THE ANTIQUE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13647, 15 July 1908, Page 7

THE ANTIQUE.

, A FASCiNATiNG HUBBY. , The quest of the antique upon which so many axe beut, to-day i& the. most lasciuating and romantic of aXI : hobbies, Especially alluring is the quest of tlie enuque jh furniture, lor when you have gained possession of the object of your aearcli you keep it by you as a paru of your environment, you associate with it from day to day, and are constantly reminded that it combines beauty with utility. it is comforting to know that the pcrsuable antique is not> yet entirely exhausted. The held is wed covered, and there are many thousands of eager collectors seeking to snap up any genuine .specimen which, comes cheir way. But a century ago there were millions of pieces ■of furniture of the shape that are now held in admiration, and as the majority of them, still survive, there is abundant opportunity for the collector to-day. This, at. least, is the assurance given by Mr. and Airs. Kobert Whackleton, the authors of the " Quest of the Antique," published by Air. John Milne, who are highest authorities on the subject, and have written a charming book on the romance as well as the technique of the subject. They began by inheriting a kettle, receiving a Shaker chair, and by buying a pair of candle-sticks; and then, being inspired contemplation of. these- possessions, they set out on the quest which is narrated in this delightful book. They discovered that no one can make a collection without making (mistakes, aaid they point out that Chipjiendale, a cabinet, maker of. the middle of the Eighteenth Century, published a book of designs and his name has come to stand for the work of a whole school that used them, with the result that the output of his 6tyle was very great. " He eschewed inlay and veneer," they tell us, "and depended for his effects on proportion, strength and craftsmanship." Hepplewhite and Sheraton, who rose to prominence after him, introduced other ideas; and the quest was also directed to the discovery of all other good things, for as the writers say, "the old times and the old manners come dreamily back amid the. fine old shapes of the past. No old book is so fascinating as when read from the depths of an ancient fineside 'settle. Nothing tastes so good as when served on old mahogany. And it is charming to see one's old friends seated in one's old chairs or circled about a splendid table of the past." In the course of the quest Mr. and Mrs. Shackleton filled a fine old house in America, which had formerly been an inn, with a delightful collection of antiques ; and they had many pleasant adventures. They have a mirror in a mahogony frame, with the effective pineapple ornament. It was discovered in a barn, and the glass had gone j the wood was thickly marked by Hies, and they bought ib for 35 cents. But when it was cleaned and polished it proved, to be of excellent material and design, though tlie topmost band of the cornice of the frame was of rich-looking cherry, because mahogany, effective as it is, was too dark for effectiveness at the top of a frame. They also picked up an interesting old grandfather's clock the works of which are made of wood, and though many more modern specimens offer they continued to cherish the ancient timekeeper. Much of the joy which attends the quest of the antique is found in the triumph which comes from the discovery of some treasure in a state of what others less inspired would regard as hopeless decay. " Many a broken or hard used article of furniture can be restored to its pristine strength, and, as far as appearance goes, may almost fit the lilting rhyme about being given a polish of so brilliant a hue as to make it look newer than when it was new." ■' Buying apparent wrecks" is a chapter of interesting experiences. They bought a mighty old fireside chair, found in a shed where the chickens roosted on it. Tlie seat had vanished, the leather covering was in strips; little was left, indeed, but the outline shape and the fr..rework. Yet the framework was migktv and the shape was fine. It was curetV y restored, and is now " what its builder jad intended it to be, a thing of beauty, and promising to be a 6ource of comfortable joy for ever." A corpulent plated soup tureen with spindle legs, discovered jn an out-of-the-way corner; it had lost most of its plate, "but its graceful appearance suggested a use for it. A village blacksmith cut a hole through the lid, and it made a unique and pleasing lamp. In furnishing their house lliey were favoured by its accessories. In one of tlie rooms they had a great open fireplace, eight feet wide. On the fireplace a pair of fire-dogs, topped with heavilyfacetted balls, were placed, and a big black kettle on the hearth held the wood. An old crane which was discovered by chance on a scrap-heap, swung over the five as though it had been there front immemorial time, and from it. depended a quaint little iron kettle. Pewter and P old china adorned the shelf, and the | mighty old chair stood before the hearth, I

making as cosy an ■ inglenook as could be. desired. The collector will rejoice in the anecdotes of successful quest. The discovery of four pieces of early Georgian silver, every line of which was a delight,offered at less than the price of modern silver ware in llegent-street, is an incident which only the true collector appreciates. la Padua they saw an ancient, handicraftsman eating his dinn?r in a corner of his dark little shop from a really good pewter plate* with beaded edge, "lie wanted but. a trifle for it, and it became ours, and is one of the pieces of pewter upon the long shelf above the eight-foot fire-iDlaee, maintaining its claim to distinction as a piece of old Italian make, and as coming direct- to our hands from the hands of an old man in one of the most fascinating of all cities."