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CHAPTER XXVIII
A MODERN HOUSE IN WHICH GENUINE JACOBEAN FURNITURE IS APPROPRIATELY
SET
An original scheme for a dining-room was recently carried out in a
country house in England by a woman whose hobby is illuminating. It
will appeal to experts in the advance guard of interior decoration.
The woman in question was stimulated for her task by coming into
possession of some interesting Jacobean pieces of furniture, of oak,
squarely and solidly made, with flat carvings, characteristic of the
period.
PLATE XXIV
A beautiful mantel, a beautiful mirror, beautiful ornaments, and
a rare and beautiful marble bust by Behnes, but because the bust
is too large for both mantel and reflecting mirror, the
composition is poor.
Example of Lack of Balance in Mantel Arrangement
The large Jacobean chest happened to be lined, as many of those old
chests were, with quaint figured paper, showing a coat-of-arms
alternating with another design in large squares of black and grey.
This paper, the owner had reproduced to cover the walls of her
dining-room, and then she stained her woodwork black (giving the
effect of old black oak), also, the four corner cupboards, but
the inside of these cupboards—doors and all—she made a rich
Pompeian red and lackered it. The doors are left open and one sees on
the shelves of the corner cupboards a wonderful collection of old
china, much of it done in rich gold. At night the whole is illuminated
with invisible electric bulbs. The gleaming effect is quite
marvellous.
The seat-pads on chairs, are made of hides, gilded all over, and on
the gilt the owner has painted large baskets holding fruit and flowers
done in gay colours. The long Jacobean bench has a golden cushion with
baskets painted on it in gay colours.
A part of the wonderful gold china is used at every meal, and the rest
of it being left on the shelves of the four cupboards with their
Pompeian red lining, when lit up, forms part of the glowing blaze of
colour, concentrated in all four corners of this unique room.
The Jacobean library in this house has the same black oak effect for
panelling and at the windows, hang long, red silk curtains, with deep
borders of gold on which are painted gay flowers. This blaze of colour
is truly Jacobean and recalls the bedroom at Knole, occupied by James
I where the bed-curtains were of red silk embroidered in gorgeous
gold, and the high post bedstead heavily carved, covered with gold and
silver tissue, lined with red silk, its head-board carved and gilded.
Another room at Knole was known as the "Spangle" bedroom. James I gave
the furniture in it to Lionel, Earl of Middlesex. Bed curtains, as
well as the seats of chairs and stools, are of crimson, heavily
embroidered in gold and silver.
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