AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
85 
1801.] 
curiosity of children and awaken inquiry into 
their history and significance. They will inspire 
in the young a love of the beautiful, and will 
form their taste according to the best models. 
One of the finest vases which we saw at the 
establishment of Janes, Fowler & Co., of this 
city, was a copy of the celebrated Warwick 
Vase, of which we give a sketch, (Fig. 5.) 
The original was produced in marble by Ly¬ 
sippus, a statuary of the time of Alexander the 
Great. In the year 1774, a fine copy of it was 
found among the ruins of the Emperor Adrian’s 
Villa, at Tivoli, and was sent from thence to 
England, and came into the possession of the 
Earl of Warwick’s family,' where it has since 
remained, and whence it took its modern name. 
The critics tell us it is one of the finest relics of 
Grecian sculpture to be found in England. It 
is of the purest white marble. Its form is near¬ 
ly spherical, with a deep, grouted rim. Two 
interlacing vines, whose stems run into and con¬ 
stitute the handles, wreathe their tendrils, fruit, 
and foliage around the upper part. The center 
is composed of antique heads in high relief. 
“ A panther’s skin, with the thyrsus of Bacchus, 
(a favorite antique ornament,) and other embel¬ 
lishments complete the composition.” It is 
quite large, being six feet and eleven inches in 
diameter, and holding one hundred and sixty 
three gallons. In this, the ancients mixed their 
wine on festive occasions, and hence it was 
appropriately adorned with Bacchic emblems. 
Mr. Downing, in his visit to Warwick Castle 
many years ago, met with this famous old vase, 
and thus speaks Of it in his letters: “Passing 
through a gate in the castle wall, I entered the 
pleasure grounds, and saw there the celebrated 
Warwick vase—the giant among vases. It is a 
magnificent mass of marble, weighing eight tuns, 
Fig. 4. 
of beautiful proportions, of which reduced cop¬ 
ies are now familiar to us all over the world. 
It was brought from the temple of Vesta, (?) and 
is larger than I had been led to believe, holding 
nearly two hogsheads. It is also rather more 
globular in form, and more delicate in detail, 
than one would suppose from the copies.” 
Mr. D., himself, had a fine copy of this vase 
on one of his lawns, wrought from Maltese stone. 
An American traveler in England, lately speak¬ 
ing of a certain Park in Birmingham, says: 
“ The most imposing object here was a stupend¬ 
ous bronze vase, a fac simile of the marble one 
at Warwick Castle. The proprietor of it has 
refused £10,000 ($50,000) for it: it cost about 
£5,000 and six years’ labor.” 
And now, after dealing in such large figures, 
it will refresh some of our art-loving readers to 
know that a handsome small copy of this vase 
in cast iron, can be bought in this country for 
$18, and one of a size larger for $30. Pedestals for 
the same, cost from $10 to $15 extra. A vase 
like Fig. 3, one foot high, without pedestal, can 
be had for $3 or $4. Pedestal will about double 
the price. Various patterns can also be found 
at moderate cost, in terra-cotta, or Maltese stone. 
THE mUSISIHmiDo 
As to Furniture—A Man’s View. 
The ladies must not have this matter wholly 
to themselves, wisely as they commonly man¬ 
age it. The writer must be allowed to slip in a 
word, now and then, for variety, at least. 
The English excel all nations in the internal 
decoration of their houses. The taste of the 
Italians runs chiefly to sculpture and painting. 
The French are such a race of gad-abouts, they 
give little study to the subject of home comforts 
and attractions. “ The Dutch,” says a lively 
writer, “ have an indeterminate idea that a cur¬ 
tain is not a cabbage. In Spain they are all cur¬ 
tains—a nation of hangmen. The Hottentots 
and Kickapoos are very well in their way. The 
Yankees alone are preposterous." 
What does this hit at the Yankees mean ? 
Perhaps it means that we have no settled rules 
of propriety and taste, and that in undertaking 
to do a thing finely, Ave over-do it. Doubtless 
we are too much given to display. There is no 
“ nobility ” here, no blood-aristocracy to confer 
social distinction. Moneyq far too much, makes 
the man, and Avlioever can display that, consid¬ 
ers himself lifted among the upper classes. 
Hence it comes to pass that in the furnishing of 
dwellings, Ave are too apt to value an article for 
decoration by its costliness, and its evident ex¬ 
pensiveness. This leads to a general display of 
glare and glitter, than Avhicli, nothing can be 
more offensive to true taste, which requires some¬ 
thing besides show and tinsel, however brilliant. 
One of the most striking defects in the furnish¬ 
ing of American houses, is the want of keep¬ 
ing. There is a lack of harmony betAveen the 
different articles of furniture, as to their size, style, 
color, arrangement. In some rooms, there is too 
much precision and stiffness, as though the car¬ 
pet and furniture were made to be looked at, 
not used. Then again, the carpet, Avliich is the 
soul of every apartment,. is out of keeping. 
Large, sprawling figures overwhelm the little 
room; the glaring, ill-assorted colors make one’s 
eyes ache. Why not have something more deli¬ 
cate, harmonious, subdued, and appropriate? 
Most persons who can have gas-lights, Avill 
use them,prob¬ 
ably; but to our 
eyes, they are 
harsh and flick¬ 
ering. Can any¬ 
thing be more 
truly beautiful 
and artistic, 
than the old 
astral 1 a m p, 
Avith its ground 
glass shade: 
Don’t you re¬ 
member llOAV 
soft and steady 
a light it gave ? 
Who has not 
obseiwed that 
female beauty 
is never so fas¬ 
cinating as un¬ 
der its sweet, subdued radiance ? And yet, 
the fashion is now for cut glass shades. They 
are more flashy and costly, and that’s enough 
to recommend the gaudy abomination. 
This passion for glare leads to the use of glass 
pendants- on lamps and chandeliers, and to 
the hanging of numerous mirrors on the parlor 
walls. They reflect the lights, and give an air 
of brilliancy and of artificial extent to an apart¬ 
ment. But the mirrors destroy all ideas of the 
shape and proportions of the room, and Avith 
the glass danglers make up a beAvildering display 
of glitter, glitter, glitter. It is a childish device, 
a Aveak loA r e of sIioav. 
Just-look into this imaginary parlor, not per¬ 
fect, to be sure, .but it has some good points. 
Not large, but longer one Avay than the other, 
by r a ferv feet. Its windoAVS are at the ends, not 
the sides, and they are large, extending to the 
floor and opening out on to a veranda. The 
curtains are crimson damask, looped up with 
silk cords and tassels of the same color, enlh r en- 
ed with a braid or tAvo of gold. They have 
fringes of the same color. The walls are cov¬ 
ered Avith a smooth paper, of a silvery grey tint, 
in which appear small arabesque figures, Avith 
an occasional sprig of gold ; and the border is a 
neat band or scroll, in which crimson and gold 
appear sufficiently to characterize it. The car¬ 
pet is thick, smooth, soft, with figures not too 
large for the size of the room—not strewn Avith 
mammoth bouquets, not glaring in color, but 
lively, yet subdued and in keeping with the hue 
of the curtains. 
There are tAvo sofas, Ioav and cozy-looking— 
one or two large easy chairs, with arms, solid 
and comfortable, as if made for use; and tAvo 
light reception chairs. These are of rose-Avood, 
and, except the last, are covered with crimson 
plush or damask. There is a piano-forte, open 
and inviting the touch. Yonder is a table or 
t-AVO, large and small, not standing alone in the 
middle of the room, but near the sofas, and 
adorned Avith a feAV books and ornamental arti¬ 
cles. Our favorite Astral lamp occupies the 
center of the largest table, with its ground glass 
shade delicately tinted Avith crimson. On the 
Avails hang several paintings, family portraits 
and landscapes. Upon a stand, in one corner, 
lies a portfolio of choice engravings. On the 
mantle, are a few figures in Parian and bronze. 
In a vase, there is bouquet of fresh cut floAvers. 
* -x- * -x- * -x- \\ r e ] ia tl hardly' finished our 
glance at this parlor, when a lady, fresh from 
Fig. 5 — AVAHAVICK VASE. 
