We now enter the department of the curio dealer’s silent helpers, the manifold activities assembled under the broad if not indefinite name of restorer. A brief glimpse into this part of the trade will lead us to another artistic7 division, that of the imitator, and these two last classes of an unquestionable character will serve admirably to herald9 and usher10 into that deeper, darker stratum11 of the commerce in which the faker represents the principal character.
That the restorer should be called the curio dealer’s silent partner is quite correct as a true definition. The day one of these mute confidants should feel inclined to boast, he would find no mercy from the dealer and no gratitude12 from the duped or disappointed collector whose eyes he had opened by revealing the truth.
This was fully14 exemplified by a clever restorer of paintings, employed by an Italian antiquary at forty francs a day—no mean pay—on account of his unusual ability in the imitation and restoration of works by Botticelli more especially, as well as for other pastiches15. Thinking to start a profitable business of his own as an art restorer and that his merits would be valued per se, he disclosed the secret of the made-up Botticellis to a rich collector and let out that he himself to all practical purposes had painted the gem16 of the gallery. He was promptly17 discharged by his employer and166 the collector to whom he had told the truth became his worst enemy.
The activity of the restorer is naturally multifarious, many-sided as is the trade in curios. His methods will be better explained when art faking is described. The procedure in imitating, restoring and faking is more or less identical, though in faking it is more synthetically18 perfect than when limited to restoring various articles of virtu. There are people who consider restoration a blessing19, others the reverse, a regular curse; particularly in the case of works of art of no mean merit.
Without doubt the restoring of works of art has at times greatly contributed to their preservation20, and more than one masterpiece has come down to us, thanks solely21 to some clever restorer who at the right time prevented its complete ruin. This is the good side of the profession, but as for its reverse, the art of restoring has, through the ignorance of workers, greatly damaged well-known works of art by the repainting or obliterating23 of different parts, often helping24 deception25 by embellishing27 bad art into deceitful good art. In this way the art of restoring has proved a bridge to fakery.
Restoration at its best and in the true artistic spirit never consents to falsify any part of the work. Lies, even in art, no matter how well they may be told, remain lies.
Artistically28 and ethically29 speaking the operations of the restorer should be confined to work intended to save a work of art from the ravages30 of time. These operations are many, most varied31 and not at all easy. They demand long practice, a deft32 hand, patience and skill as well. The process of restoration may mean, for instance, the transference of the layer of paint from a rotted panel to a new one or to canvas, the consolidation33 of a ceiling painting or other deteriorating34 forms, revarnishing and, to a certain extent, cleaning.
In sculpture orthodox restorations appear to be of a more limited character, being chiefly confined to collecting broken pieces and surface cleaning. Of course the repairing of limbs167 and missing parts has its importance if done with great artistic discrimination.
According to responsible art critics the restoration of paintings may consist of repainting the missing and obliterated36 parts and that of sculpture in the replacing of lost fragments only when decorative37 parts are concerned, important for the better comprehension of the whole but not expressing any marked characteristic of the artist.
When in the service of the antiquary, the art of restoring has no such scruples38 or limitations. As a matter of fact its limits then rest with such restrictions39 as the dealer’s conscience may impose, and it must be confessed that this is rather a narrow and at the same time very elastic40 boundary. The different views as to restoration are epitomized by the curious distinction made by connoisseurs41 and dealers42, when judging between the two cleverest restorers of Italy. The upshot is: If you have a painting that needs repairing and you wish to restore it to its former state go to Cavenaghi, but if perchance you are interested to sell it go to—the other one.
Disproportion and overdoing43 in restoration turns this very legitimate44 art at times into sheer faking. A bust45 of a Roman emperor, for example, that may have been found headless and which the restorer completes into a Julius Cæsar by copying the head of the great Roman dictator from another statue, represents a form of faking. Yet, were our programme one of disclosing the names of saints and sinners instead of that of pointing out sins, we could designate more than one dealer of good repute who sincerely thinks, we may assume, that his form of daring and attractive restoration cannot be called faking.
Another rather questionable8 form of restoration is that of composing, say furniture or any other ornamental46 goods, from old bits or fragments taken from various rotten objects. There is no doubt that a tasteful artificer can do effective work by composing a table out of two or three broken ones, but nowadays such is the abuse of the method that we are only surprised that the trick is not more easily discovered.168 Some of these gross and hastily put together compositions of uneducated dealers must count upon clients not only ignorant, but utterly47 deprived of good taste. The faking qualities of this method are proved, for as soon as the buyer knows of the admixture he refuses to buy the object. Yet such trickery is generally admitted in the trade.
There is, perhaps, a justification48 for this method of restoring antiques when the character of the article is decorative, as in certain pieces of furniture, marble or stone work, such as chimney-pieces, ornamented49 doors and so forth50. Yet even in such cases honesty would seem to claim that the buyer be warned as to the extent of the restoration.
Nevertheless the temptation to keep the secret must be great, considering how rarely such patchwork51 is discovered even by experts, and how easily it calls forth the praise and enthusiasm of art critics.
Another form of restoration of a most questionable character, as the decorative nature of the object cannot be claimed as an excuse, is that, by which a painting is transformed or embellished52 by repainting large missing portions more or less fantastically, or by supplying the artistic quality that is wanting. Such work is either done by totally repainting the missing parts, or by veiling and repainting here and there, so as to give the work the attractiveness of a masterpiece.
Naturally in the vast field covered by the questionable genius of this deceptive53 art, limits are set by the greater or lesser54 capacity of the restorer, just as the quality of the restoration determines whether he is to be called a professional repairer of paintings or a faker.
It is incredible what an amount of work is executed nowadays intended to give a coquettish character to a daub, or to enhance the value of a fairly good painting. Even many masterpieces sold in recent times have been to our knowledge decorated with fantastic backgrounds of castles and quaint56 landscapes, and mottoes and coats-of-arms have been added to portraits. A barrel of alcohol—spirit, it is known, dissolves169 fresh varnish35 and modern retouching—would accomplish wonders with famous masterpieces of recent acquisition and cause many a disillusionment to the curators of museums.
As regards the juggling57 of poor or deficient58 works of what is generally called a school, into a trompe-l’œil, making one believe it to be a painting by the master of the said school, should Italian export officials be inclined to make public what is intended to remain private, many an astonishing coup59 de théâtre would reveal the true nature of supposed masterpieces bought by unwary collectors as genuine chefs-d’œuvre.
A member of the board of exportation explained to the author, how it happens, that the officials are frequently led into the penetralia of the make-up of a pseudo-masterpiece. Sometimes the work is done so well that it would deceive the very officials and experts of the export bureau. In this case the antiquary, who has sold the painting and is desirous that it should reach its destination without hindrance60 from the export office, pays a visit to the inspector61 and shows him a photograph of the supposed masterpiece, as it appeared before its coquettish restoration. After this graphic62 proof the office has nothing more to say and permission to export is granted. The members of the Commission do not consider themselves to be responsible to collectors. But they do demand documents as guarantees, and two photos, one taken before restoration and one after, are generally exacted and kept in the office. One of the Commission showed us some of these photographs, two in number for each object, before and after the restoration. One could hardly believe the miracles accomplished63 in this line. Botticini easily becomes a Botticelli after a few caresses64 by a clever hand, and we know cases in which a mediocre65 work by Ridolfo Ghirlandaio has been turned into a Raphael. These photographs are exacted by the inspectors66 as a protection from any possible accusation67 from the central department located in Rome. When the Press gives an elaborate account of some170 American having captured a masterpiece, giving facts and details and the reproduction of the chef-d’œuvre, adding that it comes from Italy, when London art magazines go into ecstasies68 over some newly-acquired find, and wonder how the Italian Government came to allow such a magnificent “find” to slip through its fingers and cross the frontier, the Central Office in Rome naturally becomes alarmed and demands an explanation from the local office responsible for the exportation permit. As a convincing answer the two photographs are then sent to Rome, with the consequence that the case is dismissed. The various export offices, whose chief duty it is to impede69 the exodus70 of fine works of art, do not consider themselves under any obligation to prevent sham71 masterpieces from leaving Italy.
The imitator, a type to figure later as a help to the better understanding of the faker, occasionally becomes an involuntary or accidental accomplice in deception. His complete equipment, his excellent work, which but for his rectitude and scruples might turn him into a formidable faker, are frequently exploited by others, who, on coming into possession of some of his good imitations launch them upon the collector world, just as they might any species of faked works of art. Many of the noted72 bastard73 masterpieces in museums are the work of imitators that have been palmed off by tricky74 dealers without the consent or knowledge of the artist, and it has often been the latter who has helped in the discovery of the fraud.
There are also cases when simple plagiarism75 or chance similarity has been turned to advantage by shrewd people. The fact that Trouillebert’s painting greatly resembled Corot, was sufficient to give corrupt76 dealers the chance to pass off Trouillebert’s landscapes as works by the famous French master. This was done, of course, in spite of Trouillebert’s protests, who never thought of imitating Corot.
It is curious when some work of a clever imitator or genial77 faker falls in the course of time into the hands of the restorer to be repaired—there are circumstances in which modern171 paintings may need repair. Something still more extraordinary happened to a clever restorer and imitator living in Siena who received from England one of his own paintings—one of his first imitations of Lorenzetti—obviously damaged and entrusted78 to him for restoration.
There are other characters which will form the subject of a more particular study. These individuals belong to the shady side of the commerce and have no redeeming80 points whatever. They comprise fakers, forgers, smugglers, deceivers at large, and the whole clan81 included in the vague and broad term “the black band,” as some collectors call them.
The faker is the Deus ex machina in the most varied kinds of deception. Fakers are not only those who furnish spurious works of art and well-imitated articles of virtu, but also those who help in any form or manner to dispose of sham objects. Thus the parts played by masquerading aristocrats82, lending their names and swearing to heirlooms, the debased patricians83 helping to build the reputation of an artistic product, are forms of faking, as well as others which aim at cheating or deflecting84 public opinion or a genuine appreciation—forms of faking that will be more clearly outlined when degenerate85 varieties of art sales are described.
One of the most clandestine86 helpers of art and curio-dealing87 and one who is in close contact with the dark side of the commerce is the smuggler, a genuine specialist not resembling other smugglers but with characteristics of his own worth notice.
Needless to say smuggling88 has no raison d’être in such countries as have no custom laws to regulate the export of artistic goods nor put duty upon their entrance within the precinct of the State. It is also obvious that the dual79 form of such legislation, laws to prevent exportation, and importation dues, has produced two corresponding kinds of smuggling, the one aiming to baffle prohibitive laws on exportation, and the other trying to undervalue artistic goods generally taxed ad valorem.
172 Italy being the classical country of art treasures which have been exploited for centuries, and the first to issue laws and penalties on the subject, it is naturally ahead in the cryptic89 art of smuggling. The high tariff90 of the United States, but recently abolished, and the incredible prices paid by the citizens for antiques and works of art in general, make it the country best adapted to illustrate91 the branch of smuggling which aims at avoiding Custom House dues.
When reading old and modern laws promulgated92 against illicit93 exportation of works of art, one cannot help wondering how such daring still exists, and how there should still be people willing to brave the severity of these laws. The Medicis, it is known, prescribed punishments in the second half of the sixteenth century; the Papal laws that followed were if anything even more Draconian94, to say nothing of the iron laws of the former kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the severest of them all. Modern governments may not impose prison and galley95 so freely upon the culprit, but they are no less hard on the transgressor96. Money fines are certainly exceedingly heavy, they amount at times to large fortunes.
The present laws on the export of art from Italy have a preventive character which the old regulations had not. Every owner of a work of art is himself eventually responsible, and is bound to bring it before the inspectors of the Export Office, who after close examination give or withhold97 permission to pass the frontier. When permission is granted there is a tax to be paid averaging between 5 per cent and 20 per cent ad valorem, according to the inspector’s estimate, and should the object leave the country after permission has been refused, the owner is held responsible and may be called before the tribunal to answer for his action and to pay damages.
An Italian adage98 runs: Fatta la legge trovato l’inganno, which in a free translation may be rendered: Make a law and the means of evasion99 are found.
This is somewhat the fate of the protective laws regarding art in Italy, the more stringent100 and circumspect101 they are173 the law-breaker apparently102 becomes correspondingly bolder and more astute103.
The way in which Italian authorities have been hoodwinked at times, points to the magnitude attained104 by the shrewd activity of the law-breakers, and to how their art has almost been turned into a science, even calling in the aid of psychology—in this case a deep study of the faulty idiosyncrasies of the officials.
A few skirmishes between the two parties concerned will serve to demonstrate the variety of the modus operandi adopted by the law-breakers and their final success over an easily conquered opponent.
In the case of a painting of unusual artistic value, a work that has not been put upon the prohibited list of the official catalogue, and the reproduction of which is unknown to the authorities, but which might, nevertheless, by its good qualities catch even the generally inexperienced eye of the inspectors—mostly art critics of the literary species—the work is transformed into a daub without damage to the painting or change to any essential part. The process is exactly the reverse of that helping a poor painting by clever restoration and additions. Here it is a question of reducing a good work to an apparently bad one, obtainable chiefly by veiling the good qualities of the work, altering good drawing by cleverly introducing offensive disproportion of limbs, etc. There is a difference, however, between the work intended to embellish26 a painting and that aiming to do the reverse. The former, with the idea of facilitating the sale, is permanent, the latter is only temporary, just to get permission to export. This latter work must be executed in such a way that it can be washed out without damage to the work after the painting has safely crossed the frontier. For this operation a coat of glue is generally given as a preparation, then the modifications105 are painted in with tempera on the layer of glue, which is easily dissolved in water, together with the retouching when the work is to be restored to its original state.
174 Similar treatment is also given to statues, busts106 and bas-reliefs, more especially when of material that allows the addition of parts that can be removed afterwards without damage to the original. How well the work is done and how successful it proves is hardly credible55. Security lies in the fact that should a question be raised afterwards when the work has been sold to some noted collector outside the country, nothing can be said or done, as permission has been granted and there is no pictorial107 proof that the work had been done for the occasion.
Naturally this method is not of daily or common occurrence, nor, as we have stated, can it be applied108 to well-known works the photographs of which could be obtained to contradict evidence.
Sometimes more is undertaken than retouching or apparently maiming the artistic qualities of a work. One antiquary who intended to send off a painting that might be detained at the Export Office, pasted paper over the picture, and then after the usual coat of glue painted in tempera a very mediocre landscape. With this he obtained the export permit and packed his work as prescribed by law before the eyes of the authorities, after which the case was sealed by them and safely sent on its way to the frontier.
Leaving the endless tricks which might be grouped more or less with the above we will take up other curious ways of eliciting109 permission, methods showing the deceiver to be as good an observer of human nature as he is a true psychologist.
A noted bric-à-brac dealer entered the Export Office bringing a Della Robbia with him. According to custom when official inspection110 is sought, the bas-relief was packed ready for the permit and seal of the office. Taking off the lid of the case, the dealer handed the documents to the inspector to be signed.
“You must take us for fools,” said the latter, struck by the beauty of the work. “Do you really think we allow such works to leave the country?”
175 “Well, don’t say anything and I’ll explain things—look here.”
The bas-relief was taken from the case and with a pocketknife the dealer scraped a piece of plaster from the apparently aged22 back, showing not only freshly baked clay but the mark of a well-known modern factory of ceramics111.
“Modern! I confess I should never have thought it.”
“Keep our secret,” pleaded the bric-à-brac dealer. “You see they go to America.”
Satisfied that his professional honour was safe with the dealer, who would naturally not expose the blunder, and not considering it within the sphere of his activity to see that Americans were not fooled as he himself had been, the inspector granted permission, provided the documents should be honestly endorsed112 by the declaration “modern.”
Later on the dealer presented himself with a similar work. The case was hardly opened when the same inspector exclaimed, “Oh these Americans! Another cuckoo.”
“Well, as you stop the genuine we have to content ourselves with sending off imitations,” observed the dealer with intentional113 flattery.
“They seem to prosper,” laughed the inspector, signing the papers and sealing the case for expedition.
Needless to explain, this time it was a genuine Della Robbia, sent off with all the requisite114 legal papers, and labelled by the man of law as a modern work.
Some years ago an antiquary of Rome, the owner of a statue of fine Greek workmanship, knew that if the work should be presented to the Export Office, permission would be refused. The statue had been excavated115 in three separate parts and subsequently recomposed, and it was thought wise to take it apart again and send it off in that state. The head, the finest piece, was taken across the frontier as luggage by a tourist, the torso was sent out of Rome to get the permission from the office of another city, and the legs were the only part to leave the capital with free and unsuspecting permission from the Central Office.
176 A marble statue, now in the Museum of Art in Berlin, a work of heroic proportions, passed the frontier in two parts, each piece packed in separate trunks such as are used by ladies. The statue had been sawn in two along the line of the drapery in such a way that when the two parts were united the join could hardly attract attention. That the great weight should not arouse suspicion the two marble blocks were hollowed out and thus considerably116 lightened. The two parts of the statue were first conveyed to Paris, that haven117 of smuggled118 goods, where they were reunited and the reconstructed statue was finally sent to its destination. Though cleverly put together the joint119 is noticeable to an experienced eye upon close inspection. One wonders whether the authorities of the Museum ever discovered that their fine specimen120 of Roman Renaissance121, which had been bought in a single piece in Italy, with the assurance that it was the dealer’s affair to get it to Berlin, had been delivered in two patched pieces almost as hollow as a plaster-cast.
Another curious form of smuggling, which must be classed among the suggestive methods, consists of perturbing122 and influencing the opinion of the Export Office employé or, if necessary, that of his immediate123 superior, very often the curator of a museum or the highest authority on artistic matters in the province.
This sort of innuendo124 is accomplished in several ways. Sometimes a confrère will drop into the office as if by accident when the case is there ready for examination, and on seeing the object will exclaim, “That awful thing, sold at last!”
He will naturally be asked to explain what he knows about it. He may say that it was offered to him, but that he had refused it because repainted and restored by so-and-so. He is likely to conclude by saying, “Ask the man who restored ——” of course, another confederate.
Though it may appear naïve and clumsy to the outsider, this latter method has been known to work extremely well. It is only to be expected, too, when the depth and calibre of Italian official wisdom on art matters is taken into consideration,177 the post of inspector being filled chiefly by scribblers or art critics, seeking Government employment; or perhaps they may be students fresh from a recently instituted university course on art, their main equipment being historical studies. There is no question but that they are excellently informed, so far as art erudition is concerned, but they lack experience, and the trouble is that the chief requisite in an office such as the Export Office is a long experienced and sure eye, with a thorough knowledge of the trade in curios, and its peculiar125 resources in deceit. One word of doubt let fall at the right moment works wonders when dealing with people whose lack of practical knowledge is so appalling126.
We recall the case of an inspector who felt uncertain as to the artistic value of a painting and finally resorted to the experience of his immediate superior, the curator of a museum and a well-known art writer. On examining the work the latter pronounced it to be a good specimen of the Ferrara school, and declared that permission could not be granted. The owner and would-be exporter, an antiquary in great favour, called on the curator, who had had the painting transferred to his own private room with a view to making a careful examination. He directed the curator’s attention to the repainted and repaired condition of the work. Persuaded finally that the painting was nothing but a shocking piece of modern restoration the curator granted permission. A friend who was present and noticed the dealer’s satisfied smile, asked him afterwards whether the work was really so bad as he had represented to the curator.
“Not a single retouch,” was the answer, “most genuine.”
“But you convinced him. You pointed13 out the restored parts.”
“Yes, suggestion is one of our most formidable weapons,” assented127 the antiquary, doubling his crafty128 smile. “Yes. Suggestion is one of our best accomplices129.”
Although recognizing that many of the employés of the Export Office are quite unfitted for their difficult task, through their particular form of education, we are ready to admit178 that to decide almost at sight, what may safely leave the country and what must be retained, is no easy affair. Imitations at times are so perfect that even the most experienced eye, without mature and well-pondered examination of the object, is apt to be duped.
Some years ago one of the sons of Professor Costantini, a well-informed antiquary of Florence, made a copy of an Antonello de Messina that was in his father’s collection. The copy was undertaken to oblige an English friend, and being painted on an old worm-eaten panel of wood, so cleverly imitated the original as to be mistaken for it. When the work was to be exported the official refused his permission on the ground that it was by a great master and must consequently remain in Italy. However, as the young artist insisted in his declaration that it was a copy made by himself, appeal was made to the curator of the Uffizi Gallery of Florence, Professor Ridolfi. The latter confirmed the inspector’s verdict, reiterating130 the prohibiting injunction, and a sort of consultation131 was held, with the aid of Professor Supino, curator of the National Museum, Professor Elia Volpi, a highly esteemed132 antiquary of Florence, and a German artist, acting133 restorer of paintings at the Uffizi Gallery. They unanimously declared the work to be old. Some attributed it to Antonello himself, others to his school, there was no suspicion of modernism. The whole affair was afterwards settled as it should have been from the first. Professor Costantini invited Professor Ridolfi and the others to see the original painting at his house.
When the high tariff on imported works of art and curios was still in force in the United States, smugglers relied chiefly on undervaluation, as orthodox smuggling, namely introduction into the country without any payment of duty, was hardly possible under the vigilance of Argus-eyed Custom House officials. Thus the grand art of smuggling works of art and antiques of repute, always pliable134 to circumstances, relied mainly upon the ignorance of the so-called appraisers. At first a legal estimate enclosed with179 the documents accompanying the goods from their place of departure was sufficient and very rarely discussed. Gradually the United States Custom House agents grew suspicious, and to support the low valuation it became necessary to adjust the objects, in very much the same way as was done to obtain export permission, from the Italian office.
One of the tricks practised in the case of furniture is to take off all ornamental and carved parts by disjointing or sawing and then polishing or in some way adjusting the place left bare. The ornaments136 are sent separately to be replaced when the piece of furniture is safely beyond the reach of the Custom House laws.
Custom House officials all the world over are generally reckoned by trained smugglers to be very poor judges of art. They consider them capable of making a great fuss over the wrong article and letting the dutiable ones slip through their fingers. Something of this kind happened at the Custom House of Bercy, Paris, where, with no intention of smuggling or deceiving the officials, Dazzi, an Italian dealer, came to pay duty in a sort of topsy-turvy way. Together with other things, Dazzi was importing into France a box of modern bronzes, imitating objects of Pompeiian excavation137 and coated with an indecent patina138, green as a lizard’s skin, and a piece of seventeenth-century silk damask, which according to French law should have been duty free as only antique goods of the eighteenth century and onwards pay. After a long confabulation the appraiser135 of the Custom House decided139 that being, as he thought, of modern fabric140, the damask must pay duty and that the bronzes, supposed by him to be two thousand years old, might enter free of duty. Dazzi saw that this queer exchange was to his advantage and submitted to the strange verdict without further observation.
In Italy, the law on exportation, intended to prevent the exodus of fine works of art, is often turned to advantage by sharp dealers who manage to have their mediocre goods detained at the Export Office, and when exportation has been180 finally permitted make use of the momentary141 detention142 to enhance the merits of the object exported.
This trick has been practised to such an extent that, particularly in America, it is not unusual to hear an amateur extol143 some bit of rubbish with the remark, “It was stopped by the Italian inspectors, but my man managed to get it through by greasing the paw——”
An imitation of the work of Bellano, a bas-relief in clay, was in custody144 at the Export Office and afterwards allowed to pass, being recognized as modern. This was quite enough to advertise the work as excellent, so excellent that it was held up at the Italian Export Office. The bas-relief is now shown in the collection of a New York amateur, and the romantic tale of the refused permit adds flavour and draws particular attention to the masterpiece, and yet——!
This is more or less the dark side of the traffic in curios and the various questionable forces that many collectors call “the black band.” As will be shown later, the “black band” is a Parisian expression, denoting a more restricted field of activity.
How is the beginner to cope with such odds145? To become acquainted with the peculiar milieu146 to be avoided in the commerce of antiques requires time, to learn to detect restorations and repairs, we mean undue147 repairs, is an art in itself that demands considerable experience.
To sum up, while striving daily to become more efficient, relying as little as possible on the help of others, or knowing how to choose the right sort of aid, it is most important to be circumspect, to assume in principle that the beginner is likely to be duped at the start, and to believe that there is more wisdom than people are ready to think in the advice of Paul Eudel, Soyez athées en objets d’art (Be sceptical in art objects!).
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dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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guild
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| n.行会，同业公会，协会 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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patrician
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| adj.贵族的，显贵的；n.贵族；有教养的人；罗马帝国的地方官 | |
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smuggler
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| n.走私者 | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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questionable
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| adj.可疑的，有问题的 | |
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herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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usher
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| n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员 | |
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stratum
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| n.地层，社会阶层 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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pastiches
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| n.模仿作品( pastiche的名词复数 )；拼凑的艺术作品；集锦；模仿的艺术风格 | |
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gem
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| n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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synthetically
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| adv. 综合地，合成地 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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obliterating
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| v.除去( obliterate的现在分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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25
deception
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| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
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embellish
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| v.装饰，布置；给…添加细节，润饰 | |
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embellishing
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| v.美化( embellish的现在分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色 | |
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artistically
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| adv.艺术性地 | |
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29
ethically
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| adv.在伦理上，道德上 | |
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30
ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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deft
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| adj.灵巧的，熟练的（a deft hand 能手） | |
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33
consolidation
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| n.合并,巩固 | |
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34
deteriorating
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| 恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 ) | |
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35
varnish
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| n.清漆；v.上清漆；粉饰 | |
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36
obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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37
decorative
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| adj.装饰的，可作装饰的 | |
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38
scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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39
restrictions
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| 约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则） | |
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40
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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41
connoisseurs
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| n.鉴赏家，鉴定家，行家( connoisseur的名词复数 ) | |
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42
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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43
overdoing
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| v.做得过分( overdo的现在分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度 | |
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44
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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45
bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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46
ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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47
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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48
justification
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| n.正当的理由；辩解的理由 | |
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49
ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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51
patchwork
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| n.混杂物；拼缝物 | |
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52
embellished
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| v.美化( embellish的过去式和过去分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色 | |
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53
deceptive
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| adj.骗人的，造成假象的，靠不住的 | |
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54
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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55
credible
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| adj.可信任的，可靠的 | |
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56
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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57
juggling
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| n. 欺骗, 杂耍(=jugglery) adj. 欺骗的, 欺诈的 动词juggle的现在分词 | |
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58
deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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59
coup
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| n.政变；突然而成功的行动 | |
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60
hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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61
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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62
graphic
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| adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的 | |
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63
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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64
caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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65
mediocre
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| adj.平常的，普通的 | |
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66
inspectors
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| n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官 | |
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67
accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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68
ecstasies
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| 狂喜( ecstasy的名词复数 )； 出神； 入迷； 迷幻药 | |
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69
impede
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止 | |
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70
exodus
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| v.大批离去，成群外出 | |
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71
sham
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| n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的) | |
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72
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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73
bastard
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| n.坏蛋，混蛋；私生子 | |
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74
tricky
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| adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的 | |
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75
plagiarism
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| n.剽窃，抄袭 | |
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76
corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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78
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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79
dual
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| adj.双的；二重的，二元的 | |
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80
redeeming
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| 补偿的，弥补的 | |
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81
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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82
aristocrats
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| n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 ) | |
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83
patricians
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| n.（古罗马的）统治阶层成员( patrician的名词复数 )；贵族，显贵 | |
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84
deflecting
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| （使）偏斜， （使）偏离， （使）转向( deflect的现在分词 ) | |
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85
degenerate
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| v.退步，堕落；adj.退步的，堕落的；n.堕落者 | |
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86
clandestine
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| adj.秘密的，暗中从事的 | |
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87
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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88
smuggling
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| n.走私 | |
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89
cryptic
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| adj.秘密的，神秘的，含义模糊的 | |
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90
tariff
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| n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表 | |
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91
illustrate
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| v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图 | |
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92
promulgated
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| v.宣扬（某事物）( promulgate的过去式和过去分词 )；传播；公布；颁布（法令、新法律等） | |
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93
illicit
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| adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的 | |
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94
draconian
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| adj.严苛的；苛刻的；严酷的；龙一样的 | |
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95
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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96
transgressor
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| n.违背者 | |
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97
withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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98
adage
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| n.格言，古训 | |
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99
evasion
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| n.逃避，偷漏(税) | |
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100
stringent
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| adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的 | |
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101
circumspect
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| adj.慎重的，谨慎的 | |
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102
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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103
astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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104
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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105
modifications
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| n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变 | |
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106
busts
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| 半身雕塑像( bust的名词复数 )； 妇女的胸部； 胸围； 突击搜捕 | |
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107
pictorial
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| adj.绘画的；图片的；n．画报 | |
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108
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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109
eliciting
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| n. 诱发, 引出 动词elicit的现在分词形式 | |
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110
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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111
ceramics
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| n.制陶业；陶器 | |
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112
endorsed
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| vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品 | |
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113
intentional
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| adj.故意的，有意（识）的 | |
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114
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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115
excavated
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| v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘 | |
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116
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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117
haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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118
smuggled
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| 水货 | |
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119
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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120
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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121
renaissance
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| n.复活，复兴，文艺复兴 | |
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122
perturbing
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| v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的现在分词 ) | |
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123
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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124
innuendo
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| n.暗指，讽刺 | |
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125
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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126
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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127
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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128
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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129
accomplices
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| 从犯，帮凶，同谋( accomplice的名词复数 ) | |
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130
reiterating
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的现在分词 ) | |
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131
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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132
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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133
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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134
pliable
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| adj.易受影响的；易弯的；柔顺的，易驾驭的 | |
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135
appraiser
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| n.评价者，鉴定者，估价官 | |
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136
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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137
excavation
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| n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地 | |
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138
patina
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| n.铜器上的绿锈，年久而产生的光泽 | |
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139
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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140
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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141
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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142
detention
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| n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下 | |
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143
extol
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| v.赞美，颂扬 | |
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144
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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145
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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146
milieu
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| n.环境；出身背景；(个人所处的)社会环境 | |
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147
undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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