26 
House & Garden 
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(Left) A modern dressing 
table in the style of the 18tli 
Century. It is made of shot 
taffeta and old galloon. The 
bench is upholstered in taf¬ 
feta with a panier flcuris 
design in cutwork, a revival 
of an old style. An electric 
candle lights the table. The 
curtains are gauze and shot 
taffeta 
(Right) From the first Em¬ 
pire has come this 18 th 
Century poudreuse, which 
folds up and quite conceals 
its purpose. The stool is a 
reproduction of an antique 
Louis XV. The note of 
genuine antiquity is given 
the grouping by the old 
Venetian powder and scent 
bottles, the candlestick and 
cross-stitch screen 
(Below) The wig and washstand was a 
necessary piece of furniture in the old 
powder room. The basin rested on the 
wooden rim and the wig was placed on 
a wig support, shaped like a head, at¬ 
tached to the back of the stand. Indenta¬ 
tions held scent bottles and patch boxes 
(Below) There was a gracefid simplicity 
to the Empire dressing table. The table 
is of mahogany with a chiseled ormolu 
decoration at the keyhole. The uphol¬ 
stery of the chair and the heavy window 
curtains are Empire silk from a design 
used in Napoleon's time 
The Duchess of Devonshire, as 
Sir Joshua Reynolds paints her, 
is wearing one of the thirty-five 
wigs on which the Duke paid a 
. tax of a guinea each 
Often the washstand took the 
Italian form—a basin set in a 
wrought iron stand. Basin and 
stand and water jug here are an¬ 
tiques. This custom is returning 
now that wrought iron has again 
come into favor 
