Evening journal., 1907-04-24
FURNITURE OF
PAST AND PRESENT
History Shows That the An.
clients We're Proficient
in the Art
TABLE THAT COST S45,OOO

. aC9 ~ "
AS we enter the portals of a luxur-
iously furnished home. there is some
thing that causes us to wish that our
own home was furnished like it. But
as the tastes of each Individual vary.
it is seldom that we find two homes
bearing amy resemblance to each other. /
The furniture of today lis far different
from the furniture used in the last
century. The history OF furniture is
as varied and interesting as the his
tory of nAtions-for has il not played
an important role i'm the making of
history?
Hebrews Were Experts.
The Hebrews were experts IN making
furniture, for the tabernacle erected
1900 years before Christ. bore evil
dence of their wonderful skill as cabi-
lnet makers. The Greeks, although at
iirst i'm favor of simple furniture. in
later years adopted the most sump-
Ituous furniture, being carved ana de-
lcorated with figures iQ bas-renef, i'm
lgold. ivory and sit or inlaid.
The excavations at Pompeii, ffye
levdenco of the wonderful and costly
/ furniture of the Romans. Tables were
Imade of gold, silver marble and bronze.
land were engraved, plated and cmich-
ed with precious stones. Ivory was
used with an sorts of woods and out
Iof it was carved the characters known
TO the students of mythology They
found that by applying veneors a rich
Ter effect could be secured with the
more beautiful marked woods, and the
process of veneering has been handed
down TO the present generation.
Table Cost $4,000.
It is recorded that a table made for
lCicero cost $4,000. and that one be
longing to King Juba was sold at
iauction for $4,000.
Ciceros table was made Of q wood
Icailed thyme, brought from Africa. and
was highly PRICED on account of it's
beauty. This wood is still found in
the Atlas mountains. I'm the begin-
ming of the Italian renaissance the
style i'm furniture was palaual later it
became over-ornamontal silver was
FUSED So profusely i'm Spain, that an
edict was issued I'm 1894 prohibiting
the making and selling of this kind
of furniture in order not to increase
the scarcity of silver.
The Chinese and Japanese did not
begin to have chairs until the seven-
teonth century This was character
lied by the most grotesque carvings,
marvellous monsters and dragons. Tho
irelgns of three French monarch, Louis
xiv. Louis Ky and Louis XVI, each
introduced distinctive style in fur
nture
Period Of Louis XIV.
II was during the reign Of Louis XIV,
that the famous Martin family flourish
led. who made the still fashionable fur
nimre known as the Nerius Martin.
IThis was am imitation of the Chinese
lacquer. under Louis XVI and Marie
Antoinctte. furniture became more re-
fined and simple some of the rich
Imoderu furniture being in that style.
lThe accession of Charles II was marked
lboth I'm England and the colonies by
Tam increase in luXuries of every kind.
In the early part of the eighteenth
century began the first contrivancos,
such as secret drawers for holding vail
uable papers or Jewels Sheraton,
IChippendale and Heppelwhite were the
great furniture makers of the cigh-
teonth century and much OF their work
|is at present preserved and priced by
enthusiastic collectors.
Most of the cnrniture Of the early
American colonists was Dutch and
English I'm style and the models are
preserved by present day furniture
imakers. Napoleon introduced the om-
,pire STYLE of furniture among the
lwoalthier class. This furniture was
Invariably of mahogany with good
Igrding, bronze mounts and covered In
costly silks; the design of the frames
being dignihod and stin The present
mission furniture was copied from pat-
terms I'm the old Spanish missions i'm
Mexico. The past year has added
Imany new and handsome designs iu
Ifurnituro Rich mahogany and POLISH
lea quarter sawed oak gives the Will
Imington stores an appearance of
grandeur The store OF Mcmahon
Brothers Company. H. Meeary ana SON
Company. Wilmington Furniture
Company, Edward II. 3rennan. Miller
Brothers Company, Jamgs Mchars
Foord and Massey Furniture Com-
pany. J. & J. n. Harmun and j. J.
Corrigan are an I'm GALA attire The
{ goods displayed are beautiful and from
the present prices. il seems that tho
= opportunity 90 select sooG furniture,
IS an easy matter sor Wilmington
aonSewige1