Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-08-27
4 Wonderful Dinner Set.
WHAT AN AMERICAN ARTIST Is


is engaged in a most unique work for an
American artist, and one which interests
every American and will challenge the
attention of the connosseiurs Of the old
world. He is making the design for a
state dinner set for tho White House,
which Haviland of Limoges, France,
is now at work upon, and declares will be
the finest dinner set ever made in Europe.
Early last spring Mr.. Davis went to
Washington on a mission for the Harpers,
which was to make picture of the presi-
dent and the cabinet; and which appeared
in due time in the Weekly.
Mrs. Hayes invited him into the con-
servatory, and after turning the camera
on the group described above, the presi-
dents wife entered into conversation on a
topic very dear to the housewives heart.
The china brought into the White House
during the reigns of Mrs. Lincoln and
Mrs. Grant had gone mostly the way of
all porcelain that servants handle at the
states expense. She found it difficult to
set the table properly for state dinner,
since the china closet held only babel of
remains. She had ordered new state
dinner set of Haviland; the contract was
signed, and Haviland was under five
thousand dollar bonds to deliver the set by
January, 1880. Mrs. Hayes regretted
that she had been Obliged to go to France
for dinner SET "They make very good
ware at Trenton" said Mr.. Davis, g but,
of course, HaviIand of Limoges makes
the best. Still, if you cannot have Amer
lean ware you could at least have Ameri-
can designs, representing The fruits, vege-
tables, game. fish and fauna indigenous to
this country
Mrs. Hayes caught the idea, and acted upon
it with the decision and authority ola queen.
Scott" she said to her little son, see if
you can find brother Webb" The eldest
son appeared. webb, will you ask
General Casey to come to the conservato-
ryP" General Casey appeared and was
requested to write at the lady's dictation.
She began, Haviland & Co. desire to
cancel the contract for the dinner set"
But" interrupted General Casey. Re
member, am debating" said Mrs.
Hayes, enjoying his surprise, "and to
enter into u new one, similar to the first
with the exception that Theodore r. Davis
| is to have exclusive supervision of the
designs" This was the substance Of the
letter that was dispatched at once.
1t was now Mr.. Davis turn to expostu-
late. He urged that he was under con-
tract to the Harpers not to work for any
one else. Mrs. Hayes, with q woman's
faith, could see no obstacle in that con-
tract, any more than she could in the first
contract with Haviland. 1t may be that
presidents wife can make and unmake
business treaties at her will. At any rate
Hayiland acquiesced with incompatible
grace, and Fletcher Harper, when Mrs.
Hayes wish was mooted to him, said to
his faithful artist: " | don't ask you to try
to surpass everything Of the kind that
Haviland has done. expect you to beat
them, and Will have one Of the duplicate
sets for myself"
Hayiland was in this country, and offer
ed Davis every assistance and co-opera'
ton, but at first he was disposed to doubt
if any one could surpass his favorite
artist, Bracqemon. He brought out an
oyster plate. That" said he, is the
best oyster plate that was ever made"
Mr.. Davis didn't like it. and frankly
said that he thought that he could dc
better "If you do l will break this
plate" said Theodore Haviland. A few
days afterward Mr.. Davis showed him the
docisn, and tho favorito plato soi7oi
and dashed into hundred pieces and
strewed the warehouse floor. The artist
has already furnished fifty designs, and
Haviland grows more enthusiastic over
them as they come in. There are to be
twenty five sets bearing the signature ot
the artist and maker; these will be similar
to an artist proof engraving. Eleven OF
them come to this country, and the re
mainder will be sold in Europe. Mrs
Hayes will probably have two sets, Fetch
er Harper is to have one, and Mrs, Theo-
dore R. Davis is not to be forgotten.
Mr.. Davis has everything his own. way
both as to the shapes of the pieces and the
designs, and his aim is at striking origi,
nality and strong bold effects of color and
form combinations. Everything that
enters the design is distinctive American
To give running description of the diff
ferent pieces The tea cup is in the form
of Chinese mandarin's hat, the Ii indie
being formed by curling tea sprig, the
leaves of which decorate the sides OF the
cup. For the oyster plate decoration
there are five blue point half shells in a
curve. He has discarded the conventional
half dozen, adopting Emerson's saying,
that nature loves the number five. Opposite
the shells is a scene representing down on
the seashore, a sea gull, and tangle oi
sea moss bordering the picture.
The soup plates in color and form are
in imitation like the mountain laure
flower. There will be pictures on the
bottom of the plate, such as bull frog
croaking on log in the midst of rain
storm, and an illustration of clam bake.
The fish plate is in form in imitation o.
q scolop she'll, with salt and fresh water
scenes on the fiat surface added to the
heel of the she'll to complete the ova
form of the plate. In these water picture:
are shown different American fishes, suct
as trout lying under water pad. two
Holsters f. ghting, sheepshead nibbling al
oysters fastened to palmetto log. The
platter picture represents fine roe shad
entangled in a golden net. In form the
platter is nearly square. with the corner:
turned up.
The designs for the dinner plates are
very elaborate, and comprise such scene:
as a bear attacking honey tree, the an
telope, the buffalo. coon climbing per
simmon tree, with =" darkey" looking
! for the coon; cranes dancing, with one
USdLfuS llLlC WIN LIS "AAAS
the others enjoy walk around, which i:
not of the imagination, but fact, etc. The
platter of the bird plate will be adorned
with o wild turkey, the chief of the Amer
lean game birds, on the wing, with s
prairie fire, and its reflection in watel
adding color to the picture. The bird
plates are PLAGUE in form, and the prairie
| chicken, ptarmeque duck and other bird:
enter into the designs.
The salad plates are great novelty, the
figure of lobster being etched into tht
, bottom of the plate, while the color viii
be applied underneath, the color with the
varying strength of translucency, produc
ed by the etching, uniting to fUrm a fine
effect. The dessert plates are decorated
with fruits indigenous to the country. The
plates for crackers, cheese and cigars viii
be furnished with pictorial designs intend
ed to stimulate conversation. In form
they will resemble an Indian plate. which
is stiff willow bent in circle with thir
strips of willows or reeds woven across