St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-13
ART and BEAUTY.
The Spells Of Two Heniispheres Col
lected in Minneapolis.
From Canton to Cairo, and Japan to
Jeyp0re.

Ii Is at the annual exhibition of Messrs.
Bradstreet, Thurber & Co. in their mag
nliicent store in the Syndicate block.
1t certainly is no exaggeration to say
that there is no house in any city in this
country, outside of New York, which
can make a display at all comparable to
this; and not New York or London or
Paris could produce anything to excel
1t. 1t is almost absurd that such an ex-
hibition should be given by house so
far West as this, but it is on ly one
more example of the fact that the best
In the world, when attainable, is not too
good for Minneapolis or st. Paul.
The remarkable excellence of the dis
play this year is due chi. fly to one
thing. AS many readers of the GLOBE
know, Mr.. Bradstreet has spent the
greater part OF the past year in moving
round the world, during which time his
object was to find, land, when possible, get
possession of, whatever was most beau
tlful OF most curious in every country
that he visited. And when a man OF
MI Bradstreet'S taste and knowledge
as collector goes roaming with the
single object of bringing home with
him whatever is lovely and curious in
any corner of the world that is pur-
chaSable and portable, the chances are
that he will bring home many things
worth seeing. And ne has.
Here, in these immense rooms, are
collected the plumber of Japanese tenn
pies and Indian baZaars, booty from the
lrrawaddy i'll Burmah and spOilS from
China, queer things that once furnished
Mohammedan harems in Turkey and
Egypt and mosques in Ceylon. Mingled
rt n mt nj
of art and decoration of all schools and
countries of Europe. going back over
manly centuries-tapestries and wood
carving, pottery and old glass, laces and
the quaintest bits of cabinetmaking.
Entering the store, the whole of the
first tfoor-and the store occupies six
stories, with an area on each floor of
15DX66 feet-iS bewilderment of beau
tifnl things. The floor is StreWn with
rugs; rugs from Mecca and reheran;
rugs from BOkhara and Daghestan; rugs
from every where where rugs are OF
have been made.
On every side, in orderly confusion,
stand choice bits of artistic furniture
probably hundreds in all-lo lounges and
quaint, thrOne-like seats from India;
stately pedestals supporting shapely
vases of Benares brass or Persian
pierced metal, or understandable bronZes
from Japan with cOnyOluted dragons
and strange beasts; with these, in care
full diSarray, are mingled daintieSt tables
of French workmanship of a century
and a half ago, with legs like Cupid'S
bows; high-backed chairs of old Spanish
chestnut with embossed COrdOvan
leather; perfect marbles from Italy;
statuettes and busts, and tables
and cabinets of every manner of
Of t-x Ind a
lacquered and inlaid and carved, sup.
porting graceful vases and gems of
brc-a-brac of Sevres, of Dresden. of
Valiauri and of DoultOn ware; and not
least beautiful, OF our own American
Lockwood, with Burmese brOnZeS and
queer things from Morocco.
On the walls are tapestries. really
good bits of Gobelin, and mure rugs and
fabrics of Japanese workmanship, too
dainty for any place but the boudor of
the daintiest lady, with delicious little
impossible designs that only the fancy
OF a Japanese artist could invent who
lays tribute upon everything that flies,
or SwimS, or walks. or flowers, to fur
nlsh subject for his pencil and his
loom.
In one place is superb old Chinese
robe, marvellous piece of blue and gold
embroidery. In another gilded Buddha,
heroic size, sits. sereHely on the sacred
lotus. On the other side whole apart
ment, almost small house in itself, is
of lattice, which once, sad to say,
screened the unwilling beauties of
harem in Cairo. Inside the lattice
CLEAN mysterious crimson lights, and
on all sides in the great rooms beautiful
effects of light are obtained by the use
of electric lights behind stained glass,
and tawny translucent shields of rhi-
noceros hides.
On the right hand side as you enter
on the ground floor is the drapery de-
partment, where, most tasteiully dis
played, are wilderness of fabrics to
delight ladies-indeed, any one who
loves the beautiful i'm form and color.
The window is filled with laceS and del
lcate curtains, and every alcove is
draped with StutfS, each one of which is
a work of art.
The great loftiness and spaoiousness
of the rooms give dignity to the eX-
hibition. and the whole. with all its
variety of elements, blends into one
beautiful and SumptuOuS unity of grace
and color,
At the rear of this floor is a charming
little apartment which is fac-simile of
Japanese living room. Here is the
small alcOve that is now being made
familiar to the American public in
drawings and paintings; the hibashi. OF
curious Japanese stove; the kakem0no.
or hanging picture on the wall (the work
of one of Japan's first artists and an
admirable vase of blue and white, in
which are set two sprays of pine and
camellia, arranged-as any one who has
read the articles in Scribner'S Magazine
will recognize-after the approved prin-
cipleS of Enshin, as Sir Edwin Arnold
has expounded them, and as Mr.. Brad
street saw them in Japan.
But some of the choicest things are
found on the second floor. where. built
or screened off from the great space of
the main room, are three separate apart
mentS. You enter the first of these
through doorway which Is in excellent
design. Above it runs a dead gold
frieZe of professional figures i'll relief,
and OIL either side of the doorway are
two caryatides, also in gold. The effect
of the whole is good.
Entering. you come first to large and
lofty room. which is French in tone and
design, such a room as they loved to
make in the days of Josephine, the
brightest and most summary of rooms in
white and tintS of cream and pearl. ALL
around runs fiieZe that might have
been stOlen-perhaps was-from Yer
sailies, with delightful fancies of Cupids
and clouds and flowers and birds. Here
are more of the Cupids, bow-legged
tables and eScritoires and cabinets. with
Watteau-llke vignetteS on the panels
and little painted festoons of ribbons
and roses such as were uraped about
the'Petit Trlanon.
For bric-a-brac the room holds some
prettiest bits of porcelain and clouded
glass and Sevres and Dresden china,
and on tables and covering chairs are
sheeny fabrics with bushes of rose
color and tinIs of opal, from whatever
part of the world makes the most deli
cate stuffS for ladies' hands to touch.
Passing through this room. all sum-
mer and sunshine, you come to the sud-
den contrast Of the Indian apartment.
Supremacy Oriental in its combined
brllliancy and restfulness-the secluded
corner in some woman'S apartments in