Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 1.djvu/379

 Industrial Arts. 349 up by German savants with an amount of zeal and pertinacity worthy of a better cause. Early in 1872 rumours were set afloat of a number of terra- cottas, which were said to have been brought from Moab, and in the possession of a Protestant Jew named Shapira, a native of Jerusalem. "The col- lection consisted of small, odd figures, of urns, tablets, vases, literally covered with characters of Phoe- nician - like aspect Taken altogether, these objects were ex- ceedingly ludicrous, imbued, too, with a strong element of impropriety, to use a mild word, which, in the opinion of the Teutonic connois- seurs, was deeply im- pressive." Despite their ex- perience and long sojourn in Palestine, Messrs. Conder and Drake were at first inclined to view the "find" in a favourable light, whilst M. Schlottmann, one among the leading men of Germany, was loud in their praise. On his recommendation the lot was acquired by Prussia for the no small sum of 20,000 thalers. Their genuineness was suspected by M. Ganneau, and during his mission in Palestine he used his oppor- tunities to unmask the author of the fraud. " The material used in the fabrication of these objects was the common clay of the country, unhardened and scarcely baked ; diametrically opposed to the paste of baked pottery purporting to have lain buried for chêoïogiqut