New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-10
Varied Antiques
Suitable for
Decorative Use
New York Collection of the
Venetian Dealer. Signor
Cattadori, Is on View at
American Art Galleries
Textile Array Is Varied
Many Pieces Suitable for
the Typical Luxurious
American Interior Shown
By ROYAL Cortissoz

There is apparently no bottom to the
source from which American collectors
and decorators may go on drawing for
the embellishments OF their houses.
Collection after collection is put on
sale here and an excellent average ci
quality is steadily maintained. The
latest, Now on view at tne American
Art Galleries, is provided by Sgnor
Cattadori, the Venetian dealer. who
illus disposes of the stock accumulated
in his Fifth Avenue establishment. Il
IS composed OF abou, 700 objects. which
are to be sold through four afternooA
sessions. beginning next Wednesday
In any body of antiquities like this
enc there are, OF course things which
stand by themselves. woras Of art
which have their own reasons for eN-
listing, but above all it is the decorative
motive which comes into the fore
ground. And this is no longer d inc
q bibelots alone. The charac teristic
piece in the Cattador collection j.
something that can be built into an
architectural ensemble. The sanctuary
screen and gates (No. 7ls) provide an
opposite illustration. These webs OF
graceful design We're forged by an
Italian ironworker OF the fifteenth cen
fury. He made them for a cardinals
private chapel. Now they come TO the
Western world, fragments for the
hands of some architect and be re-
erected to take on q new lease of life
AS parts of a constructive whole.
Artistic Vitality in Junk"
1t is this thread Of what might be
called a unitarian purpose that runs
through the various collections Of an
tiquities offered here every season,
lending them a peculiar interest. What
is playfully called Junk" has an I'M
questionable artistic vitality, thanks
both to its intrinsic qualities and to
The eclectic taste of our day. The fact
is that the enthusiast for period y
decoration may find here the originals
tor which he is often obliged to take
substitutes. Witness the pair of candle
abra in gilded bronze from the Pa
lazzo Doria NO 500, two little gems
Of Louis XVI metal work. They are
signed by the craftsman to whom they
owe their exquisite finish, but even
without the signature they would OBJ
vlously proclaim the elegance of 8
great French tradition.
All through the multifarious collec-
ton there are illustrations Of the kind
of work we have especially in mind.
the work that one can see passing
easily-and permanently - into the
typical luxurious American interior.
Sometimes it is only q picture frame,
ample (No. 669), but what handsome
picture frame it isl The furniture is
good, Italian and French, with a few
English specimens. 1t includes cabi-
nets and chests, consoles, tables and
chairs. And in the background hang
number of admirable tapestries. The
array of textiles is varied and rich. 1t
embraces the usual collection of old
church vestments. fabrics easily turned
to decorative use.
Plastic and Pictorial Items
The plastic and pictorial items are
of mixed character. The most at
tractive of the sculptures is a terra
Gotta relief (No. 615) of sixteenth CEN
fury Florentlne origin, q Madonna in
closed in a Della Robbian frame. The
tondo is in no wise brilliant relic of
ats period, but it is not without charm,
and the frame is beyond doubt good
one. There is an interesting "Venus
Discovered" attributed to Collini (No
6lS), and relief in marble (No 614)
turns up to remind us of Baccio Ban
dinelli, that rather hollow Florentine
On the whole, the pieces in this de.
partment which are most beguiline
come from an earlier period. The wine
vase (No. GID, ascribed to the Graeco
Roman school of design, is beautiful
bronze. The strongest of the paintings
is fine Virgin and Child" (No. 679)
given to Pfetro Lorenzetti. The ascrip
ton is not persuasive. One misses tn,
Sienese masters emotional depth
Nevertheless, it is a lovely panel! O.
very different order but character
lstic and amusing are two mlitar,
compositions by Giulio Romano (Nos
638 and $500, and there is q group O
clever eighteenth century decorative,
canvases, the kind in which architec
ture supplies the prevailing motive
The collection drifts from these OBJ
lects into an extremely miscellaneou
atmosphere, an atmosphere of oil,
glass, of beautiful fans, of Italian
Spanish and Flemish brass, of antique
linen and lace, of majolica and so on
1t is indeed a veritable tumble of al
manner of things, but it has been eff
fectively arranged, and a kind of unit,
energies from the Heterogeneous spec
tacle. The sale should command at
tention.