Connecticut western news., 1896-08-13
mRs. AamouR,s s1o.ooo oRpsa.
It Was For Japanese Furnishings For the
 Smoking Room.

The placing of an order for Mrs. Og den Armour of Chicago with San Francisco firm for $l0, 900 worth of Japanese art work and carving has brought to light the fact that when the artists shall have finished their work in her new residence there will be one room therein absolutely without a peer in point of treatment in this or any other country. This particular room will De the smoking room.
 Two celebrated artists have collaho- rated in the work, one furnishing the general design for the treatment of the room, the other working out the detail and decorations
 It will be some time before the deco rators can actually get to work putting the material in place, for much of it is
 to be specially imported. The furniture
 is all to be carved in Japan and China from special models, and the tapestries
 and upholstery are all to be specially
 made.
 The room will be done in a prevail
 ing tone-that is, deli, ate division
 between old rose and cid copper. The
 floor will be in parqueterie, with pro-
 fusion of specially woven Japanese rugs
 and mats.
 The wall covering will be of silk
 brocade, tho ground color of which, the old copper spoken of, will give the pre-
 vailing tone to tho color scheme of the
 whole. In the weaving of this brocade
 great deal of gold thread will be used,
 not merely to give ERes and suggestions
 of color, but in masses Cf rich emboss- ing.
 The mural decorations are to be iare Kakimonos, in colors harmoniZing with the tone of the room, but each one to be
 worthy example Of the best Japanese pictorial art, both in subject and treat
 ment. Some of these will be hung like tapestries, while others will be framed
 with the general effect sought. Some of the Kakimcnos already selected arc the
 work of tine most famous old masters of Japan.
 The furniture is all to be of ebony in- laid with mother of pearl. The carving
 is all to be done in the orient by native artists, and the designs show a wealth and richness of carving seldom seen
 outside the palaces and temples of Japan The cabinets will abound in lacquer. They will be marvels of Japanese in genuity i'll sliding panels, hidden doors and secret lockers and drawers. The lacquer will be the expensive and high ly prized gold lacquer, in sharp but rest ful contrast with the carved black ebony.
 The smoking outfits will be in silver and bronze, in grotesque forms. They will contain. after the Japanese manner, little receptacles to hold lighted char coal and others to contain the paper tapers by which fire is transferred from the charcoal to the pipe or cigar. There will be unexpected compartments for the various kinds of tobacco, with ash trays that are the despair of the workers in hammered metals.
 There will, of course, be Japanese screens and vases and jardinieres in cloisonne and other varieties of Japanese pottery.
 Such another smoking room probably cannot be found in Christendom or out of it. An.l with the rapidity with which foreign goods and custom are coming into service in Japan it probably will not be long before there cannot bc found, even in Japan, such a thoroughly Japanese apartment as the smoking room of Mrs Ogden Armour's house. e.-Chicago Trib- una