The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-02-25
BOGUS COATS-OF-ARMS.
Americans Who Decorate Their Houses
With AImoriaI Bearings.


With AImoriaI Bearings.
Coats-of-arms are much used now in
house decoration. In one of the grand
old houses in Westchester County,
which like its first owners has seen
vicissitudes, the family arms are
painted on glass over the front door,
and the decoration remains there
where it has been for hundred years.
This fashion is often followed in halls
of private houses, but principally in
mosaic Instead of painted glass. In
country houses the coat-of-arms often
forms part OF large window in the
hall. A window of this kind recently
finished by well-known firm in this
city, for private house in one of the
Eastern cities, shows two tull-lengths,
life-sized female figures, while in the
two upper lights are the coats-of-arms
and crestS of each side of the family.
In smaller window representing a
graceful figure of woman, with a
border, the arms were displayed in the
upper corners and repeated in the
lower ones. In q handsome country
house on the Hudson the long, broad
hall has large fireplace at one end,
on one side of which is a small stained
glass window containing the arms of
the owner, and on the other side a
window containing those of his wife.
Next to the hall window the library
offers an appropriate field, and popu-
lar one for the display of heraldic de-
signs, and several houses in this city
have libraries in which the arms form
the whole of small window, or a
panel in large one. Many families.
who care little for display but regard
a coat-of-arms as an honorable possess
sion, have them illuminated on white
paper, simply framed, and hung in an
incOnspicuous place in dining room or
library. A far less ostentaLious way of
exhibiting arms than in stained glass
is in carved wood. Panels carved with
such designs are sometimes inserted in
doors, bullets, cabinets, chair backs or
rs part of border to wainscoting
This is either done in relief or incised
In trypitch of mahogany, intended
for portrait, a brass panel inserted
over the doors was engraved with a
crest. Panels of wood or brass or tile,
decorated with the coat-of-arms, may
be used in any way that fancy suggests,
the mantlepiece seeming particularly
appropriate for armorial designs.
China for the table is often decorated
with the arms, or with the crest abov G
the initial or monogram, and where
the house linen is made to order the
arms are frequently woven in with
other designs. Embroidery offers the
largest field, perhaps, for such decora-
tions. Aside from the smaller articles
on which arms may be embroidered,
and which ladies find so necessary TO
their comfort, such as sofa-pillows,
foot-stools, sachets, pinchushions, mou-
choir cases and the like, the coat-of-
arms may be seen to great advantage
on screen. On low fire screen it
would, of course, be the sole design
and occupy the entire space, but on a
higher screen it would be appropriate
as part of panel or border. A firm
on Fifth avenue has recently embroid-
cred on satin bedquilt coat-of-arms
requiring very brilliant coloring; the
effect is very handsome. On portieres
the design is effective, whether used as
centerpiece or in the border, as it is,
also, on the back of an upholstered
chair. M Y. Mail and Express.