The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-01
New Shapes in China.

of the classic heroes and their horses
maneuvering on its modern sides. BY the
way, the circumstances under which | saw
this lamp, though they may sound Theatre in
telling, illustrate very clearly the raison
d'etre of the lamp craze.
On cabinet and on mantel you will see
them fiaring little weirdly and wildly on
our seasons mixture of Egypt. Greece and
Rome. We put them on our dinner tables
which, 1t would seem, we should surround
with couches to keep them company. l hear
tale OF hostess who lighted no other lamp
but kept her guests sitting in ghostly seance
among the rising and falling tongues of
flame. We lift them for nearer views of
picture or statuette, and we fetch them in as
properties" when we make pictures or
statues of ourselves in the search after books
high up on shelves in the library.
The lamps most highly valued come from
the only community - save our esthetic
selves-that uses the old classic pattern at
the present day. Mrs. Brewster Sewall, the
artist who is wintering in the East, has
sent home probably three or four dozen
OF the make of the KaDyles, of the hill
country of Algiers. These are almost pre-
cisely like the Pompeiian lamps, though
ruder and eoarser, and by reason of the
rancid smell of the ancient oil that has
been kept in them the Philistines of society
admire at respectful distance. while even
the most enthusiastic members of a family
are obliged to confess, as they weary their
new acquisitions with many purgings and
surround them with roses, that the scent of
Kabyle clingS to them still.
Quite at the other end Of the scale are
Roman" lamps of Royal Worcester in
white and gold, such as figured at little
supper given by an actress no long time ago,
together with other devices calling to mind
very f0rclbly our progress beyond the
happy colonial days when every woman who
went out for a dish of tea and gossip with
her neighOor carried her own cup and saucer
and spoon.
We are using this winter a wonderful va
riety CT shapes and cOlors on our tables, in-
duced partly by the continued prevalence of
orchid decorations. A board is never so
beautiful as when set wholly with crystal,
silver and orchids, hut since for all courses
this Is not possible there has come about a
splendor of imperial yellow and pellucid
loneliness Of agate blue and wonder of
rich dark reds and fine peacock tintS and
brilliant golden lights. We have largely alb
Jured colored cloths, but our chinas them
selves have become tropic forests through
which flash these uncanny moths and hum
ming birds of flowers.
AT lunches, breakfasts, SUPP ers and all
festivities where any degree of originality
Is allowable we have brought in old German
silver, welrdly wrought in grotesques; and
at gathering in honor of the birthday of a
Well-knOwn humorlst curious imaginings,
quainter almost than anything since the
days of gargoyles, appeared in the china.
Inc humorists daughter-in-law during n
visit last summer to famous continents
pottery was seized with fancy to bring
home some of the "crushed china; mean
Ing by the term the very comical pieces pro-
duced by the sinking of a vessel after it has
been thrown" or shaped, or the spelling"
OF piece by giving" These failures the
ingenuity OF the potter had turned into vic
tories by working the crushed sides into