44 
HOUSE & GARDEN 
The William and Mary mirror makes 
an excellent overmantel hackground. 
On the shelf before it is an Italian 
polychrome head on a piece of old gold 
brocade which, relieves the severely 
rectangular lines of the grouping. An 
alternatire might be a reproduction 
of this mirror either in natural wood 
or painted black with mouldings 
touched icith gold 
THE MANTEL SHELF 
AND THE WALL ABOVE 
ABBOT M c C L U R E 
and H. D. EBERLEIN 
Antiques by courtesy of W. R. Lehiie 
Chapman Decorative Company, Decorators 
Above the mantel hangs a Chinese 
embroidery; below it a carved Japa¬ 
nese panel. The large vases are 
crackleware and the middle object a 
yellow Chinese ginger jar on a teak- 
wood stand. Instead of the embroidery 
might be used a square of damask or 
brocade flanked by panels of velvet 
edged with galloon 
Instead of the English nth Century brass 
clock might be used a bracket clock or one of 
mahogany. The painted Chinese sign finds 
an alternative in painted Japanese paper 
Chapman Decorative Company, Decorators 
The sunburst clock above this early 
Georgian mantel enriches the en¬ 
tire room. A less elaborate treatment 
tcould be a hanging Dutch clock 
T he fireplace and its super¬ 
structure are permanent. 
They are going to stay as long as 
architecture itself, as long as fire 
burns, or as long as the human 
family finds comfort and pleas¬ 
ure in a cheery blaze. 
Now the surrounds of the fire¬ 
place and its mantel and over¬ 
mantel superstructure form a 
distinctly architectural feature. 
And yet, the mantel occupies a 
curious position midway between 
architecture and furniture. For 
its full architectural value to be 
seen, it requires the accompani¬ 
ment of proper movable garni¬ 
ture that will harmonize. 
Success or failure in treating 
the mantel itself and the wall 
space above it will attend our 
efforts just in so far as we pay 
heed to certain immutable prin¬ 
ciples which, once recognized, 
are not difficult to follow. 
There is no moral nor artistic 
obligation to observe any estab¬ 
lished or arbitrary convention, 
such as the erstwhile usage that 
In place of the carved red cinnabar cabinet 
might be used a Japanese or Chinese lacquer 
cabinet, or, if the shelf is wide, an English 
dole cabinet or Dutch silver cupboard 
