New-York tribune., 1922-03-28
Simplicity Marks
Italian Furniture
Now OH Display
Dabissi Collection Includes
Beds'cad of Wrought Iron
Made of Slender Bars
With Decorative Motive
By Royal Cortissox

ihe most enduring thing about
renaissance craftsmanship is its good
taste. The tendency toward order and
restraint testifying to its appreciation
OF classical standards. That is whv old
Italian furniture enters so effectively
INTO our modern environment. 1t is
never hammered, Even in its richest
moments il has an underlying Sim
pIIcity. And simple things arc alwavs
adaptable. The eclectic interior of TO-
day, ranging ell the way from fifteenth
century Florence 20 eighteenth century
Salem, owes It's best passages to the
simplest styles.
In the miscellaneous collection of
chairs, tables and e hundred other
things now at the American Art CAL
leries, the property of Mr.. j. Dabissi
there is beautiful Spanish bargueno
(No. 2S3) of the sixteenth century,
Beautiful as It IS it has the character
OF curio, an exotic. The Italian OBJ
jccts all around it are nothing if not
unobtrusive in their quality.
There is perhaps one exception to be
voted. The last item in the catalogue
a great four-poster of wrought iron
of all materials in the world We have
seen bcdsteads OF metal before but
never one like this. - IS fashioned of
slender bars with gracefully twisted
decorative motives here and there, al
together an odd production.
Metal Work A5ounds
Apropos, it may be noted that the
collection contains good deal of arts
tic metal work and irons, grilles and
the like. More and more the demands
Of the architect are considered as we'll
as those of the decorator in these
groups of European stuff brought TO the
United States every season. Italian
palazzi and villas are stripped not only
of their furnishings but of whole bal
comics. In the department Of wood
work there are some handsome twisted
spiral shafts and among the pieces in
stone there is, inevita bly,, Florcntine
mantelpiecc.
But the furniture fills the foreground
to excellent effect. 1t is particularly
strong in respect to tables, those al
most monumental affairs Of Tuscan
walnut, in which sturdy design is en-
hanced by the patina that time has left
upon the wcsl-worn surfaces. They arc
Oh iamlilar types here and there
rather novel objects appear Along
with the conventional Florentne cas-
sonc, drawn from the sixteenth
century and later, there is shown a
striking Venetian Golfer (No. 27S).
parclcd in crimson velvet. Others not
unlike it have been seen here but the
purely wooden chest is more often to
tho fore
Old Benches on View
There arc some notable old benches
on view, charming in the armorial bear
ings carved upon their backs in low
relief
The walls reveal quantities of beauti-
full velvets and brocades, of course, and
there are few good tapestries. In the
category of textiles, in fact, the collec-
tion makes one of It's most attractive
appeals. There are some interesting
antiques in silver and bronze We
may mention favorably, also, the
few examples Of majolica. The stucco
reliefs are charming, though not
of great Importance, and the same com
mcnt may be made upon the paintings.
The sale takes place next Friday and
Saturday afternoons.