

fSukH! boTeT. ueaieE iU antique
Chinese porceiains at 40 Bond street.
London and $50 Fifth avenue. New
York. filed two suits yesterday In the
Supreme Court against members Of the
firm Of Duveen Bros. 10 recover $685.
900 damages for SANDER Among The
causes Of action named are alleged
statements to Henry C. FricS and his
wife. Mrs. Adelaide II. Frick. question
thorn vase which Gorer held at $780,
900 and was attempting TO sell to Mr..
Fr.ck.
At this valuation tho yellow haw-
thorn is a formidable rival to the fam
GUS red hawthorn. tho gem Of the J.
pierpont Morgan collection. which Is still
in the possession OF Duveen Bros. In
1907 this red hawthorn WIS said 20 he
worth 100000, but at the present time
It's value has been estimated to be as
high rs 100000.
In one suit. brough. against Joseph
J. Duveen. Gorcr sets forth six causes
OF action because OF alleged statements
TO Mr.. and Mrs. Fr!ck and others, for
which he asks a total of 100000. The
second suit, in which $4,000 damages
IL claimed. il against Henry J. Duveen.
uncle of Joseph j., and is based on an
alleged false statement 10 n customer of
Gorer who IL not named. Joseph J.
Duveen said yesterday that he did not
remember making the statements attrib-
uted to him, but that II he said any
thing to Mr. and Mrs. Frick or any one
else it was in the course OF his duties az
expert appraiser Of porcelains.
Ciorer says IN his complaint that since
1904 he has dealt In old chinese porce-
iains and has had 1.-THE highest reputa-
ton for integrity and competency in
business" and until the events set forth
in the complaints was widely kno~n
among his friends and customers and
to the public generally AZ an honest and
competent and expert dealer and con-
noisseur In antique Chinese porcelains.
DeaOuneeA Him to frick.
The complaint against Joseph J. Du-
yeen asserts that In February last.
while the plaintiff was endcavor!ng 20
sell Mr. frlck rare, unusual and
valuable porcelain vase or beaker ~
the K'nyg Hsl period" the defendant.
said in the presence OF Mr.. and Hrs.
Frck:
That vase Ia rot II genuine antique
IL does not belong to the Kang Hsi
perlod, hut has been manufactured
within the last seven years and y an
imitation OF the genuine article and ~
spurious. Gorer IL imposed upon"
The complaint charges thaa this state
meut meant that Gorer IL not an expert
and doesn't know his business. As II
result Of these Statements Gorcr says
that Mr.. Frick refused TO buy the vase.
which had been sent 20 his residence AT
Fifth avenue and Seventeen street.
Accordingly he has been deprived az
the proiits on sales to Mr. FriclS of
this vase and other porceiains. and the
marketability and demand for the vase
has been greatly impaired. The damage
for this alleged statement Is fixed al
5000 200
For a second cause OF action against
Joseph j. Duveen the complaint states
that In February last In the presence OF
Calman M-ssniAre OF NJ. Knoedler 4 Co.
and NacDermId Parish-W Watson the de-
fendan, said
TO hell with Gorer. He knows nothing
about porcelains. Tn. real Judges are
ourselves, my uncle Henry and I. and We
intend stopping Gorer from putting these
fakes on the market
II Is alleged that a similar statement
was made in the presence OF ''promi-
nent merchant"
The complaint further charges that
In the presence OF M. Messmore and
several Of his associates Joseph J. pr-
veen said: "Gorer does not understand
his business and | and my uncle Henry
are going to stop Gorer from bringing
fakes over 10 this country"
Lost Sale os Chinese God.
Gorer also alleged that he had in
his possession two rare and valuable
statues OF the god Najrapani Of tine
Ming period. and that In the presence
OF Mr.. and Mrs. FrTck and Others
Joseph J. Duveen said concerning them
Those two figures you had on ex.
hibition In your Paris place last sum
! mer are modern. and I'll bet any on.
$4,000 to 500 that they are not over
| fifteen years old. Gorer Is no Judge Of
| porcelains, and In fact has been In thu
business only eight years"
! The suit against Henry J. Duveen
| consisting OF only one cause Of actor
| for $4,000. alleges that prior TO Jan
uary I, 1914, Gorer had two rare. un'
! visual and valuable porcelain green vases
OF til. K'ang Hsi period" and that h
! offered them as genuine TO certain
I customer" lie alleged that Duveen SAID
/ I'm the presence of the customer:
"That pair of green vases Is modern
Gorer Is well aware OF that fact. II,
is dealing in fake things"
Gorer alleges that this statement
charged him with knowingly trying L
sell a spurious porcelain as genuine. ant
! saws that but for the false and defama
tory utterances the customer woult
have bought the vases Gorer was de
prIved Of profits OF $4,000 In continued