Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-07-10
A WORK OF ART.
The Wonderful Jewel Box Carved By 0
Massachusetts Fisherman.

Massachusetts Fisherman.
George Hipwood. a fisherman of
Gloucester. Mass, has nearly completed
a carved jewel box which in execution
and design is marvellous piece of work
manship. It has taken four years of his
leisure time to complete it, and, when
it is considered that most of the work
was done on board fishing boat, the
difficulty of the undertaking can be ap-
preciated. 1t is in no sense a jack-knife
production but is work of art
Mr.. Hipwood is very intelligent
man, we'll tersed in modern and
medieval history. and has tried to
represent a portion of the latter in the
carving. The work stands fifteen inches
high by twelve wide. The box and
cover have been cut from two solid
pieces of white wood and white oak
respectively, and no glue has been used
The cover of the box is finished to
represent the Middle Ages, and is in the
form of a Mohammedan mosque sur
mounted by dome, with an entrance
at each end approached by steps The
alcove at one entrance is finished with .
cross representing the triumph of
the Christian faith, while at the other
an open Koran rests on a stand,
CHI VI IAC -1OolCLu
Each is surrounded with appropriate
carvings. This represents the period
when crusader and Mohammedan al
edificeS.
On the front of the cover is knight
Temp1ar's pavilion, upheld at each end
by three spears fastened with ribbons,
while on each side is shield upheld by
three swords On the two front corners
are two dragons with flaming eyes, each
with one paw resting on the swords, as
if challenging to combat The lower
front part is carved to represent full
blown rose in the center, surrounded by
shells, flowers and ornamentation of
various kinds. At the base is grotto.
in which a swan sits gracefully on Q
pool of water. surrounded by ferns and
aquatic vegetation The front corners
are elegantly finished with oval shaped
shell work.
The back part of the cover has carved
cornucopias on each corner, with masses
of diamonds rolling in profusion from
their depths. while in the center, sur
rounded by a double setting OF fine she'll
work is a representation of the Kohinoor'
diamond, apparently suspended by two
fine needles.
The back of the body of the box is
carved, according to a systematic plan,
with diamonds, no two alike, and the
back corners are finished in pendant
diamonds.
The box is lined with blue silk velvet
and is fitted with a hammered silver
spring lock. which, unless knowing the
ingenius mechanism concealed within,
no one can unfasten- When the box is
opened two small gold chains arise on
each side, and are SO. finely adjusted
that when the cover reaches perpendie-
ular position it remains al standstill.
Every part, both above and beneath
the carvings. will bear the closest in
spection with a megnifying glass Eight
different tools were used, and in doing
work beneath some OF the carvings it
was found necessary TO heat the steel OF
the cutting implement to get around
corners-Jewelers' Weekly.
Tom-Queer fellow, that Jimson: he
has NO head for business, and he doesn,t
seem to know it
Jack-That's so. He has failed in
every thing he has tried-with one er-
ception-
Tom-What is that?
Jack-As an editor. He Is xbe su,-
cessful editor of The Business World =
Light = ~