The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-23
MILLIONAIRE FURNITURE.
White Linen Napery DamRsl<ed i'm
Gold and silver Is n Recent
Touch of American Luxury for Tia

White Linen Napery Damasl<ed i'm
Gold and silver lis Recent
Touch of American Luxury for Ia
bIe.
New York, Feb, 21.-The hostess who
would lead to-day must be a person
of ideas and nowhere are her inspira
tions more enjoyed and tlatteringly
copied than in the decoration of her
luncheon and dinner table. This has
been the experience of the fashionable
lady, who spread a great banquet for
her guests upon a table covered with
superb white linen damasked in gold
Her intention was to arrange a suita-
BILE back ground for the splendid gold
plated table ware she had recently re-
ceived as a wedding gift. Her idea
was carried out successfully by a no.
table French linen firm. The cloth
when 1t got over this side experienced
some difficulty in getting through the
custom house. but the lady found il
worth the trouble and expense she
was put to, for the French looms had
wrought wonderfully The cloth is very
large and on its saltiny white linen sur
face .gltttering wreaths of golden roses
are damasked with the owners initials
worked in gold in the center. Bullion
fringe edges this royal piece of napery
and when the gold plate is disposed
thereon the effect is gorgeous enough
to have pleased the most extravagant
of the Roman emperors.
Not to be outdone, another and
equally rich and fashionable woman
has sent in her order for a cloth sim
ilarly woven and damasked in silver
and this sumptuous method in table fur
nishings calls for the assistance of ex-
ceedingly rich pieces of gold and sill
yer plate The metal workers are busy
turning out marvellous bowls huge
tankards and epergnes in antique gilt
studded with secondary or with mock
jewels. In the days of old, when the
home of the American Millionaire was
not even discovered rich Barons and
the like used such tankards for drink
ing purposes and Indian Rajahs set
emeralds in their salad dishes. These
same magnificent pieces of brio brac
the more reverent and rich American
puts in the center of her table and fills
1t with fruit or flowers only.
Flower Effects.
There is, however. a slight decline
for the moment in the use of flowers
as table decoration, unless very sim
pie furnishings are used and the meal
is small and informal The fragile
loveliness of even the most expensive of
the imported Canadian roses seems
out of place with cloth of gold and gilt
and jewels. The most popular of the
flower novelties are the remarkable
miniature landscapes that some OF the
highly scientific florists have grown
for table garnishment The idea was
copied in the first instance from the
Japanese. but the execution is purely
American, for the work is all done in
ferns or the florist will send his men
in to bed down the whole center OF
the table with white and blue violets,
trailing arbutus, pansies or what you
please. This is especially popular as
a ladies' luncheon decoration, and
when the meal is over the hostess in
vites her guests to pick nosegays for
themselves.
OF course, there Is always with us
the hostess who gently boasts that the
pretty thing in the center of her table
is "a little idea l got in dear Paris"
She is the hostess who calls her ele-
CANT center piece a surtout de able,
and If her idea is really the latest
thing ii is an exquisite set of porcelain
court ladies. charmingly tinted and
posed bisque figurines, that dance a
| quadrille on the tablecloth and THAI
! are connected by wreath of natural
roses. They make these bewitching
! little ladies in Dresden and at Sevres
and they can be differently posed for
each dinner.
Fruit Structure.
From across the water we have also
borrowed the very welcome idea of
building the center piece for a large
| dinner out of fruit that would win rib
bons and medals and enthusiastic ex-
carnations at a show. 1t is necessary
to have an expert man in from the
fashionable fruiterer to erect the mag
nificent monument to Pomona. 1t is
an art and a gift to be able to build
one of the fruit castles that at big din
ners measures sometimes 4 feet from
the base to the apex. Just the mar
ket fruits. lemons. oranges bananas.