The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-16 00:00:00

A. CURIOSITY.

We have seen a table which, looking at the mate-
rial forming the slab, we should say is quite unique.
The slab is formed of transverse sections of the
grinding or molar teeth of the horse, taken from the
upper jaw ; every tooth supplying only one section.
This is squared, being three quarters of an inch square,
and one-eighth of an inch in thickness; and for these
dental squares, Mr. W. H. Bentley, of this town, the
ingenious constructor of the table, has collected and
used 2,550 teeth, averaging Boz. each, or 4781 b. ; one
horse's head yielding generally five available teeth.
The collection and the preparation of these mate-
rials, by grinding them by means of revolving
stones—a work of great labour and greater perseve-
rance—has occupied the artist more than two years ;
and the result has been an exceedingly curious
and handsome table, just such a rare article as we
should expect to find at Chatsworth, and which
certainly ought to grace the far-famed " Palace of
the Peak." The slab contains 1,750 squares of
mosaic-work, from as many teeth ; 800 more having
been destroyed in the laborious occupation of grind-
ing them into, shape. Every square is singularly
clouded or veined in different colours; the cream-
colour being the result of the phosphate of lime, and
the bluish veins exhibiting the presence of a silicious
matter. Hence the extreme hardness and fine polish
of which these teeth are susceptible. They would
even bear a smart blow from a large-faced hammer,
without showing the least mark. When combined
together, so as to form the slab of the table, these
squares form a mosaic resembling marble, but much
harder and more durable. The central square slab
represents on one side a chess or draught board,
and on the other a plain surface of teeth,
with a neat central ornament, formed of the
squares of teeth and ebony. The white squares
of the chess-board are formed, each of four spares of
teeth, and the black ones of black marble. the slab
is about two feet square, and it is surrounded by a
handsome moveable border of papier nzache, more
than four inches broad; so that the square of the
table is two feet nine inches. The border was manu-
factured in Birmingham by an eminent artists, and
attracted the admiration of Prince Albert, on his
recent visit to that town. It is richly inlaid with
various groups of mythological subjects, in mother-
o'-pearl. Each side contains a group ; Mars in his
war-chariot, drawn by his horses Flight and Terror;
Neptune, in his marine-chariot, formed of a large
shell, drawn by sea-horses, with Amphitrite and at-
tendant Tritons and Nereids ; Phaeton, in his aerial
chariot,his horses in confusion. and the wheels on fire; and
Perseus on Pegasus, rushing to the relief of Andro-
meda,
before whom roars the dragon. Each corner
is filled with a centaur, two in warlike attitudes,
hurling one a fragment of rock and the other a spear,
and the other two in attitudes of peace, one holding a
lyre. The barder, when turned up as a 100 table,
forms an elegant stand for a vase ; and the slab may
be revolved on a swivel-joint, and reversed. The
table is supported on a massive black pillar of hard
wood, entwined with wreaths of gilt ornaments, from
which project four well-carved horses' legs, the feet
of ebony, shod with brass, and moving on castors.
The whole forms an ornamental table as handsome as
it is curious in appearance, and ingenious in design.
We understand it is placed at the Post-office Hotel
for inspection.—Manchester Guardian.

A firc 1)ml-cc oui at Cambri(l,r(,,
on Tuesday night last, which destroyed. furniture, phite,
wearing apparel, &c., to the amount of 7001. The house
itself was not materially injured.