Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-05
.SUBST|TUT|ONMADE
FOR CELL|N| WORK
Rare Medieval Art Found to
Be Replaced by Repro
duction.
Continued From First Page.)

previously had been examined by Sec
rotary Mellon, recognized art author
fly, ana by officials OF the Corcoran
Gallery ef Art.
Age Does Not Exceed so Years.
DR.. George K Burgess, director of
the Bureau of Standards, yesterday no
tined Baron Fersens representatives
here that the present shield is an ''elec-
trolytic reproduction of some original
article of the same design" and that its
age probably does not exceed so or go
years.
AS a matter Of public policy" DR..
Burgess also sent copy of the findings
to the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, to
which the shield had been offered by
its owner. Baron, Fersen, naturalized
Russian exile, and widely known as a
lecturer. had announced his Willingness
the proceeds to be used for patriotic
purposes" namely, the combating OF
Communism in America.
Baron FerSen, who is on lecture
tour in California, was notified today OF
the bureaus report by H. Ralph Burton.
his attorney. The shield, which has
reposed for years in a safe deposit vault
of the National Savings & Trust Co.
here was taken to the bureau recently
BY Albert Walmsley and another friend
of the ex-nobleman. 1t was tested by
1Dr. william Blum and associates of the
electro-chemical laboratory.
Bureau Makes Report.
The bureaus report, after calling at
fention to inclosed microphotographs
showing clearly four electrolytically de-
POSTED layers OF copper in a crosS-Sec-
ton of metal cut from the upper edge
of the shield, stated:
1.-THE above evidence shows conclu-
sively that this shield consists Of cleo
tro-deposited copper. and Is presumably
an electrolytic reproduction of some
While the electrolytic reproduction OF
articles in copper dates back to about
1910, it is very doubtful whether an
article of this size could have been
made prior to about 1870 when electric
generators were first used for this pur-
pose 1t is probable. therefore. that this
reproduction was made within the past
so or so years.
Disclosure of the substitution imme-
diately raises the interesting question
of the fate of the original plaque,
which apparently was a casting made
by the ancient lost wax" process de-
Veloped by Cellini. casting. of course,
would not be distinguished by the cryS-
talline strata of copper found in the
replica.
Original Stolen.
Mr. Walmsley today expressed the
opinion the original shield must have
been stolen from the walls of the baron's
ancestral home in Russia by servant
in league with clever conSpirators.
Baron Fersen will never rest until he
has found the lost original Of this
shield" Mr. Walmsley declared THE
rRriNH a. I4oc dncfFnynd
the meantime, undoubtedly repoSes in
the private collection of some art con-
noiSseur who is ignorant that 1t was
stolen. I am sure it is in no public
gallery, for no reference to it can be
found in existing catalogues or among
art records. Perhaps publicity attending
the Governments report will aid the
baron in regaining possession OF the
original"
The shield. about 10 by % inches,
hung for generations alongside loaded
colored glass window in the library of
the home of the Dukes of Courland. It
was acquired by Gotthard Kettler. first
reigning Duke of Courland, who died in
1887. 1t was handed down from father
to son until I'LL, when the reigning
duke, dying childless. beQueathed it to
his wife, Anna Ioannovna, niece of
Peter the Great, who became Empress
OF Russia in 1880. The Empress made
Ernest Jean Biron Duke of Courland
and SenRallen and Sagan, and gave him
the shield. On his death, in 1859, it
went to his son, Peter Biron. from
whom it passed to his brother-in-law,
John Peter Carl Modem, and thence to
the latter's son, John Robert Modem.
On the latter's wealth, In 1867, 1t was
willed to his daughter. Olga Modem,
widow of Baron Alexander Fersen, who
beoueathed 1t to her son, the present
Baron Fersen.
Fled From Russia.
Baron Fersen and his mother fled
from Russia just before the BolShevik
revolution and established a home in
Paris From the Governments eSti-
mate of the age of the shields dupli-
cate, it follows the original must have
been stolen, from John Robert Modem
or his daughter According to Mr.. Bur-
ton and Mr.. WalmSley, the shield was
in its present form when removed from
the wall of Baron Fersen's Russian
home, The original must have been
much heavier and thicker than the
duplicate, and any substitution after
E Baron Eugene Fersen came into, custody
of it would have been readily detected,
It is pointed out.
The duplicate has the appearance of
antiquity. 1t Is denied in places, and
small portion of the top edge is
broken of. The figures on the shield
are in state of perfect preservation,
however. Even though duplicate, ex-
pertS have pronounced the work mar
Vicious work Of art.
An evidence of the authenticity Of
the original is the discovery made by
an Official of the Library of Congress
that a certain nude figure in the de-
sign Is exactly similar to central fig
ure in an engraving, The Climbers"
by Marco Antonio, contemporary of Mi
'chelangelo and admirer of the latter's
noted lost cartoon" of the battle of
Pisa. A photograph of the Antonio en-
craving Is at the Library Of Congress.
Antonio presumably copied his figure
from Michelangelo's masterpiece, using
. different background.
Enthusiastic Over Cartoon.
Cellini is known to have been enthus-
iastic over Michelangelo's cartoon" and
wrote that in spite of the beauty of
the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo never
again rose half way to the same pitch
of power" as that exhibited in the bat
tie scene. In view of this praise, it is
regarded as logical that Cellini should
have sought to immortalize the cartoon
in metal.
The cartoon itself was destroyed by
VanuanSm Oh drClSCS sIuuylns ~, DC
cording to Georgia Vasari,s life of Mi
chelangelo. Some fragments were saved,
but even these are said to have been
destroyed by fire or otherwise lost. Thus
the present chield, II only reproduce
ton Of an authentic Cellini work, would
have great value.
According to Baron Fersen, the re-
lief design on the shield is a motif from
1.-THE Battle of Pisa" in which is de-
picted a surprise attack by mounted
enemy on a detachment Of soldiers
bathing In the River Arno. The portion
Of the work incorporated in the shield