The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-05-06
Antique Cabinetry
ofDays ofFine Art
on Exhibition Here
KoOpman Collection Contains
Rare French, Spanish, Dutch
and italian Pieces.

The Koopman collection now on view
at the galleries of the American Art
Association is a lovely expositirn Of
cabinetry as a fine art. 1t has a pc
culiarly ingratiating character as a
whole. coming as It does after a long
succession of collections recruited from
medieval Italian and Spanish palaces
where the scale of design has been
larger and more imposing than most
modern homes require. The Koopman
collection, on the other hand, has the
comforting merit OF being homely.
The sale of the collection will begin
next Monday and continue until Thurs
day.
There are many Continental pieces In
It, OF French. Spanish, Dutch and Ital-
ian workmanship. and many Of the ia
cobean. Queen Anne and Georgian
periods of English history, and all of
these cabinets, writing desks, tables and
chairs speak to the mind not only of the
picturesque people who formerly used
them. but the whole delightful system Of
honest craftsmanship that produced
pieces of furniture to order. 1t lasted
until within almost hailing distance of
the present epoch. but now, alas. it
seems to have gone forever. The mere
fact of rarity, which Is doomed to in
crease as time goes on, lends an en-
chantment and assists the artistic sense.
One appears. In viewing the Koopman
collection. to be actually seeing the
sofas and cupboards thac the late Ed
win A. Abbey used TO put. with so much
affection. into his drawings.
One of the rarest objects in the col
lection, however, IS of early American
workmanship, dating from about 1850.
It is q fine sofa in the Chippendale man
ner with a block front, and Individual
ity showing everywhere In the orna-
mental carvings. The seat and back
are covered with Hungarian point en-
broidery with chevroned bands In rich
colors on an ivory ground. 1t is mate
to the well known settee which came
from the Pendleton collection. and
which now Is in the Rhode Island School
of Design.
An important highboy. from the
Howard Gay collection of Boston, has a
number of features that will interest
students. 1t Is Of the Chippendale period,
with key Identified. moulded cornice,
and one of the lower drawers pulls out
to make a complete writing desk. A
Queen Anne cabinet and writing desk,
richly OrudneNLeu, SNIucnliy ""S uc-
signed for a musician. for the upper part.
enclosed by mirrored door. is fitted
with compartments for music manu-
scripts There are also Francois Pre-
mier cabinet, a carved cedar sacrlsty
cabinet and numberless charming little
chests of drawers. or tables with draw
ers. OF the kind that lend distinction 70
odd corners
Georgian and Dutch silver.
The silver includes Georgian and
Dutch specimens, Louis XIV. soup tu-
reens and service plates from the kot-
schoubey collection OF Paris. Chinese
Lowestoft Is well represented by fine
armorial dinner service. and there is
much Irish and English glass, including
a Waterford chandelier. The Chinese
pottery ranges from Han to the Ch'ien-
lung periods, and In the display may be
noted an interesting five piece blue and
white garniture, numerous Ming pottery
figures and many pieces that have been
adapted into modern lamps. These are
also Delft faience, French and English
porcelains. Crown Derby tea services
and many Chelsea figurines
There are decorative paintings, In
some cases including fine old murals for
entire rooms. antique brocades. damasks
and tapestries that have come down from
the seventeenth and eighteenth CEN
turtles Miss r. II. Lorenz. who has
classified the exhibition with rare dis
erection, has arranged an entire gallery
with antique English cast iron garden
benches tables and chairs. which are
now novel and interesting. and another
gallery with Chinese lacduered cabinets.