Frauds In Antiquities

The ingenious Russian peasantry seem to have been developing with rather restless rapidity a taste for ancient art, not with the view of enjoying the possession of its treasures, but of passing tliem off upon eager collectors. It seems, from a recent statement by M. Reinach, sas the Illustrated London News, that within the last fifteen years a regular system of facturinpr antiquities has been carried on in certain villages in southern Russia, especially in the governments of Kherson and Taurida. It is admitted that the imitations are often as good as the origináis mfght be - supposing any origináis to exist - lor the modern Russians of those parts seejn to have inherited a highly inventive faculty from their Greek ancestors. The objects are especially confined to gold and silver ornaments, in which the Crimea is generally said to have been at one time peculiarly rich. The museum of Odessa has not escaped imposition, and it is even whispered that the antiquaries and archaeologists of that city have on more than one occasion devoted the time of their meetings to the discussion and admiration of objects of very doubtful origin. The remarkable thing about these forgeries, apart from the skill shown in working In an antique style, is the knowledge of ancient Greek which the forgers display. In one case an lnscriptlon of six hundred letters was introduced into an ornament, and no grammatical or orthographical fault was discovered by those by whom it was examlned. Terra cotta figures more or lesa resembling those of Tanagra are also produced in large numbers in some disti iets of southern Russia, but these are chiefly exported, whlle the gold and silver objects are retainedfor home consumption.