I have in a previous chapter dealt with certain experiences of my own with regard to “Fiat” glasses. That, however, was only by the way. The subject of frauds and imitations in Old English glass is of quite sufficient importance to warrant a chapter to itself. There is, probably, no department of the “antiques” beloved of the collector in which there is so much room for fraud as in Old English glass, and there is certainly none in which imitation has been carried to a finer point.{167}
One can hardly blame the manufacturer for this. The demand for old glass is much larger than the supply, and the collector, who is desirous of nothing so much as to complete his “set,” is insistent6 in his inquiries7. But the trouble comes when a reproduction, altogether admirable in itself, is passed off for the thing it is not—a genuine specimen8 of the early glass-worker’s art—bearing a value proportioned to its antiquity9 and presumed rarity.
I saw, not long ago, in a silversmith’s in the south of England, a great number of specimens10 set out for sale as genuine old glass, at a price corresponding to their supposed value, but every piece, without exception, belonged to what a connoisseur11 would term the “bad age,”. i.e. anything from the year 1850 onwards. The dealers12 must have known its period and its worth, or rather its worthlessness, and yet they allowed it to be sold as the real thing. Unfortunately, this is no uncommon14 occurrence, and it is a pity that the practice cannot be checked. The ordinary trader is not permitted to sell margarine as butter, or the publican manufactured spirit as pure grape brandy, but the dealer13 in antiques seems to claim a special licence to{168} impose upon the unwary, and may with impunity—or, at least, often does—pass off as rare specimens of ancient craftsman’s work things which to the seeing eye are obvious and clumsy frauds, and virtually worthless.
Nor is the large dealer the only culprit. Small second-hand16 shops teem17 with “faked” antiques, and many of these, and also certain pawnshops, make a great part of their profit out of the unwary and unskilled hunter for bargains in glass, china, engravings, sporting prints, and all the other objects that tempt2 a collector’s eye.
Fig18. 14 illustrates19 a common type of such bargains. These pieces were procured20 at a pawnbroker21’s establishment in South London. They are obviously imitations of Early Georgian salt-cellars, but they were offered to the author as “genuine old Waterford sweetmeat dishes,” and then as “perhaps salt-cellars,” and finally as “old glass ice-cups,” at a price dwindling22 from 31s. 6d., through 25s. to 15s., at which I purchased them as “awful examples” of the fate that awaits the collector who goes bargain-hunting in antiques with an enthusiasm greater than his knowledge.{169}
It is difficult to lay down any hard and fast rule by which to test the genuineness of specimens discovered in this haphazard23 way. Possibly the best is the colour “test.” Does it look right in colour?—not too green and not too steely, for crafty24 imitators often tend to overdo25 these qualities. Does it bear too evident signs of age? One has heard of chips and “hair” scratches artificially produced in order to give it that appearance of advanced age which is so grateful to the eye of the collector and the pocket of the vendor. Your best plan is not to jump at once but to take a piece of good glass with you by which to test the find and compare the two as to colour, sharpness of cutting and design, and so on. With caution you may expect now and again to pick up in this casual way some pieces worthy26 of your attention, and maybe once or twice a specimen worth its place in any collection. For good examples of glass and china have been known to be pawned27 for a fraction of their worth, neither the depositor nor the pawnbroker having the slightest inkling of their value. But the shops above all others to be shunned29 by the picker up of unconsidered trifles are the shops{170} whose windows scream, by the aid of plastered tickets, of the “special bargains” to be obtained within. The collector may well abandon hope who enters here; there is probably not a genuine piece in the place. If there is it occupies a prominent place as a decoy duck, and is generally marked at an absurdly low price, the salesman depending on his knowledge of human nature to foist30 off something else on the unwary or diffident customer. I have had, on occasion, an unholy joy in entering some such place and defeating all the efforts of the salesman to divert my attention, carrying off the only decent piece in the place at a price possibly fifty per cent. lower than its intrinsic value. But such pleasures are not for all nor, indeed, for many. In actual practice the would-be purchaser is generally told that that particular specimen is not for sale, that “a customer had left it to be valued,” “that it had been put in the window by mistake,” or some other cock-and-bull story.
Other places to be shunned are the sham31 Oriental bazaars32 where Eastern jewellery, Japanese ivories, jars, fans, beads33, etc., are sold. Many such establishments cater34 expressly for{171} the unwary and unwise collector. He will find, if his hobby be glass, glass of all kinds and descriptions from Elizabethan downwards35, and will be treated with such charming solicitude36 and deference37 that he may well become blinded to the fact that the whole stock is counterfeit38, and that the whole atmosphere of the place is specially39 designed to conceal40 that awkward but essential fact. The cheat is assisted by the delightful41 courtesy of the saleswoman.
But apart from the scores of recognised ways in which this nefarious42 business of planting frauds on the innocent is carried on, there are many less obvious and consequently more dangerous traps for the unwary. Of these one only hears from the victims themselves. Thus one, attracted by a specimen in a shop window, may become an interested listener to a conversation in which the beauty of the said piece and its phenomenal cheapness are the theme. It probably never occurs to the dupe that the respectable-looking lady and gentleman are in the employ of the shopkeeper, and that their conversation was arranged entirely43 for his benefit.
Then comes the great question of sales, private or otherwise. There is the complete clearance{172} owing to the proprietor’s death. There is a window full of miscellaneous stock, including certain good pieces. There is also the notice, “Nothing sold until the 21st.” By the 21st the few good pieces, having achieved their object, have disappeared. But the crowd they have attracted is there, and is there with the intention of buying—and buys! Again, there is the family compelled by misfortune to realise immediately all its assets, and in so doing to sacrifice everything. Who would not pick up a bargain when to do so is to do a good turn?
All such methods are transparent44 enough if one stops to consider and to analyse. But how seldom one does!
A very fine and lucrative45 trade is carried on in Old Bristol and Nailsea glass, for the reason that in no other kind of glass is it so difficult to distinguish the false from the true. The milky46 white surface lends itself particularly to imitation. I remember some specimens brought to me by a well-known collector. They were a pair of small bottles, pepper and vinegar, and my visitor was mightily47 proud of his “find” and his bargain. But on a careful examination I fear that he realised, with some sense of discomfiture48, that{173} the “deceased ancestor” who had been dangled49 before him was something of a myth, and that the specimens were only modern reproductions and probably foreign at that. To my surprise, on visiting a local museum on the West Coast recently, I found the same two pieces exhibited as specimens of early Bristol glass. The best test for this description of glass is carefully to scrutinise the decoration with a strong magnifying glass. The magnification will reveal alike the perfection of the workmanship of the real old Bristol manufacture and the poverty and roughness of the imitation. Further, Bristol glass is soft to the touch, with a beautiful smooth body. Often, too, on turning the glass upside down you find in the centre a clear spot devoid50 of the opal tint51, probably due to the workman running all his colour off at this point. The “fake” will probably in addition to being rough in texture52 be light in weight and of a milk and watery53 hue54, possibly even with a greyish tinge55.
The difficulty one has in discriminating56 between the true and the false in this connection is accentuated57 by the fact that vast quantities of imitations of old glass have been sent over from Germany and Austria, and although there{174} is every probability that the influx58 will cease for some time to come, yet there is, unfortunately, from the point of view of the amateur collector, already in existence—in England and America—so large a number of specimens of Bristol and Nailsea glass with a strong Teutonic “accent” that there is no likelihood of a dearth59 of it for some years to come. And although much of it bears such obvious traces of its origin that “he who runs may read,” yet much is so perfectly60 cut and so similar in appearance to the genuine ware61 that the amateur is likely to be deceived, and particularly the amateur who, having learned the characteristics of this make of glass, looks for them in his “find.” He will certainly discover them, for is it not the business of the astute62 manufacturer of fakes to see that they are there? His business depends upon his ability to deceive the would-be connoisseur, to whom, in this case, the possession of a little knowledge is an infinitely63 dangerous thing.
The commonest examples of high-class frauds are dishes, salt-cellars, decanters, and preserve jars. All such should be subjected to a most careful examination. If the characteristics you have expected to find are particularly evident,{175} all the more caution is necessary. Even then you will probably find that you will have to pay for your experience. For your comfort in misfortune, I may say that I have never yet met a collector who had not, in the beginning, fallen a victim to the wiles64 of the “fake-house.” And only by the experience so gained—and unfortunately paid for—has he learnt to shun28 the net that is spread, in vain, in the sight of any “old” bird. But the process is often a lengthy65 one.
My advice is that when any find appears to be doubtful or, worse, appears too good to be true, to take it on approval for a day or so, or purchase it on condition that you receive the full amount paid if the article is returned safe and sound within, say, a week. You will not find it difficult to secure such an agreement—only get it in writing. If the dealer will not consent, and you have made up your mind, take a day to think over it, and then take your risk and buy. If you have made a mistake you will probably discover it, and will not repeat it.
A friend of mine boasted some years ago that he had never made a bad mistake in judging glass, because he had “kept his eyes open,” and invariably asked some one who “knew” to{176} accompany him whenever he thought he had discovered a piece worthy of being added to his collection; but, alas66! during a summer holiday spent among the Irish lakes he fell a victim. The lady who was the vendor had evidently kissed the Blarney stone, and as she was moving and the matter was urgent, a price—a tall one—was fixed67 on the spot, and my friend became the possessor of a remarkably68 fine collection which expert examination proved to be entirely of Dutch extraction. And the moral! Well, had he in the beginning relied upon his own judgment69 he would have made mistakes, but he would, at the same time, have acquired first-hand knowledge and have escaped a serious disaster.
One often finds replicas70 of old glass moulded; and as moulded glass was, of course, the earliest kind, the pieces seem to acquire a spurious value. Moulded glass with its heavy, thick appearance and its rounded edges lends itself easily to imitation. But the reproductions are often made in common glass, which gives itself away to the touch. One need hardly be an expert to detect common glass by its feel and texture.
It must not be assumed that the best method{177} of forming a collection is to pick up those pieces which appear to be cheap. Real old glass, like other genuine antiques, is greatly sought after and commands a highly respectable price. This question of price is really a considerable factor to the amateur collector. His aim should be to get a complete collection, however small, and his danger that of duplicating, simply because he sees a specimen cheap. “Oh, I must have that; I gave nearly twice as much for the one I have,” is a sentiment often heard. But the collector must eliminate duplicates unless he aims at completing a set, say a dozen of wine glasses or finger basins. The ultimate fate of duplicates is to be “weeded out” often at a price far below what they cost.
I remember a case in point in which a novice71 found himself, after a brief experience, the owner of so large a collection that his cupboards failed to accommodate it, and he had to have larger ones made. And yet one shelf alone contained four barley72 wine glasses, five ordinary air-twisted stem glasses, three Early English plain wine glasses, four early finger basins, and five rummers of different shapes—all of the most ordinary type.
When by experience he had acquired wisdom{178} these and similar articles were sent to the sale-room. Two lots did not elicit73 a single bid, and the remainder went for far less than had been paid for them. Now, however, he possesses a good representative collection, which will be sure to fetch, when under the hammer, a sum which will produce a handsome return upon his expenditure74.
There is to-day such a craze for what is old, that it is difficult to find anything that is not faked. I often wonder, when dining with friends, if they are aware of the real nature and origin of the glass they use. On the other hand, one finds in some places, particularly old country houses, pieces almost priceless pushed away into corners as if they were of no value at all.
I remember some years ago finding in a village not far from Liverpool, an old dame75, who had passed her life as housekeeper76 to a wealthy merchant, using a fine, genuine old Waterford bowl, about 18 inches in diameter, for stewed77 fruit. The bowl was easily worth from eighteen to twenty guineas, while the plates on the table were the commonest procurable78. Needless to say, that bowl is no longer in her{179} possession, having been replaced by a substitute of far greater appeal to her.
In spite of such occasional finds as this, the amateur who in pursuit of his hobby makes a habit of raiding old country cottages, shops, and inns, must be exceedingly wary15 and look upon exceptional discoveries with an exceedingly sceptical eye. An amusing experience that befell a friend of the author’s—a foreign glass merchant—is perhaps worth recounting in this connection.
Arriving one day at an inn in the south of England, he was surprised to find set out in the place of honour some very inferior specimens of wine glasses—reproductions of an early type which he was easily able to identify as his own manufacture. Entering into conversation with the landlord, he was informed that a distant ancestor of that worthy, soldiering in Ireland, had the fortune to render some signal service to a native of that distressful79 country and was given the glass in token of gratitude80. Apart from the appropriateness of the gift, and a certain improbability that articles of such fragility would survive the vicissitudes81 of a campaign, the landlord proved not only willing but eager to{180} dispose of his valued heirlooms at a price unexpectedly moderate for pieces of such antiquity and rarity. The humour of the situation, however, developed when the prospective82 purchaser produced a pocket-book and read to the astonished landlord the last order his firm had received for “one dozen imitation antique glasses with twisted stems at twenty-one shillings a dozen.” The difference between this and the thirty shillings apiece which the landlord demanded left a very pretty margin83 of profit.
Old glass is, of course, so easily imitated that it is hardly surprising there should be many such pitfalls84 in the path of the unwary, and I can only hope that the foregoing remarks may prove of some assistance in preventing my reader from falling a victim to the many specious85 attempts made for his deception86. But it is well, wherever possible, to examine at leisure any piece that may strike the eye, and in the surroundings which it will occupy. Artificial light, too, is a very treacherous87 medium in which to examine glass of any kind. Any find should be examined by daylight and side by side with other pieces of whose authenticity88 there is no doubt. Then with a little training he should{181} be able to determine with a fair degree of accuracy the genuine specimens from the false, and this in spite of the resources of modern science, which have enabled the “faker” to copy texture and colour with all but exactitude, and of the skill of the workman who reproduces faithfully the form and decorations of the original.
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1
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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eke
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| v.勉强度日，节约使用 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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vendor
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| n.卖主；小贩 | |
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insistent
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| adj.迫切的，坚持的 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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connoisseur
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| n.鉴赏家，行家，内行 | |
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dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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second-hand
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| adj.用过的，旧的，二手的 | |
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teem
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| vi.(with)充满，多产 | |
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fig
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| n.无花果(树) | |
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illustrates
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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pawnbroker
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| n.典当商，当铺老板 | |
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dwindling
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| adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 ) | |
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haphazard
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| adj.无计划的，随意的，杂乱无章的 | |
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crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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overdo
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| vt.把...做得过头，演得过火 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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pawned
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| v.典当，抵押( pawn的过去式和过去分词 )；以（某事物）担保 | |
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shun
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| vt.避开，回避，避免 | |
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shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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foist
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| vt.把…强塞给，骗卖给 | |
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sham
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| n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的) | |
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bazaars
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| （东方国家的）市场( bazaar的名词复数 )； 义卖； 义卖市场； （出售花哨商品等的）小商品市场 | |
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beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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cater
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| vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务 | |
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downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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counterfeit
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| vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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nefarious
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| adj.恶毒的，极坏的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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lucrative
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| adj.赚钱的，可获利的 | |
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milky
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| adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的 | |
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mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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discriminating
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| a.有辨别能力的 | |
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accentuated
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| v.重读( accentuate的过去式和过去分词 )；使突出；使恶化；加重音符号于 | |
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influx
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| n.流入，注入 | |
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dearth
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| n.缺乏，粮食不足，饥谨 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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wiles
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| n.（旨在欺骗或吸引人的）诡计，花招；欺骗，欺诈( wile的名词复数 ) | |
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lengthy
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| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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replicas
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| n.复制品( replica的名词复数 ) | |
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71
novice
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| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
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72
barley
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| n.大麦，大麦粒 | |
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73
elicit
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| v.引出,抽出,引起 | |
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74
expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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75
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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76
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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77
stewed
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| adj.焦虑不安的，烂醉的v.炖( stew的过去式和过去分词 )；煨；思考；担忧 | |
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78
procurable
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| adj.可得到的，得手的 | |
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79
distressful
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| adj.苦难重重的，不幸的，使苦恼的 | |
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80
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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81
vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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82
prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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83
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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84
pitfalls
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| （捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误 | |
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85
specious
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| adj.似是而非的；adv.似是而非地 | |
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86
deception
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| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
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87
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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authenticity
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| n.真实性 | |
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