The morning times., 1896-05-03
GEMS In TAPESTRY.
Rich Women's 3oudoirs Hung in
Specimens of Antique
y - Needlework.

New York, May 1.-Apropos to tapestry,
among the most beautiful and costly decora-
tions of c. P. Huntingtous new house on
Fifth avenue, of which he has Just taken
possession, are the tapestries, hung in hall
and diuing-room. There are GobeIin and
Aubusson tapestries, and while most OF
them are originals, a few are IepiicaS or
famous hangings which adorn walls OF old
castles and palaces of Europe
Opening from Mrs. HuntingtonS boudoir
is the tapestry room, which is almost as
beautiful as that famous apartment in tie
old palace of the Knights at Malta.
The walls are entirely covered with
splendid needle work pictures, some six
teen in number. Richly carved furniture,
upholstered i'll crimson velvet, complete the
furnishings of the tapestry room.
Other New York members of the Croesus
! famiy-tbe Etbridge Gerrys, for instance
and the Phelps-Stokes, own many kings
ransoms' worth of tapestries; some are so
old that they are almost on the eve of dis
solution, but like an eastern rug, the older
the better. y GU then cherish the delusinn
that it has descended TO you from long line
of ancestors.
In Mrs. Astors sple ndid new mansion
are also delightful examples of tapestries,
particularly of Brussels tapestry-the silk
and gold point, as it Is called; some OF the
very Oldest OF her hangings are said 10 lie
replicas of Egyptian tapestries, seldom
seen nowadays. So old is the art of ma k
ing tapestry that IL Is spoken of in the
Bible, and probably the making OF these
delightful stuffse origina ted somewhere
in the shadow OF the pyramids.
Il have woven my beds with cords,
have covered it with painted tapestry
rrl,t From
the Book of Proverbs.
An authority on the subject of tapes
tries, Mr. Getz, says that from Egypt,
through western Asia, the art of tapes
try making found its way to Europe, and
was followed in Flanders, Germany, Eng
land, Italy and Spain. Monks were
/ among the best workers at this, and
| the walls and affairs OF their converts
| were hung with tapestry; trade guilds
were formed in France and ancient FIan-
ders, and in several places won special fame,
! but Arras outran them all, SO that "Arras-
| work." ''Arras-hangings.' or 'ArraZzi.'
| came to bc common word, meaning all
| sorts Of tapestry woven by hand.
1t is but one among other terms by which.
during the middle ges, tapestry was called
wherever it was made, for during the
| fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Arras
| was the city from whence came the most
! important tapestries. They stood for all
| that was richest in color and choicest in
| material.
| We all know what an important part
| Arras hangfngs used to play in old novels
| indeed, a story without its tapestry covered
| walls were very tame.
The famous Gobelin tapestries originated
with family named Gobelin. Jehan Gobe-
| lin, of Rheims, towars the middle of the fif-
| teenth century. founded on the banks of the
| river Bievre adyehouse. which became cele-
hrated and brought to its proprietors a
| fortune. nisnt
| As TO it's Manufacture. tapestry is neither
real weaving nor true embroidery, but in a
manner unitesi in it's working these proc
esses into ,one,i to again quote Mr.. Getz.
| Though wroughtin loom and upon warp
stretched OUT along its frame, it has no
| woof thrown across these threads with a
shuttle or ANY like appliance, but its weft is
done with many threads, all yariously col
| ored and intertwfned by hand from the