DOI Heft:
No. 92 (November, 1900)
DOI Artikel:Gardner, Starkie: Old chased and embossed steel work
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19786#0126
I
Old Steel Work
gratifying to their owners, even possibly in many were their modern origin frankly disclosed. The
cases enhancing their value. Forgeries are almost almost universal preference for even indifferent
eliminated, and the specimens exhibited, beautiful specimens of antique craftsmanship is probably
as they are intrinsically, possess the added interest greatly due to their steady rise in value,
of being actual original documents, expressing the which leads their purchasers to regard them as
history of the arts and crafts ; or in other words good monetary investments. That those able to
of civilisation itself. Artistic forgeries, if not patronise contemporary craftsmanship should crowd
mere replicas of originals, but skilful designs in their houses with antique bric-a-brac cannot be good
the spirit of bygone ages, are often intrinsically for the development of modern art. Artists and
admirable productions. It is only unfortunate craftsmen have a right to, and must depend upon,
that they should be imposed upon the wealthy the patronage of the wealthy classes, which is as
amateur and expert as genuine antiques at much their due to-day as it was in the past, when
infinitely higher prices than could be obtained it was never looked for in vain. The disadvan-
tages of a limited patronage will not
disappear until it becomes generally
'HH|^BBBnBnHH||H^HH| the
■' .• worth possessing are locked up in
museums or well-known collections.
When the purchase of spurious and
third-rate antiques ceases to be the
fashion, the vast sums now expended
on them will be diverted from the
pockets of the dealers to those of the
art-worker. One of the functions or
the Burlington Fine Arts Club, and not
the least useful, is to discover, assemble,
and ear-mark through their superb and
exhaustive illustrative catalogues the
really fine works of antiquity, thus
indirectly increasing the difficulty of
disseminating forgeries.
A recent exhibition of objects of
European origin in chased and em-
bossed steel-work was one of the most
interesting ever held by the club, and
especially valuable from the craftsman's
point of view. On entering, the visitor
was struck by the rich and harmonious
effect of the gallery, the walls being
hung with tapestries, an exhibition in
themselves, so arranged as to both
enhance and subdue the glint of the
steel and to relieve the sombre russets
and golds of the Milanese cabinets and
suits of gala armour. Each object in
the gallery was displayed to advantage
on a ground of suitably coloured velvet
without crowding. Though all the
space was occupied, the effect was
not suggestive of a museum, but of a
private collection of carefully selected
specimens, arranged with regard to
their intrinsic merits and the general
FIG. 9 PROBABLY FLEMISH WORK ; °
OF THE MATSYS TYPE COUp d Ceil.
106
Old Steel Work
gratifying to their owners, even possibly in many were their modern origin frankly disclosed. The
cases enhancing their value. Forgeries are almost almost universal preference for even indifferent
eliminated, and the specimens exhibited, beautiful specimens of antique craftsmanship is probably
as they are intrinsically, possess the added interest greatly due to their steady rise in value,
of being actual original documents, expressing the which leads their purchasers to regard them as
history of the arts and crafts ; or in other words good monetary investments. That those able to
of civilisation itself. Artistic forgeries, if not patronise contemporary craftsmanship should crowd
mere replicas of originals, but skilful designs in their houses with antique bric-a-brac cannot be good
the spirit of bygone ages, are often intrinsically for the development of modern art. Artists and
admirable productions. It is only unfortunate craftsmen have a right to, and must depend upon,
that they should be imposed upon the wealthy the patronage of the wealthy classes, which is as
amateur and expert as genuine antiques at much their due to-day as it was in the past, when
infinitely higher prices than could be obtained it was never looked for in vain. The disadvan-
tages of a limited patronage will not
disappear until it becomes generally
'HH|^BBBnBnHH||H^HH| the
■' .• worth possessing are locked up in
museums or well-known collections.
When the purchase of spurious and
third-rate antiques ceases to be the
fashion, the vast sums now expended
on them will be diverted from the
pockets of the dealers to those of the
art-worker. One of the functions or
the Burlington Fine Arts Club, and not
the least useful, is to discover, assemble,
and ear-mark through their superb and
exhaustive illustrative catalogues the
really fine works of antiquity, thus
indirectly increasing the difficulty of
disseminating forgeries.
A recent exhibition of objects of
European origin in chased and em-
bossed steel-work was one of the most
interesting ever held by the club, and
especially valuable from the craftsman's
point of view. On entering, the visitor
was struck by the rich and harmonious
effect of the gallery, the walls being
hung with tapestries, an exhibition in
themselves, so arranged as to both
enhance and subdue the glint of the
steel and to relieve the sombre russets
and golds of the Milanese cabinets and
suits of gala armour. Each object in
the gallery was displayed to advantage
on a ground of suitably coloured velvet
without crowding. Though all the
space was occupied, the effect was
not suggestive of a museum, but of a
private collection of carefully selected
specimens, arranged with regard to
their intrinsic merits and the general
FIG. 9 PROBABLY FLEMISH WORK ; °
OF THE MATSYS TYPE COUp d Ceil.
106