BRIC-A-BRAC

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 85, 3 January 1918, Page 9

BRIC-A-BRAC

LOTTERY OF THE CURIOSITY SHOP HIDDEN TREASURES IN IDOLS To cross the threshold of tho headquarters of ail art connoisseur and dealer is to be transported by tho magic of bric-a-brao to other climes and other customs (saya a writer in the Sydney "Sunday Sun"). On all sidos the visitor is surrounded by the spirit of romance, and if only some of those dainty trifles could be endowed with tho gift of tongues what. storioß they, could tell. Just a casual glance discloses a Chinese print of gorgeous colouring on rico paper, which if handled the lea6t roughly would fall to pieces. Hero is an exquisite miniature by V. le Brun, a painter at tho French Court, and also one of tho fair channels of tho gay Louis; there is a handsome cameo cut in onyx (the most difficult of nil), portraying the mournfully tragic features of the beautiful Beatrice Cenoi. Everywhere is something which awakfcns a different memory, and Mr.' L. H. Nathan, tho collector of tliem all, has many an interesting tale to relate.

Having people in England who have been oollflctors for ages—his parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents before him being experts—Mr. Nathan early discovered that ho had inherited tho family characteristic, and travelled tho world elver in search of autiques of every description.' Old china and old silver art his especial hobbies, but he also has 4. wide general knowledge in the other (tranches of art collecting. Incidentally lie is the holder of the amateur boxing championship (lightweight a r.d middleweight) of Queensland, and had the exciting experience of acting as referee in the world's championship f<)r boxing held in Australia between Burns and Squires. Keenly interested in racing Mr. Nathan was tho proud owner of Cadonia, who won the Sydney Cup in 1913; later this fine racehorse was disposed of to the German Government f or tho Graditz stud. This sa}e proved such a success that ou tho strength of it largo contracts for bloodstock for the samo destination were entered into, with tho result that when war was declared this enterprising spectator found himself poorer Ly many thousands. Another branch of sport—nfemely, football—also claims him as a devotee, he having played half-back fclr Queensland in inter-State matches! "Although Jorus'filbm has fallen," replied Mr. Nathan, in answering • a query as to his fi'(t|iro domicile, "I should not care to lifrti thoro, and shall certainly remain whbite I am." Some reminiscences of this'. Versatile personality are well worth Velpording, and as Mr. Nathan at one period of bis carccr followed the inky way,, lie has tho journalistic eye for "copy.*'

Hidden Treasure. A dingy-looking gilt Vronze Buddha catches the eye. "Oil, that was included in a shipment of. Oriental goods sent by jL AV. Bahr, the famous Oriental expefi and I was most disappointed with it, as it cost £15 and didn't seem worth it. However, on examining it more closely I discovered that. tho bass ivas loose, and pulled it off. A piece of parchment seemed to 611 the interior, and on displacing it two dirty baWn pebbles rolled out. They seemed fairly heavy, so out of curiosity I took them to a stone-cutter an'd asked hifci to cut and polish them. Returning . a few days later the cutter, said. he. was anxious to relievo me of tho-.stones, offering £50 for tho pair. Thinking that if they were worth that nmount to him they would probably lie more value to mo, I declined.

"Some months later one of .these pebbles—tlie.v turned $ut to bo: ex- ! ceptionally line blood rubies—reiiissd £250 in England. "The Buddha listens unblinkitigly, while the visitor, simply bursting ivitli curiosity, gazes at the Sphinx-life ' visage nnd seeks vainly to solve the mystery.

"The same man sent me a consignment of Oriental things, including scone old Chinese panels inlaid with jafle, coral, and porcelain, which cost somewhere in the region of £100. Not' Very' attractive to look at, I got tired of seeing them about, so sold them locally for the same figure. Some months afterwards I received a communication from the authorities inquiring about these self-same panels. It appears that the late Lord Kitchener's agents in China had been trying to gain possession of them for years, and they had at last been traced to me. The owner wanted 3000 guineas . for them. Although. £1800 was offered it was refused, and I believe these panels, together with some very, interesting and valuable porcelain, are now_ in Anthony Hordern's unique collection of Oriental treasures. The Ugly Duckling. "Sometimes the, jade 'luck' plays false," smiled Mr. Nathan, "and I remember another 'of Mr. Bahr's packages arriving. This time it was some Kang Hsi blue and white porcelain. .It cost, me £300, but 1.l simply couldn't got rid of it, so eventually sent it back to him. Imagine what my feelings were when, later, I hoard that it was disposed of in England for £9001'"Occasionally I pick up bargains .it auctions, and I once bought in this way a very beautiful miniature, which was knocked down to me at quite a small figure. I offered it to Sir Rupert Clarlui, telling him that I believed it to be 'a Cosway, but as I was uncertain clharged him only a nominal sum. lio took the risk, and later it proved to be genuine, and although Sir Rupert liasi. since been offered £500 for it he still has it in his collection. . "I once had a violin which I thought was'a fltradivarius—not complete, but the back of the instrument seemed decidedly genuine. I had it in tho windown for nearly two years, and gradually reduced the prico till it reached £17. One day a man walked into tho shop and asked to see the violin. "After disparaging the instrument, lie then asked the lowest price. I replied that £15 ivas the limit, and he eventually got it for'£l4. After paying mo lio told me that the violin was a genuine Joseph Guaiiarius! " 'Do yoii think it was very nice of you to beat me down a pound after i reducing it £2'in the first place?" 1 asked him. .

• " 'Well,' iiie said, T naturally got it | as cheaply ais I could.' "Some nine months atferwards I received a letter with an enclosure, also a'card with 'the purchaser's name. He was a profesfior at a Scotch university, land the enclosure was a newspaper cutting, stating that the violin had 'realised 197J .guineas!" Is there not a libellous story afloat that there is no room in Scotland for Jews, and that they cannot even make a living in that frugal land of "parritch"? Tin's story certainly bears out the statement, and the fact that Mr. Nathan laughingly tells'it against himself shows him to bo tho possessor of that delightful attribute a sense of humour.