The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-05-23
Art Needlew0rk for the Paris ExpOsi-
tiOn.

The internal decorations of the house
of the English Royal Commissioners at
the Exhibition in Paris are magnificent,
it having been decided that English art
needlework should form one of the great
features in the wall and window decora-
tions of the various apartments; and, with
this view, designs were prepared by
various artists for certain borderings
and wall hangings, with dado. The
execution of these in applique and silk,
and crewel embroidery, was intrusted to
the Royal School for Art-Needlework-
President, Princess Christian-and to
the Ladies' Work Society, President,
Princess Louise. The pair of curtains
embroidered by the ladies of the Royal
School of ArtNeedlework are of rich
satin, of a peculiar light slaty blue,
which was manufactured especially for
use on this occasion. The bordering is
about twelve inches wide, and consists
of a Renaissance design of successive
vases and trailing acanthus leaves, em-
broidered in two shades of blue and gold
silks on cream-colored ground. A mar
row border of dark blue silk edges the
wider one on each side, and breaks the
sudden change; on this is wreath of
leaves in gold thread, and beaded edge
of black, sewn with red, finishes the
whole. The effect of these curtains is
light and elegant in the extreme. They
hang on either side of the portrait Of Her
Majesty, executed at the Royal Tapestry
Works, Windsor.
hangings and dado, was executed at the
Ladies' Work Society. Great ingenuity
and power of adaptation were shown in
the choice of the materials of every de-
scription, ranging from the fine gauze
and muslin to fur and leather. The dado
is divided into two series of pictures
the elements, earth, fire, and water each
delineated in separate compartment
and four scenes representing wild sports,
fishing, hunting, shooting, and catching
fish with trained birds. The designer
has selected sort of China-Japanese
style in which to represent his idea OF
sporting scenes. Indeed, the whole
series is deeply imbued with the Japan
ese influences which are so rife in Eng
land at present.
The first of the elements in the series
on the dado is Earth; the ground of the
whole a yellow tapestry or silk fabric.
The bosom of the earth yields its vege-
tation in luxurious profusion. Indian
corn, French poppies, roses, etc., are
beautifully represented; and in the cor
ner sits a rabbit, endowed with real
skin. Air has also flowers, but creeping
and climbing ones, which visit the
regions of the upper ether: two storks
are represented as flying through over
arching wisteria, clematis, and eglantine.
Fire is perhaps the most wonderful of
all in its workmanship. A long dragon,
the incarnate embodiment of fire, with
glittering scales, crawls through flames
to the earth; wreaths of passion-fowers
overhang him, and in the distance is Fu-
si-hama, the Japanese burning noun
tain, with snow-capped top, most
successfully depicted and delicately out
lined.
Water is a swampy pool in marsh,
with pair of storks, and a lovely dra-
gon-hv in the air. The reeds and
grasses and the iris are beautifully
executed; but we cannot consider the
duck successful part of the design,
though the work bestowed on it is ad-
mirable.
Fishing, the first of the scenes of
sport, has five Chinese figures in a won
derful boat, the material of which is
leather: The lady's dress is marvel of
applique work, and the landscape at the
back beautifully outlined. Catching
fish with decoy birds has four Chinese
figures, the execution of the pigeons and
ducks being very able.
Shooting, two figures with guns, is not
so good in reference to the guns as the
rest !. but in this piece the leaves of the
trees-formed ofplush and reversed plush
-are wonderfully managed to represent
the play of light and shade.
Hunting the wild boar is depicted by
one figure on horseback, accoutered ir
Japanese style, and attendants on foot.
The wild boar and the japanese dog are
beautifully worked out; and across the
figures at the back, gallops a friend of
many vases and representations in
China, the japanese conventional lion.
The wall hangings are of olive-green
plush. They have border of "sand of
the desert" velvet, on which is applique
a Renaissance poppy in olive plush,
outlined in red. The needlework forms
the chief decorative feature in the
morning.room, occupied by the Prince
OF Wales,