November, 19 13 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



The massive carved frames surrounding 

 the masterpieces of Botticelli are unique 

 and beautiful, adding richness to the se- 

 verity of the paintings themselves. They 

 belong to the period in which they were 

 made and cannot easily be transplanted 

 to later uses. Carving of the Orient fol- 

 lows the best traditions of design suited 

 to its purpose. 



The Indian taboret folding stand has a 

 border of low relief flat carving surround- 

 ing the top with a large plain space in 

 the center of the stand on which to set 

 the coffee tray or a vase in perfect secur- 

 ity. The octagonal sides have panels of 

 pierced carving in their upper sections 

 with arched openings below. Incised leaf 

 forms set to a stem as growing leaves are 

 set, cover all the upright posts and lower 

 cross bands, so that literally every inch 

 of space is covered with ornament of a 

 kind suited to the space it occupies and 

 for that reason the little taboret occupies 

 a favored place as an object on which 

 ornament has not been misplaced. 



The Chinese chair presents very odd 

 lines to the western eye but the carving 

 of ornament is usually confined to those 

 spaces surrounding the back where rich- 

 ness in small detail may delight the eye 

 without interfering with the comfortable 

 use of the chair. Just the contrary is the 

 case with the great high-backed chairs of 

 European make on which ornament was 

 placed over every available space just to 

 show the woodcarver's cleverness. 



Ornament that usurps the place of use- 

 fulness and makes the object it adorns 

 suitable only for the glass case of a 

 museum is certainly out of place. Con- 

 sider always just the service the piece of 

 furniture was made for and then design 

 the ornament so that it can by no possible 

 chance interfere with that service. 



The Japanese have introduced carved 

 wood panels into the walls of rooms above 

 doorways and into the freize or upper 

 portion of wall space with great appro- 

 priateness as giving ventilation without 

 the necessity of leaving doors and win- 

 dows open for prowlers to enter at night. 

 Except in very warm countries this would 

 seem unsuited to any but seaside or 

 mountain Summer cabins but the carved 

 wood panels or running-bands of orna- 

 ment surrounding large, plain spaces 

 would appropriately decorate a room and 

 furnish agreeable spaces for the wood- 

 carver's art. 



Screens also afford great opportunity 

 for the art of wood-carving on the up- 

 right and cross bars and in narrow panels 

 placed at the top where pierced wood- 

 carving and delicately incised designs 

 would ornament a space always con- 

 spicuous. 



AN ISOLATED COLONY 



THE Falkland Islands, in the South 

 Atlantic Ocean, are a British colony 

 with a population of over 3,000, possessing 

 a comparatively imposing array of of- 

 ficials — governor, executive and legislative 

 councils, colonial secretary, etc. They 

 have also a bishop and a cathedral. This 

 interesting pocket edition of a colony has 

 hitherto had no telegraphic communication 

 with the world, and only a monthly mail 

 to England. Its isolation is now at an end ; 

 a wireless telegraph station has been opened 

 at the capital and metropolis, Port Stanley 

 ( population 880). Communication with 

 the outside world will be had only through 

 the wireless station at Montevideo, 

 Uruguay, 1,240 miles distant. 



The women of tomorrow 

 will know of the broom and 

 the duster only as imple- 

 ments of an unenlightened 

 generation. 



Make yours one of the homes 

 where the drudgery and ineffi- 

 ciency of the broom are no 

 longer known, and where the 

 ultra of convenience is enjoyed 

 through the possession of a 

 Western Electric Sturtevant 

 Vacuum Cleaner. 



The model shown here is so 

 light it can be easily carried 

 anywhere about the house. 

 Weighs but 13 pounds. Costs 

 $47.50. And yet it does the 

 character of work of the big, 

 expensive kind that you 



see in hotels and public 



buildings. 



Concrete Pottery and Garden Furniture 



T! 



By Ralph C. Davison 



'HIS book describes in detail in a most practical manner 

 the various methods of casting concrete for ornamental 

 and useful purposes. It tells how to make all kinds of con- 

 crete vases, ornamental flower pots, concrete pedestals, con- 

 crete benches, concrete fences, etc. Full practical instruc- 

 tions are given for constructing and finishing the different 

 kinds of molds, making the wire forms or frames, selecting 

 and mixing the ingredients, covering the wire frames, model- 

 ing the cement mortar into form, and casting and finishing 

 the various objects. Directions for inlaying, waterproofing and 

 reinforcing cement are also included The information on 

 color work alone is worth many times the cost of the book. 

 With the information given in this book, any handy man or 

 novice can make many useful and ornamental objects of 

 cement for the adornment of the home or garden. The author has taken for 

 granted that the reader knows nothing whatever about the subject and has ex- 

 plained each progressive step in the various operations throughout in detail. 

 16 mo. (5# x iy z inches) 196 Pages. 140 Illustrations. 



Price $1.50, postpaid 



MUNN & COMPANY, Inc., Publishers 

 361 Broadway New York 



