Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-10-08
Paris Letter.
FrO~ o..r Regular Correspondent

that the first named gate is the central
one as you drive to the Exhibition from
the Champs ElyseeS, and that entering by
the Porte Rapp, you fall at once in medals
res, and you can branch of 10 the right
or lett among the products Of France, or
make straight for the two principal porti-
GOES leading TO the Galleries Of the 6ne
Arts, or forge far ahead towards the See
tons Etrangeres, the Park, Catelain's
Restaurant Francsis-undeniably the best
IN the Exhibition-the Bridge Of Jena.
and the Palace of the Trocsdere without
mourning the risk of losing yourself too
early IN the labyrinths of glass cases. |
say too early, since it Is a matter of neces-
sity that you should utterly lose your way
before your visit to the Exhibition lis over.
am not prepared to say that the labyrinth
walk Is not the best, perambustion of the
Wandering Wood, the most agreeable, and
navigation on the Unknown Sea, without
= compass and without a chart. the most
Instructive after all.
Wandering TO and fro in that section of
the French Furniture Department which
is devoted to "TapiSserie ct Decoration.
and | viii own growing somewhat dazod
by the eXuberance of carving and gliding,
iniaying, incrustasion, and yeneering wish
be in the compartments full Of state bed
steads, consoles, cADSpes, causeuses, and
gUeridOns, came upon very remark
able decorative performance occupying
one Of the angles OF transverse corridor
Of the Avenue Rapp. in the shape of the
Installation de FantAisie' exhibited by
the firm of Henry Penon, Of the Rue Ab-
baiucci, Paris The imaginative uphol-
sterer Is a novelty, and the house of Penou,
emboldened it would seem by the medals
foT Good Taste and s.Progress" which
they took at the Vienna Exhibition OF
1873, have, in 1878, literally thrown the
reins on the back Of their Pegasus The
Installation de Fantastic is supposed to
be that OF the bedchamber of "grande
dame de par le moadc She may be
NinOn dc l'Encios o. Emms Lady Fam
iIton,the Empress Theodore or MontAigne's
"Signora Siyia"--the lady with the cal
Soni embroidered with pearls, whose iden-
tity so sorely puzzled the commentators
until the appearance Of the Earl Of Ok
ford's wonderful book on the "Meretrici"
Of Veniee-for the furniture Of the grande
dame belongs TO no particular period save
that Of the most sumptuOus luxury and
the most refined taste. The ladys couch
has counterpart Of sky-blue brocaded
satin, turned up VITA pale pink The
pillows are OF Holland lawn, triply edged
with richest lace The bedstead itself l.
mass Of elaborate carving and gliding.
The ruclle Of the bed is screened by a
magnificent piece OF tapestry. designed
and woven in the workshop OF NJ Penon
A tripod table Of oxidised silver stands
BY the bedside. The carpet Is OF triple
pile. A portal veilcd by hangings Of
damask leads to the adjoining breakfast
room. \ Renaissance easel supports the
richly framed picture of lovely child in
pastel-such a pastel as Gxeuze might
have executed in his best days. Cabinets,
fauteuils, and footstoos, Of superb mate
rial and workmanship, aud an infnity
OF costly knick-nacks scattered about ell
up this enchanting installation, " to which
there only lack two things-A copy OF
NJ. Octave Feuillets journal dune Fen
lme," bound in crimson morocco and gold,
and on the tripod table Of oxidised silver
a parcel-gilt plateau sustaining a cold
roast chicken, and a csrafon OF curacao,
en- cas- de nuit-in case the great lady
should wake up in the middle of the night
hungry, or disposed to read herself to sleep
again. | should have mentioned that the
ceiling is adorned by una copiosa guam
tita d'smoretti," such as the old Italian
cardinal commissioned Adams to paint
for him But the chief charm OF this
abode Of the Graces consists in the en-
cadrement, the softly-surging mass OF dra-
peries which serve as framework to the
entire apartment, and which are composed
of a deep sea-green plush velvet giving
very bright high lights and with heavy
bullion tringes and tAssels, the last culmi-
mating in one large gland of chenille, which
is pendent from the ceiling almost like a
chandelier The scheme Of color, it will
be seen, is wonderfully subtle.
Contrast with this surprisingly rich
dream Of Sybaritic spIendor. a curious,
quaint little installation, got up far away
in the English section by: two meretorious
English decorators, the Misses Agnes and
Rhoda Garrett. The section of a poky
little English room is shown furnished in
the angular and uncomfortable style be-
longing to the end Of the last or beginning
OF the present century, style Of which
thought We were well rid, but Tor the
revival OF which there seems to be At
present partial craze. These rickety,
"skimping" spider-legged chairs, tables
corner-cupbOards and "whatnots," these
sofas, too narrow for purposes of filtration
and too short to put your feet mp, are all
very well in pictures, bnt in actual Oak,
Walnut, Mahogany. or Rosewood, | object
very strongly to them; and if the Misses
Garrett will study even the rudiments Of
Decoration, they will find that this kind
Of furniture belongs to period when