New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-24
4 SUPERB WORK.
ART, ROMANCE AND HISTORY oE ho"r
NITURE.

DIcTIoNNAIRE DE pAMEUbLaE s1s1a' illustrated.
DECORATION. BY Henry 6nsntIn: New-York
Pr 1850. Pafls' "aisO"
j. w. Bouton - NJ the
We have received the second volume VI ~.
superb Dictionary Of Furniture anu AZ ~
ST. hoe ENGAGED the energies of NJ Henri
Hazard for many years. In q reNi." 49,
first volume we have quoted ana lhuoi'o
authors belief that neither the Dlcuo""'S
viollet le Due. nor any similar work. mas thor
oughly covered the ground NJ ii"Nniu
method of research his indef4tgaoie eApioi""o
Of inventories wills, accounts, royal archives o.
records of all kinds bearing in any way upOH i'S
subject. have been those of most conso'en" ~
student His entire competency tc deai VIZ.
vast mass of material thus collected m"'oi'
covering the history of his subject IN fraho0 iO"
the thirteenth century TO our time, is Pio,e1
tho onaltv Of the two volumes which have reached
us. The present volume begins WIN D"OOuiS
or Dabis.s the name of white Indian eot'oh
CLOTH found in q seventeenth century ih'eHVoi9
and closes with Hydrocerame," the name oil tne
porous pottery used for water-coolers Inc hrs'
subject treated at length is Dais, in its dlterenI
.usages. and Iaces Gliding, Faience Cloth ana
Ebony are among the subjects which receive es-
pecial attention in the first half of this volume
Under Mourning there are given some curious
illustrations of NJ Havarps statement thaO
mourning was formerly far more Vigorously oo-
served than in our time mot only did the WIDOW
wear mourning garments, but she was also opngeu
TO remain in a bed draped with black, III
chamber hung with black, to receive her visitors'
Mourning was carried so far that kings cnanged
their table service, using knives with ebony IN
stead of ivory handles" fifteenth century
writer says, in an old volume entitled Hon
neurs de la Cour": have heard it said that
the Queen of France must remain an entire year
without leaving her chamber after the death OF
the King, her husband Nine. de Charolols
daughter of the Due de Bourbon, upon the death
of her father, remains in her chamber six weeks
always living upon bed covered with white cloth
Tie chamber was hung with black, In place OF
tapestry and the adjoining hall was also hung
with black CLOTH Truly, as M. Hazard re-
marks here is cruelty lugubrious gear which
has we'll passed out OF fashion In the eighteenth
century gray cloth obtained considerable ae-
ceptance as mark of mourning. Under the
head of Diamonds NJ Hazard refutes the idea
that diamond cutting was invented at Bruges
in 147e by quoting a royal ordinance of the four
teenth century. Indeed" he adds, 81 it is
today established that the cutting OF
diamonds was pracused in antiquity. and that
the secret was not lost in the middle ages. for
we find sufficiently numerous proofs of the indue
try of 'dyamantaires' in that period Dossier'
has undergone autographed changes ranging
from Docel 10 Doulcier, but unlike the varia-
tons in the name the changes in the chairbacS
itself have not been purely arbitrary It's early
mission was not only one Of support but also
one of defence from any sudden attack In the
rear. an explanation likely to lessen enthusiasm
over medieval life.
II should be remarked that even If the master
of the house deemed il necessary 10 put his person
in safety, he did not have any serious appre-
hension for the other jewellers in the house or
for visitors, so that in each room there was one
seat with a very high back reserved for the
seignior, while the others had either no backs
at all or very Insignificant ones Thus there
came about a development sufficiently curious.
and the seat with high back became by custom
the mark Of dignity and power. . With the
Renaissance this arrangement underwent modih-
cations Finally the wig became responsible
for revolution. When the wig began to descend
to the back the high cllairback became very
uncomfortable. The curls of hair. wool and
silk which composed the monumental structure
that every fashionable man believed he ought
TO wear entangled themselves in proiec-
tons or adhered TO the fabric, and
produced in the toilet o disorder most offensive
TO the majestic dignity of the time One alter
native then presents itself. either TO renounee
the wig to cut down the backs OF the chairs.
They resigned themselves TO this last measure,
and the wig comes out~the victor in this singular
contest. Afterward the high chairback lost
all significance. In the eighteenth century there
was new and last revolution. The chairback,
which in the preceding century had diminished
in size. suddenly becomes pliable, as it were,
takes rounded form, becomes small convenient.
agreeable. and ceases completely to be solemn
1t viii be readily understood that the article
upon Enamels is one of the most elaborate. Here
as in some other cases, there is appended list
OF the chief French artists from the twelfth to the
beginning OF the present century. Under Essai'
or Epfeuve' trial or test words having similar
meaning In ancient USAGE we find an interesting
account OF the precautions taken against secret
poisoning. In the fifteenth century we find Philippe
de Comines cordially praising the honor of tho
Italians because in the retreat preceding the
battle of Fornoue, he had been permitted TO
traverse Italy without being poisoned In the
+, following century it is related that the Marshal
| de Montmorency, finding himself arrested and
evidently destined to death, calmly resigned him
self. and asked that certain apothecary be sent
him, when 1 will take whatever he may give
me-" Without lingering upon the crimes OF the
seventeenth century, our author goes on TO de-
scribe the common test, the tasting Of food and
drink in the presence Of the person TO be pro-
tected, universal custom among people OF rank
Other precautions were based upon the credulty
OF the age; for example, the of certain stones
of pieces OF the horn of rhinoceros and the
tongues of serpents, which were believed to
have the property Of detecting poison in food
This led to the use Of variety of utensils and
other articles whose significance is Incompetent
sible without knowledge Of the superststous be-
liefs behind them. For example the tongues,
hngucs, Of serpents were often grouped upon
piece Of jewellers work, which was then known
as languier," or eprcuye." These languiers,"
| which were entitled 70 places Of honor on tho
tables Of princes, were generally magnificent, as
may 90 inferred from q description in the in
ventory Of Louis Of Anjou, 1860, and
| from nfhnr acnnnnfs cited hu M Hn,nnd