Washington sentinel., 1854-07-20
4utaI ann 9srsonal.

Home eArtist.--Ex- Mayor Maury lately engaged
the services OF J. G. Bruff TO design the testimonial
to Captain Meigs, in the form of a silver tea
kettle, service which was soon performed, and
the beautiful and appropriate pattern immed-
ately approved. The ware was manufactured by
Messrs Cali az Bro, in the most creditable man
ner exhibiting great skill of workmanship, in fact
unequalled, and most truthiully carrying out the
magnificent design, SO very creditable 10 the taste
of our designing artist Bruff. 1t was for time
placed by the Messrs. Gait in the window Of their
'jewelry store, on Pennsylvana avenue, where il
was admired by all who love works ofart. A gen.
tleman amateur in such things, said that he saw
nothing equal 10 III of silver ware, in the Crystal
Palace.
It is nearly two feet in height and weighs about
one hundred and fifty, ounces. The pedestal re-
presents stone arcade-work, ruslicated, the upper
part appearing like what might betermed water
trunk, or altogether typical Of an aqueduct struc-
ture. On the front is medallion bust of Wash.
ington. On the top appears four small piles Of
coral rock, to which are attached by hinge-jonts,
TO disengage, if necessary, the dolphin legs of the
kettle. Beneath tie kettle, and on the base, is
lamp of the Roman antique style--with aqueous
enrichments. The kettle Is modification Of the
meon-pattern, in form; handle, a water-snake,
whose neck and head are made ingeniouslyto TO pass
through lotus leaves and form the spout. The
lid is helix shell, surrounded by an eagle. On
one side Of the body of thelkette, in an oval, is
the castle, arms of the engineer, compassed with
laurel branches; the opposite Sval contains the in
scrption. The rest of the body is elaboratey
enriched in relief and chasedlwork in Louis XIV.
style of scroll, with aqueous plants, water-fowls'
&c. Altogether, il is most appropriate, chaste,
and beautiful conception-anda a3elegantly wrought
in metal as drawn from the artists brain paper
All who appreciate such works pf design and ar
tistic ability, should call and seewhat we can do
at home.
Bruff has, with his usual skill made another
requisition upon his fertile braid and produced
some rough sketches OF monument TO Father
Richie.
The general form is pyramidal, but elongated to
an obesk. The style may be called Greco. Egyp-
tian. It's members are plain and very bold, giving
a strikingly pleasing outline and shadow. The
base should be of dark granite, and the shaft Of
white marble, sculptured in strong relief par
rallelogram the head Of the obelisk is parted
from the shaft by deep indentatidn, and charged
on all sides with a heart surrounded by inverted
palm branches, emblem of a heart d rest. short
distance below and descending TO Scar the centre
OF the shaft, is an inverted laurel eath encrcling
the cypher T. r. crowned by winged hour glass,
emblem Of feeting hours hare ferminate the naer,-
torions laJors of the deceased. Bebw this on one
side is "This monument is erected &c., to THoM-
AS RITcH1E," &c. The other sideS TO contain an
an obituary--public and private seFvices, &C. Oa
two sides ofthe pedestal or base onh winged globe,
is inscribed sThe United States ofAmerca," with
scythe hours glass and palm branch, symbolical OF
times flight and doings; and on tie opposite sides
are respectively arms of Virginia, and an eagle
with talon clutching the Constitution; motto,
" The UNIoN.n The outlines and embellishments
OF this monument of no ordinary style, and the
head and pencil Of the talented artist have COM
bined TO make the whole bold and beautiful, a
monument worthy Of the illustriops deceased.
We also saw his designs for the hgraham medal,
and also for medal for the rescuers OF the unfor-
tunates from the steamer San Francisco; and the
government, assuredly, could not obtain more
appropriate devices. His fame in the military
branches Of the government as bn ornamental de-
sgner, is well known.