VOLUME: 4 WINTER, 2004 Vasemania: Neoclassical Form and Ornament: Selections from The Metropolitan Museum of Art at the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture Review by Nancy H. Ramage 1) is a copy of a vase that belonged to Ithaca College Hamilton, painted in Wedgwood’s “encaustic” technique that imitated red-figure with red, An unusual and worthwhile exhibit on the orange, and white painted on top of the “black passion for vases in the 18th century has been basalt” body, as he called it. But here, assembled at the Bard Graduate Center in Wedgwood’s artist has taken all the figures New York City. The show, entitled that encircle the entire vessel on the original, Vasemania: Neoclassical Form and and put them on the front of the pot, just as Ornament: Selections from The Metropolitan they appear in a plate in Hamilton’s first vol- Museum of Art, was curated by a group of ume in the publication of his first collection, graduate students, together with Stefanie sold to the British Museum in 1772. On the Walker at Bard and William Rieder at the Met. original Greek pot, the last two figures on the It aims to set out the different kinds of taste — left and right goût grec, goût étrusque, goût empire — that sides were Fig. 1 Wedgwood Hydria, developed over a period of decades across painted on the Etruria Works, Staffordshire, Britain, France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. back of the ves- ca. 1780. Black basalt with “encaustic” painting. The at the Bard Graduate Center. Pictures courtesy of Stefanie Walker The range of materials, from ceramics to sil- sel.1 The third ver, etchings to paintings, wood and brass to Metropolitan Museum of Art. fabrics and furniture, is wonderfully evocative of the many facets of the widespread interest Fig. 2 Knife box, in vases. English, ca. 1770-80. The collection of vases assembled by Sir Mahogany inlaid with William Hamilton, British envoy to the Court boxwood. The of Naples from 1764 to 1800, provides the Metropolitan Museum opening context for the exhibit. Two of the of Art. vases from his second collection, sold to Thomas Hope in 1801, serve as models in this show. They inspired the kinds of imitations handle on and recreations made by Josiah Wedgwood at the back his firm called Etruria, in Staffordshire, in the of the origi- later 18th century. He reproduced the decora- nal Greek tion and scenes found on both red- and black- pot has been figure pottery, and, like many of his contem- omitted, since Fig. 3 Bowl from poraries, copied the shapes of ancient vases. the piece was meant for Marie Antoinette’s On the other hand, the copies were not made decoration rather than for use as a water jar. dairy at the Château after the original pots, but after the engraved Interestingly, one of Wedgwood’s artists de Rambouillet, ca. plates in the magnificent 4-volume work pub- copied the same scene onto an oval platter, but 1787. Hard-paste lished by Hamilton and written by the anti- this time omitting the two last figures on each porcelain, Sèvres quarian “Baron” d’Hancarville. A hydria (fig. side. Manufactory. Metropolitan Museum of Art. An English knife box (fig. 2) made of pieces, accompanies the show, as well as a mahogany in the 1770s shows to what extent useful Gallery Guide and various flyers and the vase design was adapted for modern brochures. The material for the exhibit is needs. As knives were expensive at the time, mostly culled from the Metropolitan and the steel blades had to be protected, spe- Museum’s storerooms, reminding us of the cial containers were constructed using ancient vast amount of first-rate art in that museum vase shapes as models. that usually does not see the light of day. This A porcelain bowl (fig. 3) from Marie is the first in a series of exhibits that will high- Antoinette’s dairy at her Château de light the Met’s largely unseen material, and Rambouillet was made by the Sèvres factory that will allow the graduate students at Bard to about 1787. Modeled on the kylix shape, and continue to present topics in collaboration decorated with an exquisitely delicate with curators at the museum. The exhibit, at “Etruscan” pattern in light blue, brown, black, 18 West 86th Street, ran through October 17, and white, it again shows how ancient shapes 2004. For further information, call: 212-501- and designs served as models for new purpos- 3123. es. A beautifully produced and illustrated cata- 1 Robin Reilly, Wedgwood, Vol. I (London 1989) fig. logue, with essays and full entries for all 631. Letters to the Editors Roman times. As always, there is no acknowl- I call your attention to a new technique, antiquities: first, by greatly reducing the edgment that Tuscan pot designs are likely which I first learned about when it was report- appeal of private collecting.” Alas, vilifying Splendid idea to offer EtrNews also as a copies that Romans made of the Etruscan ed in the New Scientist journal of the 12th of collectors, antiquities dealers and museums website (hopefully with links to other designs (perhaps an Etruscan adaptation of July, 2003, which described how very small has been – is being – tried, and has had no Etruscan websites (soprintendenze, institutes, Greek terra cotta pots, like the vases, or their objects such as vases, regularly shaped objects appreciable effect on the scourge of looting. etc.) There should be also an Etruscan website own unique creations?). like some cippi, house foundations, city walls, Indeed, it has proved counter-productive. It for scientific communication like RomArch, Yours in passion for all things Etruscan, buried at depths up to 6 meters under (dry) simply diverts us from considering market- GreekArch, Ostia, etc. so that Etruscologists Pam MacFarland ground, can be detected apparently with cer- based solutions that might actually reduce, if can exchange ideas easily. Providence, RI tainty from the air (aeroplanes or helicopters) not eliminate, looting. It also sends the market Bouke van der Meer using microwave radar technology. The feasi- underground so that looted objects go into pri- University of Leiden Writing Etruscan both RTL and LTR is bility of the technique was demonstrated vate hands where we will never see them. Leiden, Netherlands indeed possible, at least in MAC OS X, if recently in Israel. We all hate looters and wish they would be Mellel is used: it allows custom RTL and/or I hope that Richard Daniel De Puma jailed. (The then-head of the Carabinieri once Etruscan News has been a joy to receive LTR. I think this may be good news for the will write an article concerning Etruscan for- told me that getting caught looting in Italy is because it presents such a thoughtful and use- Old Italic studies at large. My key layout and geries, and make mention of the (fraudulent?) like getting a parking ticket.) So let’s concen- ful combination of different kinds of informa- documentation may be downloaded free from Etruscan Golden Book conserved in the trate on doing things that might be productive tion. I can’t think of another publication that my web pages below as well as versiontrack Bulgarian National History Museum: – like advances in electronic fences, greater so imaginatively mixes articles with scholarly er.com/macosx/ and redlers.com. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/293 efforts locally to catch looters by involving content, serious reviews, information on the Sorin Paliga 9362.stm). locals, tougher looting laws with stiffer penal- state of museums and archaeological sites, University of Bucharest Jeff Hill ties and strict enforcement, regulated excava- and every other kind of material likely to be of Slavic Department University of New South Wales tions financed by sharing finds, etc. It is not a interest to anyone curious about Etruscan civ- Web: (Romanian) http://www.unibuc.ro/ro/ Sydney, Australia question of what’s good and what’s bad, but ilization. My main interest in the history of cd_sorpaliga_ro [email protected] what are the realistic alternatives. The moral Italy concerns Imperial Rome, but I want to (English) http://www.unibuc.ro/en/ posturing reflected in Dr. Sokal’s position is keep up with developments in the study of cd_sorpaliga_en> In “The Plundering of Etruscan Sites: Some fine if it would work. It won’t. That’s already earlier periods and expand my knowledge of Progress Toward a Solution,” (Spring 2003. been proven. That is why I want to try other them and of the people and institutions pro- page 9), Marina Papa Sokal writes that “It is means. ducing and communicating that knowledge. imperative to consider additional measures to Hershel Shanks Etruscan News is an essential tool for me in reduce the total global demand for purchase of Editor, Archaeology Odyssey trying to do that. Thank you for continuing to make this essential publication available. Thomas R. Martin Letter to our Readers Chair, Dept. of Classics A Tablet Winter 2004 Holy Cross Dear Readers, Worcester, MA 01610 As promised in our last issue, we offer our readers Etruscan news from across the Atlantic. We are grateful to our correspondents abroad who send us these reports: Luciana Aigner- I was very interested to see Etruscan News Foresti, president of the Vienna section, Bouke van der Meer, Stephan Steingräber, Maurizio when I went to the Etruscan Study Day at the Sannibale. In the last issue, Dominique Briquel, president of the Paris section, sent us news British Museum earlier this year.