New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-06
Several Surprises
Found i'm kooprnan
Antique Collection
Fire Backs From ChateauD
stroyed i'm Franco-Prus-
sian War Among Pieces
at American Art Galleries
BY Royal Cortissoz

The collection of a dealer In an
tiquities Is not often rich In surprises
One multitude of old objects ss, para
doxically, very like another. But oc-
casionally collection of this kind con-
tains something new and strange, 1t
is SO in the case Of the mass of more
than eight hundred pieces now shown
at the American Art Galleries by the
estate of the late Henry Koopman.
There are several surprises here,
which will appeal TO the amateur when
the sale occnrs. scheduled for the
afternoons of May 8, 10, IL and 10.
We have heard of q conneisseur who
made it his hobby 20 collect fire backs,
but not hitherto have we observed in
public sale such group of these
things as Mr.. Koopman secured. He
got them, it appears from the cata-
iogue, after the Franco Prussian War,
one episode of which was the destruc-
ton OF the Chateau de st. Cloud.
There are about ten of them, products
OF seventeenth and eighteenth century
craftsmanship. They were recovered
from the debris of the chateau undam-
aged. 1t is q little amusing to note
some of their titles, -"yenus and Cupid
in Landscape" "Three Cupids Toying
With Garlands of Flowers" and so on.
Coats-of- arms are also employed.
These bits of cast iron are not pre-
cisely works of art. But being in the
French tradition, they have artistic
quality.
These dispersals Of miscellaneous
| collections more and more bring for
ward articles in metal. The Koopman
| collection is not so abounding in it as
| was the recently sold Almoneda col
lection, but it contains some good
| things. Besides the ffrebacks, there
are some fine early italian andirons
and one of the most interesting exhib-
| It's is forged iron gate (No. 1922, dat
ing from the seventeenth century in
France. The roomful of eighteenth
century English garden benches, vases
| and tables forms another unexpected
contribution. They are of iron, paint
| ed, odd affairs of geometric piercings
and voluminous scrolls. They look q
| little bleak in gallery. But one can
see them making an agreeable effect in
q garden.
Along with the metal In this collec-
| ton we would be inclined to place the
glass; English and Irish glass of the
sort that may be denominated as cold
fashioned" but that has nevertheless
| considerable dignity and interest. Il
| embraces some handsome chandeliers
! The silver is of French and English
orogin of good periods. It makes ar
array which is not at all brilliant, bui
neither is it negligible Several fine
early Georgian pieces appear There il
a we'll formed though comparatively
the miscellaneous lot OF porcelains
yields here and there q notable bit
The single color pieces in the Orienta
contingent are of excellent quality anc
| there are some similarly attractive
| blue and white. The most noticeable
feature among the porcelains is guam.
tity of lamps, Oriental figures fitted fol-
electricity, with silk shades.
The furniture ranges from the six
teenth century to the nineteenth. W.
| note with special appreciation The
| Dutch chairs and armchairs, ladder
back designs, with rush seats. There i,
a particularly full collection of tables
and though they are not exactly mu
scum examples, they include numerous
first rate things, such as the Italian
table (No. 631), or the Spanish one
| mo. 721). The best of the cabinets are
English. Two Jacobean cupboards (Nos
! BIB and 66I are conspicuous types
| A number of structural items of dec
| orative order are exhibited, the grace
full Adam mantelpiece (No s389 and
several painted panels, like the four
| dedicated to the seasons (No. 1897, ex-
ecuted by Rousseau de Ia Rottiere, and
| the group of six panels (No. S41) COM
ing from the eighteenth century
French school.
| All the better paintings in the show
| belong in this purely decorative cate
cory. The portraits are unimportant
| There is. indeed, a fair adnnixture OF
| quite minor pieces in the whole col
lection. but there is plenty OF valuable
| material.