Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-19

windows displays a complete furnishing
scheme for the library, with oriental rugs
and warm mahogany furniture that catches
the light from the cleverly concealed bulbs
and returns the reflection Of beautiful
markings. 4 novelty Is an exhibition Of
bookblnding materials so that one may
order ones favorite authors bound in the
color that harmonizes with the library
furnishings. There is no eminin touch
visible here. The deep chairs are leather.
the table is broad and long, the book
cases are easy to open and inspect and
the lighting is admirably adapted to the
use of the room.
one Of the most attractive Of the OK
hiblts is in the next window, which is
filled with a thousand and one articles for
the feminine toilet table, brushes and comb
boxes and trays in tortoise shell, inlaid
with dun silver or gold. These are ex-
hibited on a velvet flooring and the back
ground of the same tint is
In the shape Of embroidered screens fitted
into the window frame so that the inn
preston is OF a huge box, The decorator
estimates the value Of the display at 5000.
Another exhibit for men contains won
derful travelling bags of soft tan feathers,
Of black and Of russell. Through tne
hand es umbrellas are stuck and on the
dptN VI tA'u ~ u Ndpr Nv bobS NiACiA
selves are fitted with every possible con-
venience. Steamer and auto rugs are scat
tered about. TASKS punctuate the display
and outside the window is n line of critical
men who express approval. While the
window is not snowy the decorator assures
the visitor that each article has been
chosen with the eye Of the cOnnoisseur.
One window has a setting of Empire
furniture. cheval glasses, small divans'
tiny spindle legged tables holding bronze
figures which In turn clasp clusters of silk
covered lamps. The background Of car
dinal red velours is draped generously and
the fittings of the room complete might
supply the needs OF a duchess seemingly.
But its sole use is to show 100 lace hand
kerchiefs, each In a box-duchesse, cluny,
point d'esprit and other fi.my makes, form
inv n bewildering cobweh of beauty.
Skins OF animals and reptiles form an
other background, all of them chosen for
beauty OF markings and Coioring. Against
n is setting are flung bags made from the
prepared materials-a showing of first
cause and after effect. There is every
possible bag here except the ugly, prao-
tical one. Some exquisite ones are of the
fashionable shades of mauve. highly
polished, with dull gold settings, lined with
suede and containing an array Of useful
things. one has "a gold pencil attached to
a long chain hung outside the bag. the
pencil held In place by a small leather
band. Another which modestly assumes to
be designed for shopping, displays a COM
plete assortment of makeup materials. This
bag costs $50. and as there are perhaps
100 other bags ranging In price from S25
to 500 the value of the display will be seen
to be large.
I'VE get no ideas in the east that we
can use in artistic window treatment. for
the profession is practically unknown
there" SAYS this decorator. The oriental
m erchant has his little bazaar or his small
selling place in a big establishment You
are not invited there by any outside allure
ment; in fact, just as soon as he has any.
thing to sell he apparently is unwilling to
sell it and welcomes your departure with
out 1t with cheerfulness, II not actual
mirth.
He shows you, as a general rule, one
article at a time, and the matter of haste
being one that they consider entirely for
the weak-minded you can take an hour or
two to make up your mind: but until You
do make 1t up up will see nothing else.
The Chinese are especially careless about
making sales, the japanese being more
wide awake"
The decorator takes up several articles
in the window designed to show the latest
oriental novelties to occidental eyes.
"A peculiar thing about the Omahan is
the fact that he must nave his imported
wares Americanized." he says. Art for
arts sake he approves of as a sentiment,
but when it comes to paying out his money
he wants to be sure that he is getting
something useful as we'll as beautiful, and
in consequence many OF our most exquisite
goods are changed here to meet this de-
mand.
For instance, the huge jars that to the
oriental need no excuse for being, are
turned into lamps for the American trade,
and the lanterns Of the most exquisite
workmanship must have the paper re-
placed by glass; bits of ivory must be at
tached to pins for hats. and rough bits
of brocade that a Japanese would place
somewhere in view and sit before in rapt
attention must be turned into opera bags
or pin cushions.
zone of the most attractive windows Of
our establishment for the holiday eyes
will show a collection OF jewelry. II is in
reality also Americanized, the actual orl-
entail jewelry having been found to be a
little too barbarlc for the New York
woman's taste, So the designs are modl-
fled and modernized. the seml-preclou
stones, imported in the rough and oeyerIy
set, giving the Impression Of the east, but
preserving the unitarian viewpoint Of the
western world"
Across the window OF a small antique
shop an interesting collection is displayed.
Here are strange pharmacy Jars rescued
from the oblivion OF the sixteenth and
seventeenth century hiding places and re-
calling the time whom each chemist In
Italy and Spain had his particular shape.
size and marking for the porcelain rsoepta-
Giles In which he kept his drugs and herbs.
Many OF these are extremely beautiful.
many merely curious Already fastIdious
shoppers are finding IN them possibilities
for rose jars and for perfume holders. In
this same collection are bits OF aIabaster
copies Of old Etruscan dishes and vases.
Painted furniture-the latest fad-lmitat-
Ing the fashion prevalent in the reiSns
OF Louis XIV and XVI, Il another novelty
exhibited In n Sixteenth street shop win
dow and there is a charming collection
OF the fashionable psniers fleuris. the
= lowered baskets, that are now shown In
every possible material. as pendants
brooches embroidered on handkerchiefs
9 as metal receptacles for the toilet table.