The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-11-19
White House Mahogany.
A Sideboard of the Richest San Domingo
Wood Exquisitely Carved.

This piece of furniture has Just been COM
pleted. Its august owners, by the way, are
we-the people-it being government work.
but the permission comes from the first lady in
The land, by grace of courtesy and position,
Mrs. Lucy Hayes. 1t is Lobe piece of work
"a sdeboard in its stateliest guise, and re-
fleets great credit upon the Frys, the father
and son, and Miss Laura Fry, the artists who
have created it; and it's construction by able
workmen under Mr.. Fry's direction has been
most thorough. Cincinnati owes its first ar
tistic honors to its skill in wood carving. The
bay wreath is not likely to pass while her ar
lists in wood can show such results.
The sideboard is made of the richest San
Domingo mahogany, generously enriched with
carving, massive in size and of noble and
graceful proportions of which the eye never
wearies and full of rich elaboration of detail.
The shelf or top is eight feet six inches in
length and at height of three feet ten inches
from the floor; above it rises daised top to the
height of five feet ten inches, ending in a
graceful Gothic cove with inclosed cabinets
with carvings at either side. The upper por-
tion is divided into three compartments.
Above the door of the central one is carved in
fine relief the American eagle in repose, natu
rally rendered, resting upon rock, his hooked
claws clasping the American shield. PilasterS
of acanthuS leaves frame the panel on either
side The side compartments open by double
DOORS On the right hand panels are the lily
and the blackberry, on the left the oleander
and the rose, carved with rare skill. Above
and below are drawers for silver, the full depth
of the top, the front forming band of geo.
metric work below and conventionalized
scroll border above. The top is bordered by a
band of American ground ivy. AT the corners
and at two points equidistant from the center,
are inserted ebony plaques, on which is cut the
historic seal of the nation-the American
'broad arrow''-ony it is the spread eagle,
grasping in one claw the olive branch OF peace
and in the other the thunderbolt of war.
Above the shelf is framed in an ebony band a
superb plate glass mirror, in which are re-
flected the exquisite side panels of the cabinets,
carved with sprays of morning glory on one
side and the trumpet vine on the other. The
outer panels bear clusters of honeysuckle and
woodbine, and beneath are fronds of ferns.
The cove is supported by vase-like dwarf
pilasters and treated with conventional de-
signs, and the whole piece rests upon legs
formed of carved eagle claws, each clasping a
sphere.
The whole design and execution surpass in
excellence anything yet produced by the Fry
school of art and cannot fail to extend the
reputation of Cincinnati as an art centre, and
confirm its claim to leadership in this particu-
lar department. Mr.. Henry l.. Fry carved a
portion of the throne for her Majesty of Eng
land; his work stands also in the House OF
Lords and the House of Commons; but he
confesses to loftier pride that his work will
stand a monument to him in the mansion OF
the President Of the republic.