Pottery Painting Has Becn a Hobby and an Industry of the Greek People Sinee Remotest Antiquity
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NT f A GU/*P¿E OF WORK* OF ART EXHIBITED IN THE GREEK PAVILION AT THE NEW YORK WORLD'* FAIR THE PRIME MINISTER J. METAXAS ANCIENT WORKS OF ART In the archaeological Museum of Athens are housed 1~HE New York World'* Fair is one of the yreatest manifestations fragments of a group of four huge statues representing of human goodwill. Artemis, Demeter, Kore and the Titan Anytos, all of which Evcry country is participating in il with the best producís of ih inventive were erected in the Temple of Despoina at Lycosura in spirti and tahour. the Péloponnèse. The concentration in this greatest city of the world of such a large number They are the work of Damophon, the famous Messenian of works accomplished tlianks lo human expérience and persisterne constitutes Sculptor, who flourished in the second Century B. C. the soundest évidence of man* faith in peaceful coopération, as well as of hi* The pictures on this page show a détermination lo preserve and develop the fruits of civiliza!ion which so mann fragment of the garment of Kore- générations bequeathed to him. Despoina, most remarkable for its The greal international exhibitions of modern times promole peace and unique représentations in low relief stimatale noble compétition among nations iti their common efforts for raising of various démons in the form of the standard of Ufe. A parallel lo thèse is afforded by the athletic contests grotesque animais holding religious of ancien! Greece. Then, as to-day, spirited rivalry was incited in the athletic orgies. field, white, in addition, a trace iras declared during the game» throughout They exhibit great animation, the Greek World. which is enough to make this piece Speakiiiij <m behalf of the whole Greek people, l wish to extend a conimi of sculpture most interesting. greeting to the noble American mil ion, with whom Greece is linked by a long The way thèse fantastic animais lesici friendship, and whose progress and contribution to the civiliza/ion of are portrayed prompts one to as our times every Greek follows with affection and admiration. sociate the scènes depicted with the I also wisli lo lake this opportunity of extending a most bearli/ greeting humorous attitude of animais drawn to the numerous Greeks living in the United States, who,although pairiotic and by présent day artists for the mov- loyal Citizens of their new country, which bas su generously received them, ing pictures, and one cannot resist have not ceased io cherish affezionate sentiments towards their Mother country. the temptation of considering the J. METAXAS PRIME MINISTER OF GREECE ancient Greek Sculptor an uncons- cious forerunner of the admirable Micky Mouse créations. ANCIENT WORKS OF ART ON THIS AND THE FOLLOWING THREE PAGES ARE SHOWN PICTURES OF ANCIENT GREEK SCULPTURES, WHICH GREECE HAS ARRANGEA TO BE DISPLAYED IN HER PAVILION IN HONOUR OF THE NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR. THEY ARE ORIGINAL MASTERPIECES BY GREAT ARTISTS OF ANCIENT GREECE. FROM THÈSE SCULPTURES ONE MAY FOLLOW THE ÉVOLUTION OF ART FROM THE ARCHAIC PERIOD DOWN ON THIS PAGE ARE TWO VIEWS OF THE TO THE SECOND CENTURY B. C. FAMOUS HEAD SO CALLED OF "ARIADNE", WHICH WAS FOUND IN THE SANCTUARY OF AMONG THE SCULPTURES BROUGHT TO LIGHT DURING THE EXTENSIVE ASKLEPIOS IN ATHENS AND IS ONE OF THE OPÉRATIONS IN 1885 OF CLEARING THE ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS OF BEST OF A SÉRIES OF HEADS EXHIBITED IN AIL STRUCTURES AND HABITATIONS ERECTED THERE PRIOR TO THE THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF ATHENS. INDEPENDENCE OF GREECE, A NUMBER OF STATUES THE SCULPTOR OF THIS BEAUTIFUL WORK OF REPRESENTING GRACEFUL MAIDENS WERE UNEARTHED. THE FOURTH CENTURY B. C. IS UNKNOWN, THESE WERE NOT IDENTIFIED AS DEPICTING ANY DEITY ; BUT ARCHAEOLOGISTS ARE OF THE OPINION THEY WERE IN AIL PROBABILITY VOTIVE OFFERINGS TO THAT IT WAS MADE BY A GREAT ARTIST OF THE GODS. THE CIRCLE OF PRAXITELES. KNOWN BY THE NAME OF "KORAI", GREEK FOR MAIDENS, THEY ARE HOUSED IN THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM AND CONSTITUTE A COL LECTION OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FOR STUDYING THE ÉVOLUTION OF GREEK SCULPTURE, AS THEY ARE TYPICAL WORKS OF IONIAN ART OF THE SIXTH CENTURY B. C. THE PICTURES ON THE PAGE TO THE LEFT SHOW TWO VIEWS OF ONE OF THÈSE EXQVIISITE STATUES. THE ELABORATE IONIAN DRESS SHOWN STILL RETAINS TRACES OF COLOUR. THE EYES, SLIGHTLY PROTUBÉRANT, WERE ALSO PAINTED, AS WELL AS THE "HAIR WHICH IS DRESSED IN THE ARCHAIC STYLE. ANCIENT WORKS OF ART THERE IS A HUMAN TOUCH OF AFFECTION IN THE ATTITUDE OF THÈSE FIGURES. A SAD NOTE IS MOREOVER ADDED BY THE INSCRIPTION READING AS FOLLOWS: "ΤΕΚΝΟΝ ΕΜΗΣ ΘΥΓΑΤΡΟΣ ΤΟΔ' ΕΧΩ ΦΙΛΟΝ ΟΜΠΕΡ ΟΤΆΥΓΑΣ ΟΜΜΑΣΙΝ ΗΕΛΙΟΥ ΖΩΝΤΕΣ ΕΔΕΡΚΟΜ ΕΘΑ ΕΙΧΟΝ ΕΜΟΙΣ ΓΟΝΑΣΙΝ ΚΑΙ ΝΥΝ ΦΘΙΜΕΝΟΝ ΦΘΙΜΕΝΗ ΕΧΩ". WHICH MEANS : "HERE I AM HOLDING THE DEAR CHILD OF THESE ARE TWO VIEWS OF A BRONZE HEAD MY DAUGHTER, WHICH, WHEN WE WERE IN OF A WOMAN, FOUND NEAR ANCIENT PERIN- LIFE ENJOYING THE LIGHT OF THE SUN, I USED THOS IN THRACE AND ATTRIBUTED TO THE TO HOLD ON MY KNEES, AND WHICH NOW END OF THE THIRD CENTURY B. C. DEAD I HOLD AGAIN, WHILE I ALSO AM IT IS A REMARKABLY WELL PRESERVED WORK, DEAD". TO WHICH TIME HAS GIVEN A CHARACTERISTIC TINT.THE HAIR IS MOST GRACEFULLY DRESSED. V V THE HEAD SHOWN ON THE PAGE TO THE LEFT BELONGS TO THE GREAT STATUE OF THE TITAN ANYTOS, ONE OF A GROUP OF FOUR STATUES ERECTED IN THE TEMPIE OF DESPOINA AT LY- THE ABOVE PICTURE DEPICTS THE WELL COSURA IN ARCADIA, AS MENTIONED ABOVE. KNOVVN FUNEREAL STELE OF AMPHARETE, A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF THE FOURTH CENTURY B.C. FOUND IN THE CERANIICUS OF ATHENS. THE DEAD AMPHARETE IS PORTRAYED SEATED AS SHE HOLDS A BABY ON HER KNEES, TO WHOM SHE SHOWS A PLAYTHING IN THE FORM OF A BIRD. ANCIENT WORKS OF ART • HERE ARE SOME OF THE FITI EST EXAMPLES OF ANCIENT GREEK ART, FOUND DURING THE BEAUTIFUL VASE BELOW IS EXCAVATIONS AND HOUSED AN AMPHORA OF THE "GEOMETRIE" IN DIFFÉRENT MUSÉUMS IN STYLE. THE TERNI IS APPLIED GREECE. BECAUSE THE DÉCORATIONS CONSIST OF LINEAR OR GEOMETRIE PATTERNS A REPRODUCTION OF THE DISTRIBUTED,IN STRICT CONFORMITY FANIONS FAÏENCE FIGURINE WITH THE SHAPE OF THE VASE, OF THE SNAKE GODDESS, WITH ALMOST MATHEMATIEAL RE- FOUND IN THE PALACE OF GULARITY. THIS WONDERFUL STYLE MINOS AT KNOSSOS AND OF VASE PAINTING FLOURISHED NOW EXHIBITED IN THE MU ABOUT THE NINTH CENTURY B. C. SEUM OF HERACLEION IN CRETE. IT IS A WONDERFUL ARTISTIC WORK OF THE MIDDLE MI- NOAN PERIOD (ABOUT 1750 B.C.), VERV REMARKABLE FOR ITS POSTURE AND THE DRESS. THE CHARGING BULL, A RELIEF WHICH STOOD ON THE WALL OF A COLONNADE, AT THE NORTH ENTRANCE TO THE PALACE OF MINOS, KNOS THERE IS AN ENDLESS VARIETY OF ANCIENT CUPS AND SOS, CRETE. IT BAS BEEN REPRODUCED FROM VASES OF METAL, CLAY OR STONE, EACH O.NE HAVING A A NUMBER OF FRAGMENTS FOUND. SPECIAL NAME ACCORDING TO SHAPE OR USE, SUCH AS THE POWERFUL BULL IS RENDERED WITH FINE AMPHORA, HYDRIA, LEKYTHOS, KYLIX AND THE LIKE.THE ARTISTIC FEELING AUD GREAT TECHNICAL SKILL. ABOVE IS A SPLENDID SPECIMEN OF THE TYPE KNOWN IT IS INCREDIBLE THAT SUCH ART. EXISTED FOUR AS KANTHAROS. 1 P O T T E R Y \Tase making and pottery painting has becn a hobby and an industry of the Greek people sinee remotest antiquity. The skill réquired being in nate in the Greeks, it is only naturai that it would give rise to a revival of this noble art and its industriai exploitation. Glass ware industry has also been developed to a high artistic level, to whieh the élégant forms of glass articles shown are an éloquent évidence. POPULÄR CRAFTS ! AND INDUSTRIES r 1 : \WB*W Repousse style silver articles, made to old patterns, elicit special interest. Craftsmen, who inherit their skill from their forefathers, carry on a trade which flourished in Byzantine times. PEASANT LIFE In places the primitive plough is still to be seen, and harvesting and threshing is carried on in the simplest manner used thousands In this classic land of Greece peasant of \-ears ago. life goes on as of old. There is a con- In summer peasants toil in the spicuous absencc of extensive estates, fields from sunrise to sunset, under each peasant family owning, more or brilliant sunshine in the bluest sky less, just enough land to live upon. ever seen; yet, they go through Due to the mountainous character of their daily work untiringly, thanks the eountrj' and the scarcity of rieh soil, to the balmy breezes from the heavy work is demanded from land mountains or the sea tempering toilers.Nevertheless, the exquisite flavour the heat of summer. of the Grecian produets compe'nsates for the lack of high grade fertility of the soil. K U TA H I A POTTERY The pottery depicted is known as " K u t a h i a", wliich is the name of a town in Asia Minor where it originated. Its outstanding characte- ristics are glazed surfaee and stylized designs, mostly in vivid blue on white background. This kind of work is a new acquisition of Greek industry, introduced by the Grecian workers who emigrated to Greece from Asia Minor after the great war. The new industry was fortunate in finding in its new home that sanie artistic Inspiration which helped to make Greece of PHOTOS N ELLY'S PUBLISHED BY THE UN DER—SECRETARI AT old famous for its vases. ARTlQTir «llPPPUlBinw 0F STATE pOR THE PRESS AND TOURISM ARTISTIC SUPERVISION PRINTED IN GREECE BY THE G.