'THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1954.'
HOAXING THE ART EXPERTS
By J. W. Taylor
THE
now notorious Pilt-
down skull hoax focuseS
on the major problem and
ever-present
torment
curators of museums
of
All
over the world-the fake
and the forger.
the
For many years now faking of rare and priceless af objects of art, whether pleces pottery, carvings, paintings,
and even old bones, has been more rife than is generally supposed and has provided 4 lucrative Income for the unscrupulous. Indeed, the copying of antique furniture and old master paint- ings has been reduced to a fine in the art by those engaged most profitable of rackets, many on expert has been taken in by the clever frauds,
and
The famous painter Augustus John once declared that Corol thai painted 590, pictures and
there were ave thousand of them in the United States!
Even in the more recent days of detection of fakes by the modern scientific process
of
using infra-red rays, which make it easy to differentiale between the pigments employed by 17th century painters and those used Van today, Dutch artist Hans Meegeren deceived the eminent faked Dutch galleries with his Vermeer and Pleter de Hooches, and raked in a cool £800,000 before he was exposed as
of the cleverest frauds ever.
Vivid Colours
one
The exquisitely vivid colours
of the Vermeers were thought
to be unequalled, but Mecgeren matches them with his own amazing materials and went one better by manufacturing canvas the squares that really looked
thing. A brilliant artist genuine himself and an expert on the works of Dutch painters, Meegoren superbly
Suss
London Express Service
A Soviet commission of experts on bloodstock is visiting Newmarket with a view to purchasing thoroughbreds for breeding.
TERROR
THE JAPS BRING BACK THE
the
to show war doesn't pay when you lose
the
faked the
Vermocr The Disciples at Emunaus" and "The Anointment of the Feet," acclaimed as two of the long-lost masterpieces of all the the most meticulous of Dutch painters.
When his prosecutors express ex doubts £39 to Meegeren's capabilities of producing such masterly copies, the offered
in
do so in his cell under expert and promptly supervision
whisked off further copies which appeared to be like, the originals. He died in prison shortly after- words.
celebrated
for
to
the
A grandson of the 18th cen
painter Millet, tury French
ta
pair of pletures, "The Angehus" "The Gleaners," wanted to make Rome quick money and employed Maison Lantte
tupy Millet works. In four years the market was flooded with 3,000 of these and other fakes. At the trial he young's subsequent ironically described how he had taken teven of his paintings to London-six of them fakes, No one would buy the genuine -Millet," but he quickly disposed of the six forgeries!
• Much Success
The gran.isen, empirying other Impecunious painters, also pro- duced fakes of works by Degas, and Cinud Lautrec, Cezanne
much Monet with
financial tho SUCCESS until caught by
Jenn famous Paria Belin:
detective,
It dmcult for even
If you could visit Tokyo's cinemas today, this is the sort of thing you would see as the Japanese live again through the horror monsents if the war. These scenes are from a new war tim. "Tower of Lilies." "It tells of the schoolgirl nurses who died on Okinawa:
I FOUND IT FRANKLY
P
EARL HARBOUR.....
I have dived in a Japanese torpedo
bomber upon the un-
HORRIFYING...
after protests in the Presa,"
suspecting battle fleet. 1 Tokyo cinema audiences weep as they watch "We decided to eliminate it have watched the Japanese the war films now flooding Japan, but pride battleship Yamato, the big- gest ever built, capsize in thes off Okinawa.
For
Tokyo from Korea.
csc
in war lingers still
Says RUSSELL SPURR
assistant. But
he
My chief interest in the film was the surrender of Singa pore. The strong man Yama- Mu is trying to bluft the British into surrender,
He is outnumbered ten to one by the defending forces (so the
was cover and with only enough fuel film says) and wants them to
In tears. "Beautiful," he sobbed, for a one-way trip.. "So beautiḥil That was indeed the spirit of the times.”
I have seen Japanese school- girls mown down by American warplanes and screaming Japanese refugees crushed under an American tank.
And where did I see these
The Yamato became the target Un cinema screens.
of 400 entrier planes before even The really clever fakers make things?
the most Japanese cinema seteens,
The audience wept too. The sighting Okinawa and capsized expect, authorities to delect the on a trip
kimonos, the shabby little men port side. frauds without the latest scien- I found no escape from war the housewives in their drab aflame with 32 torpedoes in her tille aids. Not long before and memories of war.
um- with their briefcases and
I almost cheered with relief, tho schoolchildren World War I, Dr Bode, the Ber- |
seaweed. For two hours her crew had whose Authority on Dat
Today Japan is flooded with brellas,
been dying with ghastly realism. flavoured rice cakes, opinion was said to be infallible, grisly new fims of the 1989-46 munching nuts and
made
a mistake. A picture war.
The quartermaster was hit in he declared to be an authentic
"Beautiful sobbed my assis to be
They are all Japanese. They Rembrandt later had cleaned. It was found to be are lengthy but well made. The tant, and the critics agreed, the face with a bomb splinter; stanchion so that he might go smash hit of 1953. painted on a piece of advertise photography is excellent, the "Himeyuri-no-to" has been the the captain tled to a bridge
realism frightening.
And why? The recipe is un- down with his ship; the radio ment panelling.
Savoury but simple. Appeal to operator drowning at his trans- the two most fashionable senti mitler.... ments in present-day Japan pride and soZTOW.
Lin
even
Art authorities where. Britain's collections are houred national
established since special departments to verlly the authenticity of works sub-
have long
.
The nurses
DUT the artistry is gone. There
mitted, and to check the recep-Bone at the magic, say, of tion of gifts purporting to Raghomon," the flashback tale genuine scientifle or relles....
artistic
· Experts' Examine
in the end.
Pride that little Japon has achieved so much. Sorrow that Japan lost (but ah so bravely) · of old Japan that won a top Here is the recipe again in award at that left 13 Festival All that is is the suffering, sentiment, and stench of death.
the
High
students who were conscripted build a warship nearly twice as
So gruesome—so unnecessary.
The message
hoist the "white fing before they find out
Yamashita and General Per- 'tival meet in the Japanese, battle mander pleads (in a strong headquarters. The Britbit com American accent) for time,
- The "Tiger"! slams the table, Then Percival hangs his head. "I offer unconditional surren– der," he whispers.
-♪
The audience did not clap or cheer. They know what was coming. The Japanese general court martial and hanged (quite was to be tried by American forwar unfairly, of course) crimes in the Philippines. They waited happily-to weep.
'Wonderful
"Senkan Yamato about the course, it is all done in the 80,000-ton battleship Yamato,
causo of peace. Japanese MUCH of the Admiral Yama- moto picture, Tahelyo no largest the world has ever seen. movie-makers profess to prove
There was pride in the grabby that war does not pay. But the Wash Eagle of the Pacific') The schoolgirl epic, for in- little suburban cinema where I message comes out like: War is actual wartime film, The British Museum bas such
stance, The tragle story of saw the alm. Pride of the tech doesn't pay when you lose
Through the carnage Yama an investigation department in a
Okinawa
'nation able to School nical skil of a na
Somewhere behind it I sente moto, emerges a stolid and im- dormal-looking dwelling house Vehind the main building, called
as nurses during the American big as the Vanguard, Sorrow at an insidious conditioning of the perturbable figure. A reluctant the "Research Laboratory. It
invasion of that island.
the way she was thrown away Japanese people for future, less but ruthless Oghter.
At last he takes off in in staffed by a number of ex-
in.a despairing suicidal gesture, peaceful, purmulte. perts who dally examine a host The title, "Himeyurl-no-to"
Most dangerous. temd the bomber for Tokyo. He intends revival of hero worship. The to demand air and naval support exaltation of men like Admiral. for his hand-pressed forces. Yamamoto, architect of the Pear') ;
But the Amiicima crack the Harbour. attack, and Gener, Japances. code. Fighter" equa school Tiger
*Yamashita, "conqueror dronis ambush the adhrini's hunched of Singapore,
bomber. For him, and for the
of objects submitted for accept("Tower of Lilies), describes their monument, Some girls dail
ance
credit and
and professional bullet-riddled as they wash out may be said that they bandages. Soine die among the
sent number
in, pitem of military, dead. Some are nieces of antique blinded or driven mad; one girl
B
Sentenced
Perchingto/Porcelain, 'isehot in the back by her boys, besideri me
bracher
as she tries to surrender: forward in the star-The heroes are portrayed as
§ parvings) and ancto the invader.
of the
the com
'and | 7)
ky to
ship to fearless, silent men, opposed yuas all that, was war, but, dedicated to: porviós, Imperial The enemy, itafa hinbody War:
bolde utblom
!sentenced their pr The survivors fall under dentaruétión, machine-gun fire or, kell them left of the willino selver with grenadedyko
It was frankly, horrifying, r
on
the
"pet out against by
movie audience it is THE END.
“Wonderful,” sighed my; să- sixtant. "Buch treak men do not live toda
through the ŵypesde
TAILOR CHEUNG
The Tailor of Distinction for People of Distinctioh
張CO
Oriental - Handicrafted
Workmanship.
Large
Sefection of
Choice Materials to meet your personal taste,
Perfect Cutting .to ensure Fitness, Com- fort and Latest Style.
FOR TOURISTS ORDERS WILL BE EXECUTED IN 24 HOURS.
H. K. S. P. C.
Needs financial support for the sake of poor children
Theatre Land No. 1, Behind Queen's Theatre, Queen's Road, G... Hongkong, Telephone 33494. Cable Address: "MYTAILOR" Codes used ACME & BENTLEY'S
Please address communtoa- tiona-Secretary: Hongkong Society for the Protection of Children. P.D. Boz 2501 Hongkong.
"The Horseshoe" is your, WELCOME SIGN
Stay & Dine at
WINNER HOUSE
A RENDEZVOUS FOR THE FASTIDIOUS;
Nicer Accommodation:"",
...... Rlahér › Foods
Better › Servios
Munic Nightly: Fred Satulo
King's Road
Presenting the
His Win Pal
Tel. 70301.
Tudor Oyster Prince
For the man whose purse is modest,
yet whose aspirations are high, Rolex of Geneva have specially com- missioned the Tudor Oyster Prince. In many respects, the amazing Tudor Oyster Frince matches the most expensive wrist-watches. For Rolex of Geneva have'chdowed this watch with the famous Oyster water- proof case and the infallible "rotor" self-winding mechanism.
Thus, we have a magnificent watch, thoroughly waterproofed, automatically wound, yet priced at a moderate level.
Rolex of Geneva have submitted the Tudor Oyster Prince to the most rigorous tests ever devised for a self- winding wrist-watch. So impressive were the results of these tests, that it has been decided to make them the subject of a world-wide advertising campaign. The first advertisement in this series is reproduced below.
For those of your customers who look longingly at a Rolex Perpetual, but lack the means to buy one; show them the Tudor 'Oyster Prince. In its Geld, this is undoubtedly the finest watch Swiss skill and experience. have ever produced. It is retailed to the public, as illustrated.
TUDOR Oyster Prince
The Tudor Oyster Prince, sponzora i ed by Rolex of Gnana, Water the famous Oyster proofed by case, self-wound by the kalane "rotor" mechanian, the Tudor Oyster Prince is the most out- standing wrist-watch fortasprica ever affered to the public.
*
This advertisement, the first- of the new sariat, features the **Trial of Destruction.” Six Tudor Oyster Princes were worn, one after the other, by a workman who puni a total of 30 hours operating Premasto drill that chiset of the drill bis' into
granite, wach watch wf- fired over 1,000,000·1% mendous shocks, Yết the Tudoy watches emerged. wwhdrmed," and "fused "“tioning perfectly) +
Now Available-
Punished without mercy!
Triomph of new wỹfwending munch.
1953 CILES ANNUAL
Lón
SOUTH CHINA MORNING
$5.
Page 5Page 6