September, 1917 
55 
Octagonal wood box, 
25" long by 15" wide, 
to match room, $35 
Even the humble hearth 
pan is Idle. Black with 
brilliant flowers 
sheets with even greater care. When 
molded into the desired form, 
the article is japanned or painted a 
foundation color and fired. It is then 
ornamented, usually with a floral deco¬ 
ration or a Chinese motif with figures 
in gold, suggesting lacquer work. 
Among the early examples extant, 
which because of their associations and 
exquisite decoration are kept as cher¬ 
ished relics, are found articles of ordi¬ 
nary use such as samovars, trays, tea 
caddies, candlesticks, chestnut urns 
and braziers. These came into popular 
use in England and France during the 
late 18th and early 19th Centuries, and 
probably became fashionable through 
the general poverty subsequent to the 
French Revolution and Napoleonic 
wars. They show the desire of the 
people to surround themselves with 
household utensils charming in form 
and color and at the same time inex¬ 
pensive. And likewise they show that 
during these times, there were many 
artists of rank who had no other means 
of earning a livelihood, and were 
obliged to turn their talent to this work. 
Even the famous Hubert Robert is 
known to have decorated pots and pans 
during his incarceration in the Con- 
ciergerie, under the Terror. These 
pots were sold to procure necessities 
for himself and his fellow prisoners, 
and many evidences of the touch of a 
master hand are seen in the decoration 
of some of the more beautiful pieces of 
old tole whose authorship will never be 
definitely determined, owing to the lack 
of a signature or designating mark. 
Tole Masters 
During the 18th Century and 
throughout the great period of its pop¬ 
ularity, many makers of tole earned 
great distinction for the quality and 
decoration of their ware, such as “Au 
petit Dunkerque” in the I-'aubourg St. 
Honore, which was regarded as the 
most celebrated make of tole in Paris. 
Notwithstanding the demand for 
articles of utility, during those ominous 
days, French tole was distinguishable 
by its graceful lines and distinctly or¬ 
namental character as well as by the 
happy coloring in its painted decora¬ 
tion, which, even if applied to the prac- 
I 
A pair of solid, modern tole vases, 11" high, $15 each. The 
tin flowers, $10 a bunch. The center tole tree with bowl is 
10" high, $25 complete 
tical utensils of every day use, was full 
of brilliancy and charm. 
Decorations after Boucher and Fra¬ 
gonard were favorite subjects and were 
painted on black, blue, white, dull yel¬ 
low or green backgrounds. Delicate 
cameo figures in white or gray against 
a dark background were often seen as 
well and became a popular lamp shade 
decoration, especially for the French 
candle lamp. 
Tole made during the Empire shows 
red as the preferred background with 
gold conventionalized decoration. This 
is possibly less pleasing than that of 
the earlier kinds, such as the Chinese 
decoration on a light yellow back¬ 
ground, sometimes seen in the finer 
work, the surface suggesting a rare 
piece of cloissonne or enamel rather 
than flat pigment decoration. 
The English Types 
But it is in English tole that we find 
this decoration in its most popular 
adaptation. At a time when the 
Chinese influence was being strongly 
felt in all ornament, finding its expo¬ 
nent in Chippendale, in furniture and 
mirrors, and in the Oriental designs in 
porcelain decoration, it is not remark¬ 
able that it became the popular scheme 
of tole decoration. This is evidenced 
in the many bread trays, egg warmers, 
tea kettles and boxes that have come 
down to us from as far back as the 
18th Century. 
While the English tole was rarely as 
beautiful as the French, it was more 
often adapted to general utility and be¬ 
came very popular for such uses. Red 
and black or a dull yellow usually con¬ 
stituted the tone of the background, 
and gold was the invariable outline. 
However, English tole decoration was 
not confined to the conventional nor to 
the Chinese motifs, as there are many 
beautiful examples of floral decoration, 
as well as of medallions upon the vari¬ 
ous sides of the article. These have all 
the beauty and delicacy of miniatures 
and, like the French, were unquestion¬ 
ably the work of a great painter. To¬ 
day they have a very decided value and 
are interesting examples of the more 
ornate expression found in English tole 
decoration. 
A “bungalow pantry,”' 
sliding doors, adjustable 
shelves, 15" high, $12 
The dust pan and cocoa 
fibre hearth brush set 
comes at $6.50 
Examples such as this garniture of three old French tole urn-shaped vases are rare. They would be worth from $75 to $100 each. A delicately 
painted decoration of flowers and musical instruments is shown against bronze backgrounds 
