National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-25
RECEPTION DECORATIONS.
Furniture, Silver and China, Table Linen
and Lunch Covers.

During reception season attention is often drawn
to the furniture and decoration of dining-rooms,
to the silver and china the tabe-linen, and lunch
covers. 1t is said that in New York unusual at
tention is paid to these matters this season, and
fashions cohorts are particular about the dress Of
the table as they about the dress they wear.
Fine. white linen damask table-cioths used for
dinners of ceremony when made transparent by
Kensington drawer-work laid over fine red cloth
covers, while third CLOTH much smaller in size,
is of red velvet, oval-shaped, and handsomely en-
broidered and fringed with Yariegated or gold
fringe. This extends only over the central part of
the damaSk cloth, and in its centre Silverbound
mirror is placed. Upon this mirror sit Dresden
swans, and upon it aquatic plants are placed, made
to look as though they hoated upon a small
lake. White lilies are most frequently used for
this purpose. OF course this very elaborate Or
namcntation is only used for dinners of great
ceremony, and yet even for so-called /" small din
nerS' much effort is made Bright-colored cloths
are used, over which a complicated lace-wOrk
cloth is placed, the bright cloth showing through
very prettily. Then the chandeliers, which usually
hang just the centre of the table, have coored
globes, or the glass globes covered with red silk
shades, or the crimpled tissue-paper shade, so
popular at present. Everything that can impart a
warm, rich color and glow is used-rich-co
glass coorcd lunch cloths crystal of all sorts. and
mirrors to reflect these rich cOlorings as well as
silver to aid in brilliant reflection. Among nov
elites in silver enree sets for dinner tea coffee
and dessert service, all decorated with designs rep
resenting something laughable. Birds and butter
flies are used in every color and gorgeous array.
Ice-cream sets are beautifully gotten up, with
Japanese and Chinese decoration. Red crystal
wine-gasses are Wreathed with flowers Coffee sets
have each cup and saucer different in ornamental
ton. Fruit sets are also differently ornamented.
a fayorite shape being the ivy leaf four of which
form a fruit plate, and each one with different
painting or flower for ornamentation. Much at
tentfon is also paid TO individual sets, which are
frequently seen nowadays as q parlor ornament.
Some of these are mounted on little trays. In
castors and salt-cellars bits of bright color are
found to set off the white plain part of the set
This is found in Derby, Copeland, and other wares.
Some of these castorS come in very quaint designs,
representing owls, pug-dogs, and other things.
When they are used, pitchers of Venetian glass
hold the vinegar and the mustard-pots, two of
which are a set, and usually exquisitely orna-
mented, and are of china matching the dinner set.
Fish sets are decorated with fishes, game with
birds, deer, and such designs. For lunch-cloths,
silk damasks embroidered linen and in some cases
even black satin are used. The lunch napkins
and trays always match the cloths. A design for a
new dinner set is described representing girl
picking beans from treIlls, another girl pairing
potatoes, and cabbages, corn, and caulifowers are
the objects of interest the other plates Another
description is that of set in which each plate has
different tintS-pink, tea rose buff, eream-and the
decoration is flower spray lying just inside the
rim, with bee or bird futtering over it. set in
which all the pieces are fluted and bear a re-
semblance to different shells Is said to be very
beautiful; also one representing scene taken
from TennySon. The cups and saucers which
adorn the table of Secretary Sherman at Mrs
Shermans afternoon receptions show that beauty
of table and artistic china is appreciated here as
well as in New York. After one has received Mrs.
Shermans cordial yet dignifed greeting, and
won't you go outand take cup of coffee or choco-
late?' then take such delicious chocolate from
such beautiful and artistic china they feel ''some-
what refreshed AS much by the pleasant man.
nerS of the hostess as the chocolate.