,,chats ,,on ,,household ,,curios ,,books ,,for ,,collectors ,with ,frontispieces and many ,illustrations ,large ,crown #hvo1 cloth4 ,,chats ,,on ,,english ,,china4 ,by ,arthur ,hayden4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,furniture ,by ,arthur ,hayden4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,prints4 ,by ,arthur ,hayden4 ,,chats ,,on ,,costume4 ,by ,g4 ,woolliscroft ,rhead4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,lace ,,and ,,needlework4 ,by ,e4 ,l4 ,lowes4 ,,chats ,,on ,,oriental ,,china4 ,by ,j4 ,f4 ,blacker4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,miniatures4 ,by ,j4 ,j4 ,foster1 ,f4,s4,a4 ,,chats ,,on ,,english ,,earthenware4 ,by ,arthur ,hayden4 ,,chats ,,on ,,autographs4 ,by ,a4 ,m4 ,broadley4 ,,chats ,,on ,,pewter4 ,by ,h4 ,j4 ,l4 ,j4 ,masse1 ,m4,a4 ,,chats ,,on ,,postage ,,stamps4 ,by ,fred4 ,j4 ,melville4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,jewellery ,,and ,,trinkets4 ,by ,mac,iver ,percival4 ,,chats ,,on ,,cottage ,,and ,,farmhouse ,,furniture4 ,by ,arthur ,hayden4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,coins4 ,by ,fred4 ,w4 ,burgess4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,copper ,,and ,,brass4 ,by ,fred4 ,w4 ,burgess4 ,,chats ,,on ,,household ,,curios4 ,by ,fred4 ,w4 ,burgess4 ,in ,preparation4 ,,chats ,,on ,,bargains4 ,by ,charles ,e4 ,jerningham4 ,,chats ,,on ,,japanese ,,prints4 ,by ,arthur ,davison ,ficke4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,clocks ,,and ,,watches4 ,by ,arthur ,hayden4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,silver4 ,by ,arthur ,hayden4 ,,london3 ,t4 ,,fisher ,,unwin4 ,,new ,,york3 ,f4 ,a4 ,,stokes ,,company4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a4--,,old ,,fireplace1 ,,showing ,,sussex ,,back1 ,,andirons1 ,,and ,,trivet4 ,frontispiece4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chats ,,on ,,household ,,curios ,,by ,,fred4 ,w4 ,,burgess ,,author ,,of ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,coins1 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,copper ,,and ,,brass1 ,,etc4 ,,with #id ,,illustrations ,,london ,t4 ,,fisher ,,unwin ,,adelphi ,,terrace ,first published in #aiad 7,all rights reserved7 ,,preface ,there is a peculiar charm about the relics found in an old home--a home from which many generations of fledglings have flown4 ,as each milestone in family history is passed some once common object of use or ornament is dropped by the way4 ,such interesting mementoes of past generations accumulate1 and in course of time the older ones become curios4 ,it is to create greater interest in these old-world odds and ends--some of trifling value to an outsider1 others of great intrinsic worth--that this book has been written4 ,the love of possession is to some possessors the chief delight2 to others knowledge of the original purposes and uses of the objects acquired affords still greater pleasure4 ,my intention has been rather to assist the latter class of collectors than to facilitate the mere assemblage of additional stores of curiosities4 ,it is truly astonishing how rapidly the common uses of even household furnishings and culinary utensils are forgotten when they are superseded by others of more modern type4 ,the modern art of to-day and the revival of the much older furniture of the past have driven out the household gods of intermediate dates1 and it is in that period intervening between the two extremes that most of the household curios reviewed in this work are found4 ,although many of the finest examples of household curios are now in museums1 private collectors often possess exceptional specimens1 and sometimes own the most representative groups of those things upon which they have specialized4 ,the examples in this book have been drawn from various sources4 ,as in ,chats on ,old ,copper and ,brass 7which may almost be regarded as a companion work71 the illustrations are taken from photographs of typical museum curios and objects in private collections1 or have been specially sketched by my daughter1 who has had access to many interesting collections1 to the owners of which ,i am indebted for the illustrations ,i am able to make use of4 ,my thanks are due to the ,directors of the ,british ,museum1 who have allowed their printers1 the ,university ,press1 ,oxford1 to supply electros of some exceptional objects now in the ,museum2 also to the ,director of the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 at ,south ,kensington2 and the ,director of the ,london ,museum1 now located at ,stafford ,house4 ,dr4 ,hoyle1 the ,director of the ,national ,museum of ,wales1 at ,cardiff1 has most kindly had specially prepared for this work quite a number of photographs of very uncommon household curios4 ,the ,curator of the ,hull ,museum has loaned blocks1 and photographs have been sent by ,messrs4 ,egan and ,co41 ,ltd41 of ,cork2 ,mr4 ,wayte1 of ,edenbridge2 and ,mr4 ,phillips1 of the ,manor ,house1 ,hitchin4 ,to ,mr4 ,evans1 of ,nailsea ,court1 ,somerset1 ,i am indebted for the loan of his unrivalled collection of ancient nutcrackers1 some of which have been sketched for reproduction4 ,i have also made use of examples in the collections of private friends1 and illustrated some of my own household curios1 many of them family relics4 ,the story of domestic curios is made the more useful by these illustrations1 and also by references to well-known collections4 ,there is much to admire in the once common objects of the home1 now curios1 and it is in the hope that some may be led to appreciate more the antiques with which they are familiar that these pages have been penned4 ,if that is achieved my object will have been accomplished4 ,,fred4 ,w4 ,,burgess4 ,,london1 #aiad4 ,,contents ,,page ,,preface #g ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,love ,,of ,,the ,,antique #ai ,no place like home--,curios in the making--,the influence of prevailing styles--,a cultivated taste4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,ingle ,,side #cc ,fire-making appliances--,tinder boxes--,the fireplace--,andirons and fire-dogs--,sussex backs--,fireirons and fenders--,trivets and stools--,bellows4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,lights ,,of ,,former ,,days #ei ,rushlights and holders--,candles1 moulds1 and boxes--,snuffers1 trays1 and extinguishers--,oil lamps--,lanterns4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,table ,,appointments #gg ,cutlery3 ,knives1 forks1 and spoons--,salt cellars--,cruet stands--,punch and toddy--,porringers and cups--,trays and waiters--,the tea table--,cream jugs--,sugar tongs and nippers--,caddies--,cupids--,nutcrackers --,turned woodware4 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,kitchen #aba ,the kitchen grate--,boilers and kettles--,grills and gridirons--,cooking utensils--,warming pans4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,home ,,ornaments #adg ,mantelpiece ornaments--,vases--,derbyshire ,spars--,jade or spleen stone--,wood carvings--,old gilt4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,glass ,,and ,,enamels #agc ,waterford1 ,bristol1 and ,nailsea--,ornaments of glass--,enamels on metal4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,leather ,,and ,,horn #ahe ,spanish leather--,cuir boulli work--,tapestry and upholstery--,leather bottles and drinking vessels--,leather curios--,shoes--,horn work4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,toilet ,,table #aii ,the table and its secrets--,combs--,patch boxes--,enamelled objects--,perfume boxes and holders--,dressing cases--,scratchbacks--,toilet chatelaines--,locks of hair--,jewel cabinets4 ,,chapter ,x ,,the ,,old ,,workbox #bbc ,spinning wheels--,materials and work--,little accessories--,cutlery--,quaint woodwork--,the needlewoman--,old samplers4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,library #bea ,from cover to cover--,old scrap books--,almanacs--,the writing table4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,smoker',s ,,cabinet #bfi ,old pipes--,pipe racks--,tobacco boxes--,smokers' tongs and stoppers--,snuff boxes and rasps4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,love ,,tokens ,,and ,,lucky ,,emblems #bha ,amulets--,horse trappings--,emblems of luck--,love spoons--,glass curios4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,the ,,marking ,,of ,,time #bie ,clocks--,watches--,watch keys--,watch stands4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,musical ,,instruments #cji ,early examples--,whistles and pipes--,violins and harps4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,play ,,and ,,sport #cai ,dolls--,toys--,old games--,outdoor amusements--,relics of sport4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,miscellaneous #ccg ,dower chests--,medicine chests--,old lacquer--,the tool chest--,egyptian curios--,ancient spectacles--,curious chinaware--,garden curios--,the mounting of curios--,obsolete household names4 ,,index #ceg ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,,fig4 #a4 ,,old ,,fireplace1 ,,showing ,,sussex ,,back1 ,,andirons1 ,,and ,,trivet ,frontispiece ,,page #b4 ,,andirons ,,with ,,ratchets #bg #c4 ,,ornamented ,,cresset ,,dogs #bg #d4 ,,telescopic ,,rush ,,and ,,candle ,,holder #bg #e4 ,,ratchet ,,rush ,,and ,,candle ,,holder #bg #f4 ,,ancient ,,roman ,,fire-,,dog #cg #g4 ,,sussex ,,grate ,,back1 ,,dated #aehh #cg #h4 ,,three ,,single ,,dogs ,,or ,,andirons #de #i4 ,,pair ,,of ,,dated ,,sussex ,,andirons 7#afbe7 #de #aj4 ,,pair ,,of ,,sussex ,,andirons #de #aa4 ,,sussex ,,back ,,with ,,royal ,,emblems #ea #ab4 ,,sussex ,,back ,,with ,,arms ,,and ,,royal ,,initials #ea #ac4 ,,fine ,,carved ,,walnut ,,wood ,,bellows #ee #ad4 ,,three ,,rushlight ,,holders #fc #ae4 ,,three ,,varieties ,,of ,,old ,,oil ,,lamps #fc #af4 ,,two ,,walnut ,,wood ,,floor-,,candlesticks #fi #ag4 ,,fine ,,pair ,,of ,,ancient ,,snuffers #gc #ah4 ,,handsomely ,,decorated ,,knife ,,case ,,and ,,contents #ha #ai4 ,,knife1 ,,fork1 ,,and ,,spoon #hg #bj4 ,,pair ,,of ,,decorated ,,spoons #ic #ba4 ,,two ,,wooden ,,cups #aja #bb4 ,,wooden ,,flagon1 ,,with ,,copper ,,bands #aja #bc4 ,a ,,cocoanut ,,cup 7,,silver-,,mounted7 #aja #bd4 ,a ,,cocoanut ,,cup 7,,silver-,,mounted7 #aja #be4 ,,cocoanut ,,flagon #aja #bf4 ,,early ,,english ,,bronze ,,ewer #aji #bg4 ,,inscribed ,,seventeenth-,,century ,,wood ,,drinking ,,cup #aae #bh-cj4 ,,early ,,carved ,,wood ,,nutcrackers #aae #ca-cd4 ,,mediaeval ,,wood ,,nutcrackers #aai #ce-ci4 ,,early ,,steel ,,and ,,brass ,,nutcrackers #aai #dj4 ,,two ,,antique ,,warming ,,pans #abd #da4 ,,welsh ,,kitchen ,,fireplace #abd #db4 ,,mechanical ,,roasting ,,jacks #abg #dc-df4 ,,gridirons ,,showing ,,foreign ,,influence ,,in ,,design #aca #dg ,,and #dh4 ,,two ,,wooden ,,food ,,boxes #ace #di4 ,a ,,collection ,,of ,,iron ,,fat ,,boats ,,and ,,grease ,,pans #ace #ej4 ,,wooden ,,coffee ,,crushers ,,and ,,pestles ,,and ,,mortar #aci #ea4 ,,apple ,,scoops ,,of ,,bone #aci #eb4 ,,wooden ,,piggins ,,and ,,porridge ,,bowl #adc #ec4 ,,wooden ,,platter1 ,,bowl1 ,,and ,,spoons #adc #ed4 ,,brass ,,chimney ,,ornament 7,,one ,,of ,a ,,pair7 #aea #ee4 ,,black ,,and ,,gold ,,derbyshire ,,marble ,,vase #aee #ef4 ,,temple ,,guardian1 ,,carved ,,from ,,the ,,gnarled ,,root ,,of ,a ,,tree #aei #eg4 ,,carved ,,plaque ,,stand #afc #eh ,,and #ei4 ,,miniature ,,copper ,,and ,,silver ,,kettles #afg #fj4 ,,miniature ,,ivory ,,coffee ,,boiler #afg #fa4 ,,two ,,old-,,gilt ,,jewelled ,,ornaments #afg #fb4 ,,three ,,fine ,,old ,,ivories #aga #fc4 ,,battersea ,,enamels #agi #fd4 ,,antique ,,dressing ,,or ,,toilet ,,glass #bjb #fe4 ,,three ,,old ,,scratchbacks #bji #ff4 ,,silver ,,chatelaine ,,toilet ,,instruments #bji #fg4 ,,another ,,chatelaine ,,set #bji #fh4 ,,fine ,,oriental ,,lacquered ,,box #bag #fi4 ,,small ,,lacquer ,,cabinet #bag #gj4 ,a ,,pagoda-,,shaped ,,casket #bag #ga4 ,,decorated ,,jewel ,,case #bag #gb4 ,,old ,,spinning ,,wheel #bbg #gc4 ,,spinning ,,wheel #bcc #gd4 ,,old ,,lace ,,bobbins #bcc #ge4 ,,old ,,pin ,,poppets ,,and ,,ancient ,,pins #bcg #gf4 ,,three ,,old ,,workboxes #bdc #gg4 ,,old ,,workbox ,,fittings #bdg #gh4 ,,ancient ,,clog ,,almanac #beg #gi4 ,,old ,,coin ,,tester #bfe #hj4 ,,miniature ,,souvenir ,,almanac #bfe #ha4 ,,ancient ,,writing ,,set #bfe #hb4 ,,three ,,curious ,,pipe-,,stoppers #bge #hc4 ,,brass ,,tobacco ,,box #bge #hd4 ,,collection ,,of ,,harness ,,amulets ,,and ,,team ,,bells #bhe #he4 ,,old ,,welsh ,,love ,,spoons #bia #hf4 ,,fine ,,gothic ,,french ,,clock #bii #hg4 ,,specimens ,,of ,,old ,,watch ,,keys #cjc #hh4 ,,two ,,antique ,,watch ,,cases #cjc #hi4 ,,old ,,spinet #cae #ij4 ,,curious ,,types ,,of ,,whistles #cbc #ia4 ,,quaint ,,old ,,toy #cbc #ib4 ,a ,,powder ,,tester #cce #ic4 ,a ,,priming ,,flask #cce #id4 ,,old ,,powder ,,flasks #cdc ,i ,,the ,,love ,,of ,,the ,,antique ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,love ,,of ,,the ,,antique ,no place like home--,curios in the making--,the influence of prevailing styles--,a cultivated taste4 ,there is an inborn love of the antique in most men1 although some are fond of asserting that their interests are bound up in the modern1 and that they have no time to devote to the study of the antiquities of past ages or the things that were fashionable in times long past4 ,yet most people1 when their secret longings are analysed1 are found to have an admiration for the old2 if not a superstitious veneration1 at any rate a desire to perpetuate the memory of their ancestors and to keep in mind the things with which they were familiar4 ,the wealthy man of to-day1 who may have sprung from the people1 secretly1 if not openly1 endeavours to surround himself with household gods which tell of a longer past and a closer relationship with the well-to-do than he can legitimately claim4 ,in the pursuit of such things many a man has found his hobby2 and there are few men who do not find recreation and delight in a hobby of some kind4 ,such interests outside their regular occupations broaden their outlook and widen their knowledge4 ,some hobbies tend to lead to specialization1 and the specialist is apt to become warped and narrowed2 not so1 however1 the collector of household curios4 ,no ,place ,like ,home4 ,it would be difficult to find greater delight than that which centres in those things that concern the home and home life4 ,the love of the old homestead and the goods and chattels it contains is ingrained in the breast of every ,britisher2 and although families become scattered and some of their members find homes of their own beyond the seas1 they find the greatest delight in the objects with which they were familiar in years gone by1 and venerate the relics of former generations--the household gods which have been handed on from father to son4 ,it is not the intrinsic value of the household curio that is its chief charm2 it is rather the knowledge that its long association with those who have claimed its ownership from the time when it was new has made it truly a family relic4 ,these thoughts1 being so deeply rooted in the minds of most men and women1 foster the love of household curios and intensify the interest shown in their possession4 ,to all it is not given to own family relics2 neither would they serve to satiate the ambition of the true collector1 although they might form the nucleus of his collection4 ,he seeks other treasures in the town and in the country and wherever such things are offered for sale4 ,curios in the ,making4 ,the domestic habits of the people of this and other civilized countries have been the outcome of a slow process of upbuilding4 ,there has been no sudden change2 in all grades and under every different social condition1 at every period1 the improvement of the furnishings of the home has been one of gradual and1 for the most part1 steady progress4 ,there was a time when1 beyond the bare furniture1 tapestry hangings1 tools of the craftsmen1 and weapons of the warrior1 there were few household goods of a portable nature4 ,in mediaeval ,england the oak chest was sufficient to contain the valuables of a large household2 and very often beyond a cabinet or sideboard or corner cupboard there were few receptacles where anything of value could be safeguarded4 ,the dower chest1 in which the bride brought to her husband household linen and her stock of clothing1 and in the wooden compartment in one corner of the chest her jewels and coin of the realm--if she possessed any--was then a prominent piece of furniture4 ,the oak chest1 rendered formidable with its massive lock and bolts1 opened with a ponderous key1 was the chosen receptacle in after-years as a treasure chest1 and regarded as the safest place in which to keep valuable documents and other property4 ,in the ,public ,record ,office may be seen the old iron box in which the ,domesday ,book was kept for many centuries4 ,the old ,city ,companies have their treasure chests still2 and boxes studded over with iron nails and fitted with large hasps and locks are pointed out in many old houses as passports to family standing4 ,the household curios which a collector seeks include objects of utility and ornament4 ,many of them are associated with household work1 and quite a number of one-time kitchen and culinary utensils1 as well as those which were once cherished in the best parlour or withdrawing-room1 are found places among such curios4 ,during the last few years domestic architecture has passed through several stages of advancement4 ,the stiff and formal ,georgian houses1 the painful ,victorian villas1 and some of the earlier attempts at architectural improvement have been swept away to make room for modern replicas of still older styles which have been revived or incorporated in the nouvre art1 which touches the home in its architecture and internal decoration1 as well as in its furnishings4 ,in modern dwellings the ,elizabethan style has often been followed1 although modern conveniences have been incorporated4 ,when furnishing such houses with suitable replicas of the antique the householders of the last quarter of a century have been unconsciously1 perhaps1 fostering the love of household antiques and providing fitting homes for their family curios4 ,the ,day of the ,curio ,hunter4 ,this is admittedly the day of curio hunting1 and those who specialize on household curios have exceptional opportunities of displaying them to better advantage than those who cared for such things in the past4 ,perhaps it is because there were so few opportunities of arranging and displaying household antiques during the last three-quarters of the nineteenth century that many objects now treasured have been preserved so fresh and kept in such excellent condition4 ,the housewives of the past generation were undoubtedly conservative in their retention of old household goods1 and it is to their careful preservation that so many objects of interest1 although perhaps fully a century old1 come to the collector in such perfect condition4 ,the patient labour expended by the amateur artist1 the needleworker1 and the connoisseur of home art a generation or two ago has provided the collector to-day with an exceptionally interesting class of curio1 for there is much to admire in amateur craftsmanship1 and especially in the handiwork of the needlewoman and the weaver and decorator of so many beautiful textiles which have been preserved to us4 ,sentiment was strong in the early nineteenth century1 and among the love tokens of that day1 chiefly the work of amateurs1 some very beautiful and unique curios were produced4 ,these1 too1 have come down to the collector of the twentieth century1 and help him to secure specimens representing every decade1 so that in a large collection1 carefully selected1 the slow and yet sure progress made in the fine arts1 and the improvement in the ornamental surroundings in the home1 is made clear4 ,in each one of the different groups into which household curios may be divided there are many distinctive objects1 all of which are in themselves interesting1 but when viewed in association with other things which have been used at contemporary periods1 or associated with the home life of persons similarly situated1 but dwelling in different localities1 are doubly interesting4 ,the ,influence of ,prevailing ,styles4 ,in determining the origin of curios1 and defining the periods during which they have been made1 it is useful to have at least a little knowledge of the influence or character of the prevailing styles in the countries of origin4 ,french art has exercised a great influence upon the productions of other nations2 it has also been moulded by the curios and other articles of foreign origin then being sold in ,france4 ,regal and political influence have left their mark upon almost every period of ,french art1 and have had much to do with the contemporary art of other nations1 for ,france was for centuries a guide in most of the fine arts1 and especially in those things which tended towards decorative effect4 ,the furniture of ,france may be said to be an exponent of the country's history1 so great has been the connection between ,french art1 controlled by passing events1 and its commercial products4 ,it is said that the ,state pageants of the ,louis ,,xiv period tended to raise the tone of the work of ,french artisans and to encourage artists4 ,that was a period of great development1 for in the year #afgj the famous tapestry factories sprang into existence2 and it must be admitted that the designing of those wonderful textiles influenced the manufacturers of furniture and smaller objects both in ,france and in other countries4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b4--;,,andirons ,,with ,,ratchets4 ,,fig4 #c4--,,ornamented ,,cresset ,,dogs4 ,,fig4 #d4--,,telescopic ,,rush ,,and ,,candle ,,holder4 ,,fig4 #e4--,,ratchet ,,rush ,,and ,,candle ,,holder4 ,sir ,christopher ,wren is reputed to have been carried away by the influence of the ,louis ,,xiv art4 ,it was in that ,king's reign1 too1 that ,charles ,boule perfected his veneers of tortoiseshell and fine brass work4 ,buhl cabinets1 fancy boxes1 and many smaller objects found their way into this country1 and are now household curios4 ,when ,philip of ,orleans was ,regent of ,france ,boule introduced vermilion and gold-leaf as the groundwork upon which to throw up the beauty of tortoiseshell1 and his designs became lavishly extravagant4 ,of these there are some beautiful examples extant2 one1 a facsimile of a bureau made in ,paris in #agfi1 so elaborate that its cost was reputed to have been about ,l#bj1jjj1 is to be seen in the ,wallace ,collection at ,hertford ,house4 ,in the reign of ,louis ,,xv great encouragement was given to the importation of lacquer work from ,china1 influencing the creation of similar works in ,france2 and it was owing to his support that the ,vernis ,martin enamels or varnishes were produced4 ,then came those beautiful paintings of landscapes with which so many of the rarer household curios dating from that period were ornamented4 ,the ,french style came over the ,channel4 ,thus it was that ,french influence1 as shown in its art in which its political history was reflected1 permeated into the workshops of ,england4 ,then came the popularity of the designs of the ,adam ,brothers and ,sheraton4 ,during the ,revolution in ,france art was at a standstill1 but as soon as ,napoleon had established his ,empire artistic ,france began again1 and we see its influence in the ,empire ornament of furniture and curios4 ,perhaps one of the most striking instances of change in style was that in our own country when the ,prince of ,orange came over and ,william and ,mary were crowned ,king and ,queen4 ,dutch influence on the art of ,great ,britain was immediately seen1 and in the curios of that period there is a remarkable difference between those produced at that time1 when ,englishmen were content to allow the art of another nation to dominate their work1 and those of an earlier date4 ,dutch marquetry is seen in cabinets and smaller household antiques in the manufacture of which panels were applicable4 ,there was a change in design about the year #afie1 just after ,mary died1 the characteristic seaweed following the floral1 as if the very flowers had been banished after the ,queen's death4 ,the influence of the ,king and of his successors was very noticeable in the style and decoration of household goods2 the history of this country at that time1 just as the history of ,france had been1 was reflected in the art of its craftsmen4 ,a ,cultivated ,taste4 ,the love of the antique is regarded by some as a cultivated taste4 ,the specialization upon any one branch of household curios may justly be regarded as such1 but surely not the regard1 almost reverence1 for family relics1 although they are but the common things of everyday life6 ,their collection stimulates the connoisseur1 and encourages him to fresh exertions1 and in that sense the habit of keeping a keen look out for anything that may illumine previous researches or add greater lustre to those things already secured1 is gradually cultivated4 ,household curios are not unassociated with the folklore of the district where such objects have been made1 or were commonly in use2 and the very names of many things1 the uses of which are almost forgotten1 are suggestive of former occupations and older methods of practising household economy and the preparation of food4 ,it is common knowledge that the purest old ,english is met with in the dialects of the countryside1 and oftentimes once household words1 now lost in modern speech1 are found again when the old names or original purposes of the curios remaining to us are discovered4 ,the cultivation of a taste for gathering together household antiques is much to be desired1 and in the pursuit of such knowledge there is great pleasure--and as the value of genuine antiques is ever rising1 some profit1 too4 ,,ii ,,the ,,ingle ,,side ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,ingle ,,side ,fire-making appliances--,tinder boxes--,the fireplace--,andirons and fire-dogs--,sussex backs--,fireirons and fenders--,trivets and stools--,bellows4 ,in winter the ingle side1 or its equivalent in a modern house1 appears to be the chief centre of attraction4 ,it was ever so2 and to-day the lessened necessity for crowding round the fire and sitting in the ingle nook1 owing to modern methods of distributing the heat1 in no way lessens the attraction which draws an ,englishman to the fire4 ,in the ,united ,states of ,america stoves of various kinds are deemed good substitutes1 but in this country the open fire is preferred1 and modern scientific research aims at perfecting and improving existing accepted methods of heating and warming rooms rather than of displacing them4 ,in the days when the earliest collectable curios of the ingle side were being made by the village smith1 and the local sculptor and mason were preparing the chimney corner and the mantelpiece to surround the fireplace1 it was in front of the great open fire in the kitchen1 before which the large joints were roasted1 that the retainers of the baron and the landowner or lord of the manor assembled on winter nights4 ,it was around the fire which crackled on the hearth in the great hall that the more favoured ones forgathered1 and in the lesser homestead the family drew up their chairs and found seats in the ingle nook1 near the fire1 when snow was upon the ground1 and frost and cold draughts made them shiver in the houseplace4 ,the fireplace has its attractions still1 and builders and architects have designed many cosy corners within reach of the fire4 ,the furnishings of the hearth have become more decorative as times have become more luxurious and art has gained the ascendant2 and sometimes their greater ornament has been at the sacrifice of utility1 but the root principles of construction as seen in the older grates and fire appointments remain4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #f4--;,,ancient ,,roman ,,fire-,,dog4 7,in the ,national ,museum at ,naples47 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #g4--,,sussex ,,grate ,,back1 ,,dated #aehh4 ,fire-making ,appliances4 ,it seems natural to inquire into the origin of the need of a fireplace1 and to do so we must go back to prehistoric times and trace the discovery of fire-making apparatus1 for without the means of lighting a fire it is obvious that the grate would be useless4 ,with the fire came artificial light1 the two great discoveries being perfected side by side1 sometimes the one gaining ground1 at others the one that had fallen behind shooting ahead as the result of some great discovery1 or the application of scientific principles not deemed of utility to the one or the other as the case might be4 ,the fire-making appliances which were in use for the purpose of lighting fires were of course used long before any scheme of artificial lighting--apart from the flames and radiance from the fire4 ,professor ,flinders ,petrie1 that great investigator into the antiquities of the ,ancients1 tells us that fire-making by friction has been found to exist in far-off times4 ,it would appear that the discovery of how to produce fire has been accomplished independently by men living under very different conditions and at all ages4 ,the fire-making of the ,ancients has been rediscovered by primitive people in more recent days1 although it is probable that native races who until recently have been living apart from the great world outside have moved slowly in their march of civilization1 and have been using the same methods as those first tried by their ancestors ages ago4 ,in the unrivalled collection of appliances got together by ,professor ,petrie1 there are fire drills from the ,transvaal1 bow drills used by the ,esquimaux1 and fire ploughs from ,north ,queensland4 ,lighting fires must have been a slow and difficult task in the days when tinder boxes were in request1 for when ,curfew rang and the couvre de feu had done its work there was no fire in which to thrust the torch1 and the entire process had to be gone over again when the fire had once more to be kindled4 ,tinder ,boxes4 ,the tinder box1 formerly a real necessary1 was to be found in every house1 and in many instances1 in the days before lucifer matches1 it was a desirable pocket companion4 ,tinder boxes were made of different materials2 some were of wood1 others of iron or brass4 ,they lent themselves to ornamentation3 thus some were engraved and quite artistic2 many of the more recent ones were made of tin1 and on the covers were decorative little scenes4 ,the contents of the tinder boxes were of course flint and steel and tinder 7something very inflammable1 such as scorched linen71 with a damper for extinguishing the smouldering fire after a light had been obtained1 or in later days by the sulphur-tipped match applied to it4 ,among the varieties are what are termed pistol tinder boxes1 instruments which contained a small charge of gunpowder1 which1 when fired1 lighted the tinder4 ,tinder pouches or purses containing flint and tinder having a piece of steel riveted on to the edge of the purse or pouch were a common form4 ,those brought over from ,central ,asia were frequently decorated with dragons and the swastika symbol1 in damascened work4 ,many inventions were put forward by chemists before the perfecting of the common match1 the wax vesta1 and the fusee4 ,one of these was ,berry's apparatus1 which he devised in the beginning of the nineteenth century1 calling it a contrivance for lighting lamps in the dark4 ,it consisted of an acid bottle with a string by which a conical stopper could be raised1 and a chlorate match held against the stopper became ignited4 ,match boxes are collectable1 and collectors of fire-making and lighting contrivances often include a few old matches4 ,the lucifer match consisted of sticks tipped with potassium chlorate and sugar1 held together with gum1 igniting when touched with concentrated sulphuric acid4 ,they were invented in #ahje1 and by the year #ahbj had quite taken the place of tinder boxes4 ,various lighting pastes were used1 until the improvements which resulted in the safety matches4 ,the dangerous sulphur and white phosphorus have given place in modern match-making to sesqui-sulphate mixtures2 and wax vestas and other strikers have superseded the curious objects the collector meets with4 ,the ,fireplace4 ,in studying the curios of the fireplace1 it is scarcely necessary to go back beyond the grates and fire appointments which may be seen in the old houses standing to-day4 ,even during the last generation or two there have been many changes1 and in rebuilding and refurnishing the antiquities of the fireplace have in many instances been swept away4 ,during more recent days1 however1 there has been a greater appreciation of the curio value of mantelpieces and old grates1 and it is no uncommon thing for hundreds and even thousands of pounds to be paid for rare specimens4 ,in some instances the fireplace may truly be said to have been the central attraction1 for the old grates and mantelpieces have often realized as much as the whole of the remainder of the materials secured when an old house has been pulled down4 ,some of these mantelpieces of olden time were magnificent memorials of the sculptor's and the carver's art4 ,they included overmantels1 the entire breastwork of the chimney often being covered with stone or marble or black oak1 right up to the ceiling or the cornice4 ,the open hearth was the earlier form of fireplace1 and long before chimneys were built logs of wood burned on it1 and in still earlier times in a basket or brazier1 the smoke finding its way to the roof1 the rafters of which soon became blackened4 ,chimneys1 however1 are of early date1 and the household curios of the fireplace have almost entirely been used under such conditions of fuel consumption1 the up-draught of the chimney carrying away the smoke and harmful gases4 ,the firebacks and the andirons1 and later the fire-dogs1 of the open fireplaces are collectable curios of considerable interest1 and the hobby may be indulged in at a moderate cost4 ,the collection of mantelpieces may be left to the wealthy and to those who have baronial halls in which to refix them4 ,fig4 #a represents an old fireplace in a panelled oak room with a ,tudor ceiling4 ,there is a ,sussex back of rather small size1 and a pair of andirons1 on which a log of wood is shown reposing4 ,an old saucepan has been reared up in the corner1 and there is a trivet on the hearth4 ,there is a very remarkable group of cresset dogs shown in ,fig4 #b4 ,one pair of dogs or andirons has ratchets on which supplementary bars were placed4 ,these show an early advance from the simple andiron1 and point to the later developments of the fire-grate with the fast bars which were to come4 ,in the same group two rush-holders or candlesticks are shown1 one with a ratchet1 the other adjusted on a simple rod1 the socket being held in place by a spring 7see ,figs4 #d and #e74 ,as time went on and change of fuel came about1 the forests of ,england being gradually consumed on the domestic hearth1 coal was substituted for the fast-vanishing wood4 ,then it was that a change was needed1 and instead of the open fireplace and the andirons on which the logs of wood had formerly been laid1 iron baskets or grates in which coal could be placed were made1 so that the scattering of fuel and cinders on the open hearth could be prevented4 ,sussex backs gave place in time to the grate in which a metal back was frequently incorporated1 flanked by the dogs in front4 ,then came the closed-in grates and the hob-registers of the eighteenth century1 many being designed after the beautiful ornamentation produced by the ,adam ,brothers2 also the decorative metal work enriched with ormolu and brass1 which in due course again gave way to the plain and oftentimes ugly register grates of the ,victorian ,age1 which in more modern times have been displaced by the reproductions of the antique1 and by well-grates and scientifically constructed stoves and heating radiators by which heat can be conserved1 the draught of the fire and the chimney regulated1 and the coal burned more economically on slow-combustion and semi-slow-combustion principles4 ,science has taught builders and others how to radiate the heat1 and prevent that waste which formerly went up the chimney1 so that the necessity to sit round the fire is not as great as it once was1 and rooms large and small are more evenly heated4 ,the fireplace has once more become a thing of beauty1 and all its appointments are rendered harmonious with the furnishings of the home1 whether they are modern replicas of the homesteads of earlier periods or constructed according to the newer art of the present day4 ,andirons and ,fire-dogs4 ,the brazier on a piece of stone in the centre of the room served well when charcoal was plentiful1 and although the smoke ascended amidst the rafters the heat spread and there was plenty of room for many persons to assemble around the fire4 ,with chimneys built at the side of the house for convenience1 the timber was laid upon the hearth flag4 ,under the conditions that appertained when great open chimneys allowed the rain and snow to fall upon the fire or on the logs laid ready for the burning1 the difficulties of lighting a fire were experienced4 ,then the local smith came to the aid of the domestic or serf1 and hammered into shape what were termed andirons1 their use making it easier to light the logs1 giving a current of air under them1 causing them to burn brighter4 ,the andirons were afterwards called fire-dogs1 and in course of time bars rested on hooks or ratchets1 or were laid across the dogs4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #h4--,,three ,,single ,,dogs ,,or ,,andirons4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #i4--,,pair ,,of ,,dated ,,sussex ,,andirons 7#afbe74 ,,fig4 #aj4--,,pair ,,of ,,sussex ,,andirons4 7,in the collection of ,mr4 ,wayte1 of ,edenbridge47 ,there are no records of the earliest inventors of andirons or dogs4 ,it is quite clear that small fire-dogs were in use in ,rome at an early period2 the one illustrated in ,fig4 #f1 measuring #f #c_/d in4 in height1 of artistic form1 two draped figures being the supports of the arch1 is in the ,national ,museum in ,naples1 where there are many other beautiful examples of early ,roman metal work4 ,in the seventeenth century some of the more elaborate ornamental cast brass fire-dogs were enriched with black and white or blue and white enamel1 several varieties of fireside ornaments being decorated in the same way4 ,enamel thus applied to metal is exceptionally valuable1 as much as two hundred guineas being paid for an enamelled pair of fire-dogs4 ,it is the ordinary forms of cast or wrought dogs with which collectors are mostly familiar1 especially those made in the famous ,sussex ironfields1 such as those shown in ,figs4 #h1 #i1 and #aj1 which are of early date1 the pair illustrated in ,fig4 #i being dated #afbe1 the others probably contemporary4 ,single examples of similar designs are shown in ,fig4 #h4 ,the need of the metal furnishings of the hearth--as the chimney places of the smaller manor houses and the dwellings of the traders were being erected--caused an impetus to the trade of the ironfounder and smith1 and the founders and smiths of the ,sussex villages came to the aid of the builder4 ,there are dated examples from the sixteenth century onwards1 recording the periods when these interesting souvenirs of domestic building and the great ,sussex ironfields--now deserted--were in operation4 ,sussex ,backs4 ,there is a peculiar attraction about the castings made in ,sussex in the days when the foundries of that county were in full work1 and many villages were filled with busy pattern-makers1 moulders1 and founders carrying on a thriving industry in districts which have now been given up to the plough2 for the ,sussex ironfields have been abandoned1 as when the timber of the district was consumed it was impossible to work the forges economically1 for coal was far distant and transport costs prohibitive4 ,the old grate backs for which the ,sussex foundries were famous in the seventeenth century were often modelled on ,dutch designs1 and some showed ,german characteristics4 ,there are many noted ,english designs1 too1 mostly taking the forms of coats of arms and the shields and crests of the landlords for whom the stove-plates were made1 some becoming stock patterns and often duplicated4 ,there is quite a fine collection of these grate backs in several museums1 and some good examples can still be bought from dealers whose agents secure them from time to time when property is being rebuilt4 ,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum there is a long oblong plate on which is cast the arms of ,browne of ,brenchley1 in ,kent1 probably made in the second half of the seventeenth century4 ,there are others with cherubs and curious supporters of shields of arms4 ,a still earlier piece1 probably cast about the year #afjj1 is an oblong ,sussex back deeply recessed1 on which is the arms of ,john ,blount1 ,earl of ,devonshire1 another bearing the ,royal arms of the ,tudor period4 ,in ,hampton ,court ,palace there are some especially fine grate backs1 mostly bearing the ,royal arms4 ,at a little earlier period the cast grate backs were chiefly plain with isolated crests or designs scattered over the surface1 often quite irregularly4 ,the three fine examples of ,sussex backs illustrated are typical of popular styles4 ,fig4 #aa shows the ,royal lion of ,england1 accompanied by the emblems appearing on the ,royal arms in the seventeenth century2 the ,tudor rose crowned1 the ,scottish thistle1 and the ,french fleur-de-lis indicative of the throne of ,france to which ,english sovereigns then laid some claim4 ,the date of this fine back is #afdi4 ,fig4 #g is of an earlier period1 being dated #aehh1 beneath which are the initials ,i4,f4,c4 ,there are also roses and fleurs-de-lis1 as well as anchors and other emblems4 ,the back shown in ,fig4 #ab has for its design the ,royal arms surrounded by the ,garter1 and the initials ,c4,r41 a design which was duplicated very extensively soon after the ,restoration4 ,it will be noticed that the ,royal arms formed the design of the ,sussex back shown in position in ,fig4 #a4 ,some of the ,german and ,dutch designs are very curious1 many of them representing scriptural subjects1 like ,moses and the brazen serpent2 the death of ,absalom2 the temptation of ,joseph2 and the often-repeated story of the ,garden of ,eden4 ,in the ,american museums there are some very interesting examples of foundry work2 some of the cast backs1 evidently modelled on ,german or ,dutch designs1 take the form of stove-plates1 including both front and side plates1 mostly bearing dates in the middle of the eighteenth century4 ,pennsylvania was the chief district in which these plates were made1 some being cast by ,william ,siegel1 who went to ,america from ,germany in #ageh1 and erected what was known as the ,berkshire furnace4 ,a curious early stove-plate in an ,american collection1 dated #agcf1 has upon it a scene known as the dance after the wedding4 ,it is said to have been used in the front of what was known as the ,german wall-warming stove4 ,in form the ,sussex shape is usually rectangular--that is1 wider than its height4 ,it would appear as if the back was at first moulded from a wooden plate1 the crest1 initials1 or design being then impressed by movable moulds or stamps1 generally of wood4 ,these were irregularly placed1 consequently crowns1 roses1 crosses1 family badges1 and all kinds of emblems were dotted promiscuously over the plate4 ,some of the plain plates with cable-twist borders were probably used as hearthstones and not as backs4 ,the styles which were gradually developed were chiefly on the same lines as those which became popular in ,france4 ,their use lingered long in that country for until recently in many an old family mansion might have been seen a plaque de cheminee1 on which was the coat of arms and supporters of the original owner of the chateau1 and sometimes of the kings of ,france4 ,the ,sussex ironfounders worked chiefly at ,cowden1 ,hawkhurst1 and ,lamberhurst1 and there were forges at ,cranbrook1 ,coudhurst1 ,tonbridge1 and ,biddenden4 ,the principal ironmasters of ,kent were the ,knights and the ,tichbornes1 whose descendants became baronets4 ,life is not as idle ore1 ,but iron dug from central gloom1 ,and heated hot with burning fears1 ,and dipped in baths of hissing tears1 ,and battered with the shocks of doom ,to shape and use4 ,,tennyson1 ,in ,memoriam4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #aa4--,,sussex ,,back ,,with ,,royal ,,emblems4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ab4--,,sussex ,,back ,,with ,,arms ,,and ,,royal ,,initials4 7,in the collection of ,mr4 ,wayte1 of ,edenbridge47 ,fireirons and ,fenders4 ,fire brasses or fireirons came into vogue with grates1 although the sets now regarded as old fire brasses1 some of which are very elaborate and massive1 made at the beginning of the nineteenth century1 were first used when fenders came into vogue2 instead of being reared up alongside the fire-dogs in the chimney corner they rested on the fenders4 ,there is not much to distinguish the variations in fireirons except the obvious indications of older workmanship and design1 when contrasted with modern irons4 ,the shovel pans gave the artist in metal some opportunity for showing his skill in design and perforated work4 ,it is probable that the earliest form of shovel was that known as the slide1 its use being to shovel up the ashes of a wood fire1 an operation necessary more frequently then than in modern days when coal has been the principal fuel consumed4 ,some of the older specimens are dated1 and bear the owner's initials2 thus one authentic specimen from ,shopnoller1 in the ,quantock ,hills1 is engraved1 ,i ,t4 #aghd4 ,many of the ,dutch metal workers produced very beautiful and decorative stands on which miniature sets of rich brasses were hung2 some of the old ,english fireside stands were arranged as receptacles for tongs1 shovel1 and brush1 and now and then the baluster stem supported by a tripod base had a central attachment from which a toddy kettle could be slung4 ,the brass toddy kettle formerly stood upon the hob of the grate1 singing merrily1 always ready for the cup of tea which cheers but not inebriates1 or1 as was frequently the case1 for the preparation of hot toddy or spirit4 ,the evolution of the fender forms a pleasing story in connection with the ingle side4 ,perhaps the earlier form likely to interest collectors of household curios is that made of perforated brass1 often some #h in4 or #aj in4 in depth4 ,these fenders standing on claw feet were afterwards fitted with bottom plates of iron1 on which was a ridge or rest against which the fire brasses were prevented from slipping4 ,then came iron or steel scroll-shaped fenders1 tapering down from a few inches in height at the ends to centres almost level with the ground4 ,to obviate the inconvenience of there being no resting-place for the fireirons loose supports were fitted into sockets at the ends1 and these afterwards were cast as part of the scroll4 ,then came the stiff and formal early ,victorian metal work--iron fenders with steel tops relieved occasionally by ormolu ornament4 ,these in their turn gave way to fender kerbs of metal1 stone1 marble1 or tiles1 and loose ornamented fire-dogs which have in more recent times served as rests for the fire brasses4 ,trivets and ,stools4 ,combination appliances were early adopted1 although we are apt at times to associate combined utensils with modern innovations4 ,the old ,english trivet of wrought iron made in the eighteenth century was frequently improved by the addition of a toasting fork1 which could be adjusted and set at certain angles so that the toast could be left in front of the fire for a few moments until it was quite ready to be taken off and put on a plate standing conveniently on the trivet until the dish or rack of toast was complete4 7,some scarce trivets are illustrated in ,chats on ,old ,copper and ,brass47 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ac4--;,,fine ,,carved ,,walnut ,,wood ,,bellows4 7,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum47 ,bellows4 ,the ,germans were noted for the manufacture of decorative bellows cut and carved in quaint designs1 some of the finest examples being made in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries4 ,others were made in ,holland1 some of the ,dutch bellows being inlaid with mother-o'-pearl4 ,there are also examples of old ,english carving1 the style of the ornament taking the form of the designs on contemporary oak furniture4 ,some of the largest and handsomest bellows of ,english make are of late seventeenth-century workmanship4 ,the example illustrated in ,fig4 #ac is a magnificent specimen1 now in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum at ,south ,kensington4 ,,iii ,,the ,,lights ,,of ,,former ,,days ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,lights ,,of ,,former ,,days ,rushlights and holders--,candles1 moulds1 and boxes--,snuffers1 trays1 and extinguishers--,oil lamps--,lanterns4 ,household lighting has been one continuous effort to render the hours of darkness bright1 and to provide by artificial means a luminosity which would1 if not actually rivalling the sun1 enable men to carry on their usual avocations with the same ease1 convenience1 and comfort after daylight had disappeared as during the earlier portion of the day4 ,every stage which has been advanced in artificial lighting has been welcomed in the home just as much as in the factory and in the workshop1 for there are many daily duties as well as pleasures and amusements which are carried out much more satisfactorily when a good light is available than when there are shadows and dark corners only dimly lighted4 ,to realize what artificial lighting was in the days now happily long past1 it would be necessary to visit some old-world village1 if one could be found1 where there had been no attempt at street lighting1 and in which not even oil had penetrated4 ,the candles of very early times did not give more than a dim glimmer1 and the darkness of mediaeval ,england can be imagined from the primitive lighting appliances which are preserved4 ,fortunately the entire story of lighting as science came to the aid of trader and householder is revealed in the lights of former days1 which as time went on became more varied and numerous1 found in collections of well-authenticated specimens4 ,the suggested caution implied is not unnecessary1 for the periods overlap1 and there is but little to show when such things as lamps and lanterns were actually made4 ,rushlights and ,holders4 ,in tracing the development of lighting from quite homely beginnings1 rushlights1 prepared by the cottager and the farm hand for the winter supply1 seem to come first on the list4 ,rushlights1 however1 were used in this country by many until comparatively recent times side by side with lights much more advanced4 ,but centuries earlier than we have any record of artificial lighting in this country1 and equally as long before any of the earliest ,british curios of lighting were used1 lighting engineers1 if we may so call them1 in ,greece1 ,rome1 ,egypt1 and still earlier in other ,eastern countries1 were far advanced4 ,none of the lighting schemes of the ,ancients1 however1 produced much more than the dim light of the swinging lamp in which oil was consumed4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ad4--,,three ,,rushlight ,,holders4 7,in the ,national ,museum of ,wales1 ,cardiff47 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ae4--,,three ,,varieties ,,of ,,old ,,oil ,,lamps4 ,to range side by side a number of rushlight holders taken from districts widely apart1 it becomes evident that there was a striking similarity between the earlier types4 ,the smiths everywhere seem to have fashioned a simple contrivance by which the rushlight or early candle could be held upright1 and then1 to give the stick solidity1 the iron shaft was fastened securely into a wooden block1 which was very often quite out of proportion to the size and weight of the stand1 and apparently unnecessarily large and heavy4 ,in the larger examples the holder is often made to slide upon an upright rod so as to be useful at different heights4 ,the sliding rod was needed1 for the light so dim could only be of real service when quite close to the person using it1 or to the work it was intended to illumine 7see ,figs4 #d and #e74 ,although some of the more elaborate and advanced holders were of copper or brass1 most of them were of iron1 the work of local smiths1 few of whom made any attempt to decorate what they evidently regarded as strictly utilitarian articles 7see ,fig4 #ad74 ,although rushlights antedated candles1 some of the holders were made to answer a dual purpose1 and on the same stem or slide as the rushlight holder there was a candle socket1 an important feature fully exemplified in ,figs4 #d and #e4 ,candles1 ,moulds1 and ,boxes4 ,the collector of household curios does not trouble about the candles2 his object is to secure a few candle moulds1 candle boxes1 and1 of course1 candlesticks4 ,it may1 however1 be convenient here to refer to the moulding of candles which was at one time a domestic duty just as it had been to collect rushes and after they were dried dip them in fat1 and to make lights which would burn with more or less steadiness4 ,the candles were made from various fats1 much of which was accumulated in the kitchen during the processes of cooking1 supplemented by other ingredients deemed best for the purpose4 ,the candle moulds or tubes in which wicks were inserted were of varying capacities and ranged from two to a dozen or more4 ,the moulds were dipped in troughs of fat1 having been heated sufficiently to melt the fat4 ,the process was by no means new1 in that it was used in this country by the ,saxons2 and at a still earlier period candles were made by the ,romans1 for among the sundry objects picked up among the uncovered ruins of ,herculaneum have been small pieces of candle ends4 ,there was but little advance in the art of candle-making1 for the candle1 briefly described as a rod of solidified tallow or wax surrounding a wick1 remained almost unimproved until the eighteenth century1 when spermaceti was introduced1 and in more recent years paraffin has been substituted4 ,candles were hung up by their wicks in bunches until required for use1 but those needed for immediate supply were always kept in candle boxes4 ,it is these boxes of copper1 brass1 and tin which are sought after4 ,the decorated japanned tin boxes are very pleasing1 and some of the best1 ornamented after the ,chinese style or painted with little scenes1 and rich in gold ornament1 especially those made with other japanned wares at ,pontypool in ,south ,wales1 are desirable acquisitions4 ,of the varieties of candlesticks there is no end4 ,the two great divisions are the pillar or table candlesticks1 and the chamber candlesticks4 ,the first named are chiefly seen with a small socket and flange to catch the running tallow1 the last mentioned have larger dishes which catch the drips from candles which are being carried about4 ,among the varieties are the earliest form of pricket candlestick on which the candle was stuck1 the bell candlesticks1 and the candlesticks which were fixed on brackets against the wall4 ,as time went on varied materials were introduced1 and ornament was chiefly in accord with prevailing styles1 which influenced the maker of candlesticks as all other metal work4 ,iron1 copper1 brass1 pewter1 silver1 and ,britannia metal and wood have been used1 and many of the handsomest chandeliers and brackets are those made of lustres and cut glass4 ,the large chandeliers hung a century or two ago at great expense in the centre of large rooms have frequently been retained1 and gas and electric light have been introduced instead of candles4 ,in ,fig4 #af we illustrate two exceedingly well-preserved old walnut floor-candlesticks1 with brass sconces4 ,they come from the ,sister ,isle1 where there are still curios to be met with4 ,snuffers1 ,trays1 and ,extinguishers4 ,there were difficulties to contend with in the use of candles1 chiefly on account of the irregular burning of candles when exposed to the slightest draught1 and to the imperfect combustion1 which left a charred piece of wick which it was necessary to remove to make the candle burn once more4 ,then1 again1 the extinction of a burning candle involved some skill1 and instruments were devised to effect this without causing unpleasant odours or smoke to arise4 ,previous to the use of lanterns out of doors1 and oftentimes when halls and corridors were imperfectly lighted1 torches thrust into the open fire and thus lighted were used4 ,extinguishers of iron were frequently erected near an outside door1 or added to the iron railings outside the house4 ,these were for the purpose of extinguishing links--many such are to be seen still outside old ,london houses4 ,they were the prototypes from which originated the ordinary form of chamber candle extinguisher1 frequently fastened to the stick by a chain4 ,the extinguishers used in the early days of candles are known now as snuffer-extinguishers1 to distinguish them from snuffers 7the old name was doubters74 ,in form they were not unlike scissors2 the two circular metal plates of which they were formed closed in and compressed the wick1 thereby extinguishing the light4 ,the earlier snuffers had very large boxes1 and some were remarkably handsome1 an exceptionally fine example being shown in ,fig4 #ag4 ,they were discovered in an old house at ,corton1 in ,dorset1 in #agfh1 and were described by a writer towards the close of the eighteenth century thus3 ,they are of brass and weigh about #f ounces4 ,their construction consists of two equilateral cavities1 by the edges of which the snuff is cut off and received into the cavity from which it is not got out without much trouble4 ,snuffers of iron1 and later of steel1 are the commoner forms1 but they are frequently of brass and of silver and ,sheffield plate4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #af4--,,two ,,walnut ,,wood ,,floor-,,candlesticks4 7,in the collection of ,w4 ,egan ,sons1 ,ltd41 of ,cork47 ,the need of some convenient tray or receptacle for the snuffers1 not always over-clean when they had been used a few times1 was met at first by what are known as snuffer stands made of wrought metal1 and often very ornamental4 ,then came the oblong tray of convenient shape1 following in its decoration and ornament prevailing styles in other domestic tin or metal work4 ,in this connection it should be pointed out that there are many varieties of taper holders and stands used for the small wax tapers1 then common on the writing table4 ,oil ,lamps4 ,although oil had long been a recognized illuminant from which a good artificial light could be obtained1 it was not until the eighteenth century that any marked attempt was made to substitute oil for candles in this country4 ,for really beautiful lamps we have to go back to the bronze lamps of ancient ,greece and ,rome1 and the terra-cotta lamps of the early ,christians1 many of which were exceedingly interesting4 ,householders in ,england1 and in ,america1 too1 preferred the beautiful silver candlesticks and those charming and artistic scrolls which once decorated the walls of the houses of the well-to-do4 ,there came a time1 however1 when oil lamps were reinstated1 and although candles still held sway and were difficult to displace1 inventors and makers of oil lamps began to compete for the lighting industry4 ,the three old lamps now in the ,cardiff ,museum1 shown in ,fig4 #ae1 must be classed among the commoner types of early lamps1 once plentiful in farmhouses and cottages4 ,the lamp used on the table in ,victorian days was the moderator lamp1 the principle of which was a spring forcing the oil up through the burner--but such lamps have no claim upon the curio hunter either for beauty of form or rarity of material4 ,these lamps1 which burned colza or seed oil1 were superseded in time by paraffin and petroleum lamps4 ,now and then some wonderful invention flashed across the scene1 but although various modern improved burners have come and gone1 the lamp1 excepting for purposes of ornament and decorative effect1 has given way to coal gas and1 in more modern times1 to electric lighting4 ,there are few household curios of any value associated with oil lighting1 and as yet gas is too new6 ,lanterns4 ,the portable lantern made of iron and tin and glazed with horn was long an indispensable feature in every household4 ,horn lanterns were carried about everywhere in the days before street lighting was general1 and to some extent they are needed in country districts to-day4 ,there is a remarkable similarity between the modern glass lanterns of circular type and the old watchman's lanterns of a couple of centuries ago4 ,the same design seems to have served the purpose through many generations1 and to have been duplicated again and again4 ,among the ancient lanterns are some in which candles have been burned1 and others where the candle socket has been utilized for the insertion of a socket oil lamp4 ,in more modern times the horn has given place to glass4 ,the carriage lamps of former days served their purposes well1 and although some are certainly antique1 they are by no means desirable curios4 ,the light they gave when driving through a country lane was indeed a dim flicker compared with the powerful arcs of the modern motor-car4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ag4--;,,fine ,,pair ,,of ,,ancient ,,snuffers4 ,the beacon fire is no longer seen on housetops1 neither is the lantern in the yard and the vestibule furnished with a candle2 but curiously enough1 even in the most modern appointed houses1 so great is the love for the antique in the furnishings of to-day1 that beautifully modelled little replicas of the old horn lanterns are hung in entrance halls and passages--but instead of the candle there is the electric bulb6 ,,iv ,,table ,,appointments ,,chapter ,,iv ,,table ,,appointments ,cutlery3 ,knives1 forks1 and spoons--,salt cellars--,cruet stands--,punch and toddy--,porringers and cups--,trays and waiters--,the tea table--,cream jugs--,sugar tongs and nippers--,caddies--,cupids--,nutcrackers --,turned woodware4 ,it is very difficult to realize in these days of refinement and of comparative luxury1 even in the homes of the working classes1 what the table appointments must have been in early ,english homes4 ,sometimes glowing accounts are given of the feasting of olden time2 but no doubt many of the great occasions contrasted in their luxurious magnificence with the usual mode of living4 ,they were1 however1 the days of feeding rather than of refinement in partaking of the sumptuous feast4 ,the table appointments on such occasions were crude and simple1 and they were altogether absent from the tables of the lower classes4 ,it is difficult1 indeed1 to realize that the conditions under which people lived in mediaeval ,england1 in the days when the baron and his followers assembled in the great hall1 and with his chosen companions sat above the salt1 satisfied men of wealth2 it was1 however1 in accord with the spirit of the age4 ,the primitive methods of serving up food and eating it observed by the majority of people then would be looked upon with disgust nowadays by every one4 ,the table appointments were not only very few1 but those which were used1 like the knife and spoon1 were often brought into the feasting hall by those who were to use them4 ,the polished oaken board was often laden with rough and readily prepared dishes1 the result of some fortunate expedition or of a prosperous hunt4 ,the knife was the chief implement used until comparatively recent days1 for forks are quite a modern innovation4 ,the spoon1 it is true1 goes back to hoary antiquity1 but in ,england1 even in the ,middle ,ages1 spoons were used chiefly for ecclesiastical purposes4 ,in ,harrison's ,elizabethan ,england we read that the times had changed1 for instead of treen platters there were pewter plates1 and tin or silver spoons instead of wood4 ,cutlery3 ,knives1 ,forks1 and ,spoons4 ,the term cutlery1 derived from coutellerie1 the ,french for cutlery1 had been evolved from culter1 the ,latin for knife4 ,primarily it referred to cutting instruments1 and especially to knives1 but in a general way1 when speaking of table cutlery1 spoons and forks may appropriately be included4 ,early records referring to cutlery indiscriminately use the terms knives and swords2 indeed1 the arms granted to the ,london ,cutlers' ,company in the sixteenth year of the reign of ,edward ,,iv are two swords1 crossed2 later a crest1 consisting of an elephant bearing a castle1 was added4 ,homer tells us of knives carried at the girdle in his day1 and describes them as of triangular form4 ,the ,anglo-,saxons and the ,normans carried about with them met-soex or eating knives1 but it was not until the end of the fifteenth century that knives were used at table1 other than those which were carried at the girdle1 every man using his own cutlery4 ,in ,england1 ,sheffield was early noted for the manufacture of knives1 for ,chaucer tells us1 ,a ,scheffeld thwitel bare he in his hose4 ,another form of spelling the word which denoted knife was troytel1 and from these terms is derived whittle4 ,the jack knife came in in the days of ,james ,i1 after whom it was named1 the original term being ,jacques-te-leg1 these knives shutting into a groove or handle without spring or lock4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ah4--;,,handsomely ,,decorated ,,knife ,,case ,,and ,,contents4 7,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum47 ,the making of a table knife even in early times necessitated the work of many hands1 for taking part in its production were the smiths who forged it1 the bladers who made the blade out of the metal already hammered1 and the haft-makers4 ,when the knife was complete it was handed to the sheath-makers1 who fashioned the sheath of leather1 and sometimes encased it in metal4 ,the host did not provide table cutlery for his guests until the reign of ,elizabeth4 ,in earlier times it was left to the traveller to provide himself with whatever he deemed necessary2 thus it is recorded that when ,henry ,,vi made a tour in the north he carried with him knife1 fork1 and spoon1 as it was stated he scarcely expected to find any at the houses of the nobility4 ,from that custom1 no doubt1 arose the common practice of fitting separate sets1 and afterwards sets for more than one person1 in cases1 the materials used being for many years the beautifully embossed cuir boulli leather work4 ,queen ,elizabeth carried her knife and other appointments at her girdle1 a custom followed by her ladies2 although it is said that at the ,court of the virgin queen it was customary for the gentlemen courtiers to cut up the meat on the platters of the fair ones with whom they were dining2 the ladies at that time being content to prove the truth of the adage1 ,fingers were made before forks4 ,collectors soon realize that there were many forms of knives even amongst those specially reserved for table use4 ,both blades and handles have passed through many stages in the gradual evolution from the hunting knife to the cutlery on the modern dinner table4 ,the blades have been narrow and pointed like daggers1 and they have been scimitar-shaped1 and rounded off at the point4 ,the qualities of the material have changed1 too1 ,sheffield cutlers and those of other places vying with one another4 ,the cutlery trade has long drifted north1 although at one time the members of the ,london ,cutlers' ,company were proud of the quality of their goods1 and boasted of their knives being ,london made1 haft and blade4 ,this ancient ,guild tried hard to maintain their pre-eminence1 and in the days of ,elizabeth obtained a ,charter prohibiting all strangers from bringing any knives into ,england from beyond the seas4 ,the carving knife seems to have had a separate descent from the large hunting knives used to cut up barons of beef1 roasted oxen1 and portions which were cut off the joint for each individual or for several persons4 ,forks for table use were a much later invention1 although there were larger meat forks1 flesh forks1 and heavier iron kitchen appliances 7see ,chapter ,v74 ,in very early times small forks1 of which there are some in the ,guildhall ,museum dating from ,roman and ,saxon times1 were chiefly used for fruit4 ,the use of forks at table1 for meat1 is attributed to the invention of an ,italian1 and the custom thus started rapidly spread in good society on the ,continent of ,europe4 ,thomas ,coryate1 a noted traveller1 is said to have introduced them into ,germany1 and afterwards into ,england1 where their use was at first much ridiculed as effeminate1 the fork-carving traveller being spoken of in contempt4 ,forks were in regular use in ,england early in the sixteenth century4 ,dean ,stanley1 in his ,memorials of ,westminster ,abbey1 quotes from the ,chapter ,book of #aeed1 in which it is stated by ,dean ,weston 7#aeec-f7 that the ,college dinners became somewhat disorderly1 forks and knives were tossed freely to and fro4 ,the old table forks were two-pronged1 the prongs being long and set near together2 the steel forks of the early nineteenth century were three-pronged1 and another prong was added later1 the latter form being adapted by the makers of silver forks in more recent years4 ,in ,fig4 #ah is shown a very handsome knife case and its contents1 which are to be seen in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum4 ,in ,fig4 #ai another example of a set of knife1 fork1 and spoon in the same collection is illustrated4 ,the spoon is1 like the knife1 of great antiquity4 ,it is said to have been suggested by shells on the shore1 and by the hollow of the hand which in the most primitive days was used to drink with4 ,the most beautiful old spoons are those made of silver1 a magnificent pair being shown in ,fig4 #bj4 ,many such spoons are now almost priceless1 especially the much-valued ,apostle spoons1 often given in olden time as christening gifts4 ,silver spoons more correctly belong to antique silver1 which forms another branch of curio-collecting4 ,of spoons there are many made of other materials than silver1 some being carved in wood 7see ,chapter ,,xiii71 others of ivory1 and some of bone4 ,many of the older spoons were made of brass or latten2 but when silver became popular table spoons of silver were procured whenever it was possible to afford them1 and a collection including in the varieties the ,apostle and the seal top1 and its various developments from the rat-tail to the fiddle1 is obtainable4 ,as regarding spoons ,westman has written3 ,the spoon is one of the first things wanted when we come into the world1 and it is one of the last things we part with before we go out4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ai4--,,knife1 ,,fork1 ,,and ,,spoon4 7,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum47 ,the collector revels in the beautifully engraved blades of the rarer curios2 in the handles so varied in their materials and ornament2 and in the cases in which knives1 forks1 and spoons have in many instances been preserved4 ,from the curios in museums and from family treasures it is evident that much of the cutlery has been presented as donations to the housekeeping outfit of a newly-married couple1 or given as presentation sets or pieces on some special occasion2 just as cutlery is often chosen for presentation purposes to-day4 ,from the sixteenth century onwards such sets have been made and presented4 ,the recently arranged cutlery room in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum at ,south ,kensington1 that great art treasure-house of the nation1 contains an exceptionally representative collection4 ,in some instances the examples are only single specimens which may have been presented separately1 or they may have formed part of a more complete set4 ,there are sets of carving knives with long blades1 forks with double prongs1 and broad-pointed flat-bladed servers1 many of them etched and engraved all over4 ,even after carvers were regular features on the table the small knives and forks were brought by the guests who were bidden to the feast1 for it must be remembered that it was not until #afgj that ,prince ,rupert brought the first complete set of forks to this country4 ,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum there is a very beautiful little knife1 the handle of which is delicately carved1 the group which constitutes the design representing our first parents standing beneath the ,tree of ,knowledge1 in the midst of which the wily serpent is cunningly concealed4 ,another pair consisting of a very handsome knife and fork have handles representing animals and grotesque figures4 ,these were the work of ,dutch artists in the seventeenth century2 but curiously enough the quaint leather case in which this knife and fork are enclosed was evidently of earlier date1 for it has upon it #aeih4 ,some of the cases of leather made by the cuir boulli process are circular1 there being separate holes for each of the knives they were intended to contain4 ,some of the knives are very curious1 especially those with wooden or horn handles of sixteenth and early seventeenth-century make1 which have been found in considerable numbers in ,moorfields and ,finsbury1 along with sharpening steels4 ,the ordinary table knives of a little later date1 when they were sold in half-dozens and dozens along with two-pronged forks1 were decorative1 their handles being made of materials varying in quality and in the excellence of their manufacture4 ,one of the most beautiful sets of rare historic value now on view in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum is part of a set of fourteen1 the ivory handles being carved to represent the kings and queens of ,england4 ,these rare examples of the ,english cutler's and ivory carver's art1 dated #afjg1 have blades damascened with gold4 ,there are knives also with handles of amber1 one very remarkable set in amber over foil being decorated with the figure of ,christ and ,his ,apostles on one side of the handles1 and on the other side there is the ,apostles' ,creed4 ,among other materials used in the manufacture of handles for knives and forks1 some of the latter having two prongs and others three1 chiefly made in the eighteenth century1 are3 ,battersea enamel on copper1 ,staffordshire agate ware1 ,meissen porcelain1 ,venetian millefiore glass1 ,bow porcelain1 jasper1 ,venetian aventurine glass1 enamelled earthenware1 and ,chantilly porcelain4 ,in many instances these handles made of such beautiful materials are further decorated by miniature painted scenes and floral ornaments4 ,another favourite material is bone1 some of the older handles being stained1 mostly green1 afterwards decorated with applied silver in floral and geometrical designs4 ,there are a few maple-wood handles of the eighteenth century1 and others of stag's horn and of shagreen4 ,the knife box with its divisions1 referred to elsewhere1 is exemplified in many remarkably fine cases to be seen in our museums and in isolated specimens in private collections4 ,the interest in a collection of household utensils is greatly enhanced by the halo of romance which surrounds the uses of some of them4 ,this is seen and understood by the collector of cutlery perhaps more than of anything else1 for many old customs have been associated with the giving of cutlery1 and superstitious beliefs have crept in4 ,the gift of cutlery at weddings was not always the prosaic thing it is nowadays1 for the cases and even the knives were often accompanied by some sentimental rhyme or poetic inscription4 ,two knives1 apparently the gift of bride and bridegroom to one another1 now in the ,british ,museum1 are engraved with separate inscriptions4 ,one reads3-- ,my love is fixt ,i will not range1 ,i like my choice ,i will not change2 while on the other is engraved3-- ,witt1 wealth1 and beauty all doe well ,but constant love doth fair excell4 #afgf4 ,the early uses of knives in association with religious rites are interesting1 as1 for instance1 the golden knife with which the old ,druids cut the mistletoe with pomp and much mystic ceremony4 ,the early ,christians made use of the knife and symbolized the cross when feasting2 indeed1 the old country habit--which is now deemed a sign of vulgarity--of crossing the knife and fork after dining1 took its origin in that act of devotion1 for together they form the ,greek cross4 ,browning refers to the custom when he says3-- ,knife and fork he never lays ,crosswise1 to my recollection1 ,as ,i do in ,jesu's praise4 ,in ,russia this custom of the peasantry was deep-rooted2 and there they were careful to take up the knife and fork and lay them down on the plate crossed before commencing their often meagre meal4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bj4--,,pair ,,of ,,decorated ,,spoons4 7,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum47 ,strange to say that although knives and forks have been crossed in reverence1 to cross knives has been deemed unlucky1 and to present a maiden with a pair of scissors--two crossed blades--has long been held by those who believe in such signs as unlucky4 ,to give a knife is to cut luck--so the legend runs2 hence so many when presenting a pocket knife will demand a penny 7as the smallest coin when silver pennies were in circulation7 in return4 ,the ,rev4 ,samuel ,bishop1 ,m4,a41 ,master of the ,merchant ,taylors' ,school in #agie1 wrote the following lines on the subject of presenting a knife to his wife3-- ,a knife1 dear girl1 cuts love1 they say-- ,mere modish love perhaps it may3 ,for any tool of any kind ,can separate what was never join'd4 ,salt ,cellars4 ,the condiments of the table were usually supplied in separate vessels4 ,the use of salt with meat goes back to primitive times1 although we have few records of the vessels in which it was served4 ,the ,arab chief offers his guest salt as an act of friendship1 and as such it is partaken of4 ,the classic ,ancients consecrated salt before using it1 and the salt cellar was placed upon the table together with the first fruits for the gods1 those to whom they were offered being generally ,hercules or ,mercury4 ,the ,greek salt cellars were shaped like bowls1 and as the salt became an important feature as a dividing line between rich and poor1 the size of the cellar grew4 ,to realize the importance of the salt cellar in mediaeval ,england1 we have only to visit the ,tower of ,london1 where the great salt cellars of ,state are kept4 ,the large standing salt was the dividing line upon the table4 ,salt cellars dating from the fourteenth century are in existence1 and many curiously shaped designs intervened before the bell-shaped salts which were fashionable in the days of ,elizabeth and the trencher salts of ,queen ,anne and the early ,georges4 ,salt cellars with feet came into fashion in the reign of ,george ,,ii2 then followed many minor changes until the beautifully perforated salt cellars with blue liners bearing hall-marks dating from the close of the eighteenth century came into vogue4 ,it is from among the ,georgian table appointments that collectors gather most of their specimens4 ,the materials of which these salt cellars were made vary2 there are sterling silver1 antique pewter1 and ,sheffield plate2 and there are salt cellars of china and porcelain which may well be included in a collection of table curios4 ,cruet ,stands4 ,the separate bottles or cruets1 casters1 mustard pots1 and very rarely salts1 were gradually gathered together and placed in a frame which grew big in late ,georgian and early ,victorian days4 ,for convenience the stand was placed in the centre of the table1 and often made to revolve4 ,such cruets are met with in silver and other metals1 also in papier-mache1 often ornamented with mother-o'-pearl and painted flowers4 ,the greatest interest1 however1 is found in collecting separate bottles1 such as those charming ,bristol glass cruets1 ornamented with flowers and lettered with the names of their contents1 such as ,,vinegar1 ,,salad ,,oil1 ,,mustard1 ,,pepper4 ,there is a greater variety of form in the metal cruets and casters1 which followed the prevailing styles silversmiths were then employing4 ,especially graceful are the old pepperettes and vase-shaped casters4 ,the woodturner1 too1 contributed to the table appointments of the eighteenth century1 and the carver made some curious and even grotesque figures1 the heads of which took off1 and thus formed pepper casters4 ,one of the most noted grotesque sets reminds us of the ,toby fill-pot jugs in form1 a complete set consisting of two salts1 two mustards1 and two pepper pots4 ,genuine specimens are very difficult to meet with now1 although those ,staffordshire cruets have been reproduced1 and are offered either singly or in sets2 but the difference between the genuine antique and the modern replica ought not to deceive even an amateur4 ,there are varieties of mustard pots1 which were in turn round1 oval1 square1 hexagonal1 and cylindrical1 some being like miniature well buckets with perforated sides and blue metal liners4 ,punch and ,toddy4 ,a hundred years ago the punch bowl was inseparable from the convivial feast4 ,it was a favourite sideboard ornament1 and found in frequent use on the dining table1 round which smokers and card players drew up and filled their glasses with punch and toddy4 ,ladles were indispensable1 and were varied in form and in the materials of which they were composed4 ,punch ladles were in earlier days made of cherry-wood1 mounted with a silver rim and fitted with a long handle1 often made of twisted horn4 ,the horn1 which was somewhat pliable1 was secured to the bowl by a silver socket4 ,other ladles were made entirely of silver1 some having a current coin of the realm1 a guinea preferably1 fixed in the bottom of the bowl--for luck4 ,some of the ladles were beautifully decorated in repousse1 others were shaped like sauce boats2 there were ladles without lips1 others deep like the porringers1 and yet others were quite round like a drinking bowl4 ,some are family heirlooms1 others have been purchased in curio shops1 and unfortunately during the last few years so great has been the demand for them that many modern copies have been palmed off as genuine antiques4 ,the hall-mark on the rim is in many instances a guarantee of age1 although some of the genuine specimens do not appear to have been hall-marked at all4 ,the fact that an old coin is found fixed within the bowl is no criterion of antiquity1 and does not always indicate that the punch ladle itself is contemporary with the coin1 for old coins are common enough and readily fixed in new ladles4 ,collectors of old china simply revel in punch bowls4 ,punch was at the height of its popularity when most of the domestic porcelain and decorative china1 now rare and valuable1 was being made4 ,the best known potters in ,worcester1 ,derby1 ,bristol1 ,liverpool1 and the ,potteries made punch bowls1 some ornamented with their characteristic decorations2 others were specially emblematical1 such1 for instance1 as the bowls covered with masonic signs2 some were nautical in design1 and many were enriched with coats of arms and crests4 ,several of the punch bowls belonging to the old ,city ,companies are on view in the ,guildhall ,museum1 and isolated specimens are seen to be in other places4 ,oriental china was at that time being imported into this country very extensively1 and some remarkably delicate bowls1 contrasting with ,mason's strong ironstone1 are obtainable4 ,these bowls1 ladles1 and the charming little egg-shaped boxes which formerly contained a nutmeg and a tiny grater are household table furnishings of exceptional interest4 ,it may interest some to learn that punch1 which came into vogue in the seventeenth century1 derived its name from a ,hindustani word signifying five1 indicative of the five ingredients of which it was composed--spirit1 water1 sugar1 lemon1 and spice4 ,porringers and ,cups4 ,although sterling silver and other materials from which drinking vessels are usually made have been exhaustively dealt with in other volumes of the ,chats series1 as table appointments drinking cups must be referred to here4 ,caudle cups were in use in the sixteenth century1 and throughout the century that followed they were used along with porringers1 which differed from them only in that the mouths of the porringers were wider and the sides straight4 ,the caudle cup1 sometimes called a posset cup1 is met with both without and with cover1 and in some instances it is accompanied by a stand or tray4 ,caudle or posset was a drink consisting of milk curdled with wine1 and in the days when it was drunk few went to bed without a cup of smoking hot posset4 ,many of the early cups were beautifully embossed and florally ornamented1 although others were quite plain1 with the exception of an engraved shield1 on which was a coat of arms1 crest1 or monogram4 ,many of the porringers which followed the earlier type were octagonal1 and in some instances twelve-sided4 ,in the reign of ,william and ,mary the rage for ,chinese figures and ornaments caused ,english silversmiths to decorate porringers with similar designs4 ,the style which prevailed the longest was that known as ,queen ,anne1 much copied in modern replicas4 ,very pleasing1 too1 are eighteenth-century miniature porringers4 ,there is much to please in the work of the silversmith and potter1 as well as the glass blower1 in the cups they fashioned2 and the artist admires the chased engraving or the rich colouring1 and perchance the etching and cutting of the cup4 ,some1 however1 show preference for the earlier cups and drinking vessels of commoner materials1 and for those eccentricities of the table found in curious hunting cups1 vessels which had to be emptied at a draught1 or to be drunk under the most difficult conditions like the puzzle cups of ,staffordshire make4 ,the peg tankards of ancient date1 a very fine example originally belonging to the ,abbey of ,glastonbury1 afterwards in the possession of ,lord ,arundel of ,wardour1 held two quarts1 the pegs dividing its contents into half-pints according to the ,winchester standard4 ,on that remarkable cup the twelve ,apostles were carved round the sides1 and on the lid was the scene at the ,crucifixion4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ba4--,,two ,,wooden ,,cups4 ,,fig4 #bb4--,,wooden ,,flagon1 ,,with ,,copper ,,bands4 7,in the ,national ,museum of ,wales47 ,illustration3 ,,figs4 #bc1 #bd4--;,,cocoanut ,,cups 7,,silver-,,mounted74 ,,fig4 #be4--;,,cocoanut ,,flagon4 ,it is said that the pegs were first ordered by ,edgar1 the ,saxon king1 to prevent excessive drinking1 the tankard being passed round1 every man being expected to drink down to the next peg4 ,heywood1 in his ,philocathonista1 says3 ,of drinking cups1 divers and sundry sorts we have1 some of elm1 some of box1 and some of maple and holly4 ,according to the quaint spelling of those days there were then in use in ,merrie ,england3 ,mazers1 noqqins1 whiskins1 piggins1 cringes1 ale-bowls1 wassel bowls1 tankard and kames from a pottle to a pint and from a pint to a gill4 ,the leather cups and tankards or black jacks 7see ,chapter ,,viii7 were mostly used in country places by shepheards and harvesters4 ,a writer in a work published in the early years of the nineteenth century says3 ,besides metal and wood and pottery we have cups of hornes of beasts1 of cocker nuts1 of goords1 of eggs of ostriches1 and of the shells of divers fishes4 ,a simple cocoanut1 mounted in silver and made into a cup1 perhaps a century or more ago1 is by no means to be despised4 ,some are beautifully polished and ornamented with incised work4 ,contemporary with the earlier specimens are pots made of ostrich eggs1 mounted in silver1 regarded of great value in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries4 ,some of the university colleges possess fine examples1 and there are many in the hands of ,london silversmiths4 ,figs4 #bc and #bd represent two cocoanut cups with feet of silver1 one engraved with the owner's initials1 the foot being decorated with bead ornament4 ,fig4 #be is a cocoanut mounted as a flagon with handle of whalebone and rim and foot of silver4 ,the use of such cups seems to have been very generally distributed all over the world1 for there are many ,south ,american examples1 as well as the ,english varieties4 ,the gourd1 too1 was used for similar purposes2 the ,mexicans made such bowls and cups1 finishing them off with silver mounts and sometimes adding silver feet4 ,there are ,french flasks made of small gourds1 sometimes scent flasks being made in the same way1 not infrequently decorated with incised inlays of coloured composition on a black ground4 ,some of the ,english silversmiths engraved hunting scenes on small flasks made of the rind of a gourd1 choosing hunting scenes and birds and familiar outdoor objects4 ,in ,figs4 #ba and #ba;,a are shown two curious old wood drinking cups1 and ,fig4 #bb represents a wooden jug bound with copper4 ,horn was a favourite material for cups1 sometimes surmounted by elaborate covers and feet of silver4 ,one of the rarest drinking horns1 now in ,queen's ,college1 ,oxford1 was presented to the ,college by the ,queen of ,edward ,,iii in #acdj4 ,of later types there are beakers and tumbler cups1 the latter rounded at the base so that they were easily upset1 the idea being that they must be emptied at the first draught4 ,from these cups sprang the quaint hunting cups in porcelain1 modelled in the form of a hare's head1 or like a fox1 some of the scarcest being evidently modelled for the fisherman's use1 to take the form of a fish's head4 ,the very remarkable drinking cup shown in ,fig4 #bg is made of walnut2 the ridges1 carved in deep relief1 stand out boldly1 each one being carved1 the letters forming a complete metaphor1 to which is added the name of its original owner1 the inscription reading as follows3-- ,,take 4 ,,not 4 ,,from 4 ,,me 4 ,,al 4 ,,my 4 ,,stor 4 ,,axcp 4 ,,ye 4 ,,fill 4 ,,me 4 ,,vee 4 ,,svme 4 ,,mor 4 ,,for 4 ,,av 4 ,,to 4 ,,borrov 4 ,,and 4 ,,never 4 ,,to 4 ,,pay 4 ,i 4 ,,call 4 ,,that 4 ,,fovll 4 ,,play 4 ,,ion ,,watson #afie4 ,trays and ,waiters4 ,in olden time not very far from the dining table stood the cupboard or buffet from which evolved the sideboard4 ,on it were displayed the cups and flagons and table appointments not actually in use4 ,it is true the servants carried the great dishes from the kitchen1 and removed the lesser vessels on trays and waiters1 and it is such trays1 especially those in silver and ,sheffield plate used in the last century1 which are now valuable4 ,the waiter or serving man or woman has been an essential feature in domestic service from the earliest times1 for the history of society invariably records those who wait at table3-- ,the waiters stand in ranks2 the yeomen cry ',make room1' as if a duke were passing by4 ,,swift4 ,it is an easy remove from the waiter to the tray or vessel on which the waiters carried the things they served up to those on whom they waited4 ,the name salver1 commonly applied to a tray or waiter1 seems to have originated from the old custom of tasting meats before they were served1 to salve or save their employers from harm4 ,among the more valuable are the trays or waiters of silver and ,sheffield plate4 ,trays made of iron and japanned after the fashion of ,japanese metal lacquer wares1 which towards the close of the eighteenth century were so largely imported into this country1 are often neglected1 yet many of them are truly antiquarian and by no means unlovely4 ,one of the chief seats of the industry was at ,pontypool1 but the business drifted to ,birmingham4 ,it was when the japan wares1 so called from the attempt of the makers to copy the lacquers of ,japan then much imported1 were being successfully made amidst surroundings then exceedingly romantic in the little town singularly situated on a steep cliff overhanging the ,avon ,llwyd1 that dealers found trays1 breadbaskets1 snuffer trays1 knife trays1 caddies1 and urns much in request4 ,in ,bishopsgate ,street ,without1 in ,london1 there is a noted wine house known as the ,dirty ,dick4 ,this curious title was derived from the owner of a famous hardware store who kept it1 and was dubbed ,dirty ,dick because of his untidy shop4 ,the wild disorder of the establishment gave rise to a popular ballad of which the following are two of the first lines3-- ,a curious hardware shop in general full ,of wares from ,birmingham and ,pontypool4 ,in addition to japanned wares there are trays of paper pulp ornamented with mother-o'-pearl and richly decorated with gold4 ,the ,tea ,table4 ,the modern tea table presents a much less formal array of china and good things than that of a generation or two back when high tea was an important function1 and the good wife of the household loaded her table with many substantial dishes4 ,the best china was taken from the cupboard1 and family heirlooms in silver were arrayed on either side of the teapot4 ,needless to say the teapot was an indispensable adjunct1 and some of the teapots belonging to the old sets are massive and gorgeous1 rather than beautiful1 although the earlier teapots made in this country in the eighteenth century1 a time when tea was expensive and a real luxury1 were quite small4 ,there are many curiosities1 too--such1 for instance1 as the ,chinese teapots of the ,ming period1 when the potters seem to have vied with one another in producing grotesque forms1 and from china clay fashioned objects which typified their mythological beliefs4 ,some of these teapots took the form of curious sea-horses represented as swimming in waves of green and amidst seaweed4 ,some of these fabulous beasts are spotted over with splashes of colour1 and others have curious twig-like formations upon their sides1 said to denote pieces of coral and water plants from the ocean4 ,the teapot was at one time most frequently filled from the pretty little oval copper or brass kettle on the hob1 or from a swing kettle on a stand on the table4 ,the table kettle was generally heated by a spirit lamp which kept the water boiling ready for use4 ,of later years silver table appointments of early eighteenth-century make have become very scarce1 and the curio value of the larger pieces has steadily risen4 ,it would seem as if the maximum figure had been reached for silver of that period1 for at the sale of the ,fitzhenry collection a plain kettle and stand1 an example of ,ambrose ,stevenson's work in #agag1 realized ,l#fig4 ,cream ,jugs4 ,the cream jug included in the tea and coffee sets of silver or metal1 and in the tea china of which so many beautiful sets are still extant1 has almost an independent position in connection with table appointments1 for ever since tea drinking became general it was regarded as a necessity1 and was made in accord with the then prevailing styles4 ,it is almost the commonest collectable antique in this particular group4 ,in silver it was always hall-marked1 and its date can1 therefore1 be fixed4 ,briefly outlining the development of its form1 it may be mentioned that it was quite plain in the reign of ,queen ,anne1 when tea drinking came into fashion4 ,when ,george ,i came to the throne it was widened somewhat and made a little shorter4 ,at that time the silver cream jugs were hammered into shape out of a flat sheet1 there being no seam2 after the body was formed a rim was added and a lip put on4 ,there was a deeper rim in the reign of ,george ,,ii1 and then feet took the place of rims4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bf4--;,,early ,,english ,,bronze ,,ewer4 7,in the ,british ,museum47 ,gradually ,chippendale carving and the shaped legs of the furniture then being used were reflected even in the cream jug1 the lip in those days being hammered out of the body of the vessel with a graceful curve4 ,rims again took the place of feet in the reign of ,george ,,iii1 and the tall legged cream jug came into vogue4 ,the body was decorated with repousse work or engraved1 and the shape gradually changed until the familiar helmet-shaped cream jug resulted4 ,the helmet cream jugs were beautifully engraved with ribbon and wreath decoration1 and frequently there was a beaded pattern round the rim and the handle4 ,the same styles prevailed both in ,sheffield plate and in ,britannia metal1 often misnamed pewter4 ,the decoration on the china cream jugs was frequently floral1 but in those made in the leading potteries there was a distinct following of the public style4 ,sugar ,tongs and ,nippers4 ,with the use of lump sugar late in the eighteenth century sugar tongs were added to the table appointments1 and their decoration and ornament usually followed that of teaspoons4 ,they were sometimes engraved with the crests or initials of the owners1 and occasionally1 in the case of wedding presents1 with the initials of both the master and mistress of the household1 one being placed inside the sugar tongs and the other on the arch outside4 ,in connection with the cutting of lump sugar steel sugar nippers were much used in the kitchen before lump sugar was bought from the grocer ready cut up4 ,these nippers1 some of the earlier ones being chased and engraved1 have now passed into the region of household curios4 ,caddies4 ,as the tea table would be incomplete without the beverage brewed from tea-leaves it follows as a natural sequence that the housewife has always required a storebox for her supply1 and in some cases one in which she could keep under lock and key more than one variety4 ,when tea was first imported into this country it was sent over from ,china in a kati1 a small wooden box holding about #a-a_/c lb42 hence the name passed on to the more elaborate receptacles on the sideboard containing the household supply4 ,these boxes were mostly fashioned in accord with the furniture1 many having the well-known ,sheraton shell design on the lid1 or on the front of the box4 ,some are square-sided1 others tapered1 generally finished with beautiful little brass caddy balls as feet1 and often with brass ring handles and ornaments4 ,the inside of the caddy was divided into two compartments1 usually boxes lined with lead or lead paper1 and frequently a central compartment for a sugar bowl was added4 ,in nearly all the better boxes there was provision for the silver caddy spoon with which to apportion the accustomed supply4 ,chelsea and ,bow ,cupids4 ,those curious little boy figures known as ,chelsea and ,bow ,cupids are for the most part classed with ornaments1 but they more appropriately belong to table appointments1 for in olden time when the cloth had been removed these curious little figures were placed upon the mahogany or oaken board along with the dessert1 as if to guard the fruit and the wine4 ,the ,cupids are garlanded with flowers1 baskets of which they have in their hands--delightful little figures when genuine antiques4 ,they vary in size and are said to have been divided in the past as small and large boys4 ,nutcrackers4 ,many a famous joke has been cracked over the walnuts and wine4 ,it was when the board was cleared of the viands that the nuts and fruit were partaken of4 ,the edible nuts mostly favoured before foreign supplies came into the market were the hazel1 walnut1 chestnut1 and the famous ,kent filberts4 ,although doubtless supplemented by any objects handy1 the primitive method of cracking nuts with the teeth was generally practised by the common people4 ,what more natural than for the early inventor to see in the human head the box in which to place his mechanical device and to give power and leverage by utilizing the legs of the man he had carved in wood4 ,in the ,middle ,ages some remarkable carvings were produced1 mostly working on the same lines as the earliest forms4 ,in the seventeenth century1 when metal crackers came into vogue1 pressure was applied by means of a screw1 and the contemporary wood crackers were designed on that principle4 ,afterwards the older type of cracker was revived1 both in wood and metal2 subsequently the simpler form at present in use was adopted4 ,here and there in museums and among domestic relics odd pairs of these old crackers are discovered4 ,the interest in them1 however1 grows when several early examples are placed side by side4 ,there are a few instances of specialized collections1 and through the courtesy of ,mr4 ,charles ,evans1 of ,nailsea ,court1 who possesses a unique collection of all periods1 we are able to illustrate a variety of forms4 ,fig4 #ca represents a very early pair of nutcrackers1 probably made in the fourteenth century2 the one shown in ,fig4 #cd has the ,elizabethan ruff round the neck of the carved head2 and ,figs4 #bh1 #bi1 and #cj represent the screw period1 ,fig4 #bh being an early example4 ,one of the finest pieces in the collection is ,fig4 #bi1 a cracker in the form of a hooded monk2 ,fig4 #cj being a charming bit of wood-carving in walnut wood1 a somewhat grotesque figure representing an old fiddler4 ,fig4 #cc is a curious cracker combining a useful pick almost in the form of the bill of a bird1 ,fig4 #cb being of similar date4 ,the next group shows the evolution from the metal screw to the more ordinary types1 ,figs4 #cf and #ch being screw nutcrackers2 #ce1 #cg1 and #ci being quaint examples of early metal nutcrackers modelled on more modern form4 ,such curios are extremely interesting1 and whether exhibited as specimens of carving or of metal work1 or used as table ornaments combining utility and antiquarian interest1 they are well worth securing4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bg4--;,,inscribed ,,seventeenth-,,century ,,wood ,,drinking ,,cup4 7,in ,taunton ,castle ,museum47 ,illustration3 ,,figs4 #bh-cj4--;,,early ,,carved ,,wood ,,nutcrackers4 7,in the collection of ,mr4 ,charles ,evans1 of ,nailsea ,court47 ,turned ,woodware4 ,table appointments have afforded amateur wood-turners and carvers opportunities of showing their skill4 ,even before the days of modern lathes with eccentric chucks and other improvements1 turners were very clever in producing little articles for table use1 and in their making expended a wealth of skill and time4 ,among these were pepper boxes and wooden salt cellars1 and carved wooden spoons1 especially salad servers1 which are even still made and delicately carved1 the ,swiss peasants being famous for such work4 ,one of the village occupations during winter evenings in years gone by was to make wooden objects1 although most of their efforts were directed in other ways than table appointments 7see ,chapter ,,xiii1 ,fig4 #he74 ,on the ,sideboard4 ,not far removed from the dining table is the sideboard or buffet1 so important a piece of furniture in the dining hall1 for on it were formerly displayed table appointments and emblems of the feast4 ,the urn-shaped knife boxes which were so often placed on either side were chiefly of mahogany1 sometimes inlaid with satinwood and often with those rare shell-like ornaments which became so popular in the days of ,chippendale and ,sheraton4 ,the compartments in which were placed the table knives prevented either blades or handles from being rubbed4 ,copper and metal urns were frequently conspicuous on the sideboard1 although many of the small tables so much treasured now as antiques in the drawing-room were originally made for urns to stand upon4 ,there are many beautiful curios of the home made of wood1 among them being such rare gems as wood screens and the frames of hand screens1 some of which screwed on to the ends of the mantelpieces with small clamps4 ,illustration3 ,,figs4 #ca-cd4--,,mediaeval ,,wood ,,nutcrackers4 ,illustration3 ,,figs4 #ce-ci4--;,,early ,,steel ,,and ,,brass ,,nutcrackers4 7,in the collection of ,mr4 ,charles ,evans1 of ,nailsea ,court47 ,v ,,the ,,kitchen ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #dj4--,,two ,,antique ,,warming ,,pans4 7,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum47 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #da4--,,welsh ,,kitchen ,,fireplace4 7,in the ,national ,museum of ,wales47 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,kitchen ,the kitchen grate--,boilers and kettles--,grills and gridirons--,cooking utensils--,warming pans4 ,it is in the kitchen and the pantry that domestic economy centres4 ,the very essence of home life is found in the preparation of suitable food in which to satisfy human appetites4 ,whether the kitchen is furnished with apparatus sufficient to cook for the inmates of a large institution1 or with the more modest appliances with which a chop or a steak can be grilled or a small joint roasted in a gas oven1 the basis of cooking operations is the same1 and the cook requires an outfit of culinary utensils small or large1 according to what she has been accustomed to use or considers necessary for her immediate wants4 ,in olden time the kitchen was furnished with fewer accessories in proportion to the meat consumed than at the present time1 and the large hanging caldron and the strong and heavy wrought or cast iron saucepan on the fire1 and the roasting spit and jack in front of it1 went a long way towards completing the outfit4 ,the gradual advance and increase in the furnishings of the kitchen have been the outcome of development and progress in culinary art4 ,since the introduction of scientific cooking and the establishment of schools of cookery1 the hired cook and the mistress who dons the apron and assumes the role of the economic housewife have learned to appreciate the use of modern culinary appliances1 lighter in weight and convenient to handle4 ,these differ according to the purposes for which they are to be used4 ,hygienic conditions now regarded as essential have displaced many of the older cooking pots which have been condemned as injurious to health4 ,greater knowledge of the chemistry of cooking1 and of the action of acids upon metals1 has enabled the scientific cook to differentiate between the pots and pans to use according to the various foods prepared4 ,the beautifully finished light1 handy1 and convenient porcelain-enamelled saucepans and stewpans and aluminium cooking pots used on modern gas stoves and ranges1 would have been just as unsuitable on the open fires of the older grates as what are now regarded as the curios of the kitchen would be deemed to be in modern culinary operations4 ,in almost every house there are to be found obsolete utensils1 some of which are valued on account of their great age1 others because of their unusual forms1 and some because of the beauty of workmanship and the costly materials of which they have been made4 ,it is when turning out the kitchen and storeroom on the occasion of periodical cleanings that these old-world pots and pans come to light2 at such times the collector may be able to secure scarce specimens and rescue them from oblivion4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #db4--,,mechanical ,,roasting ,,jacks4 7,in the collection of ,mr4 ,charles ,wayte47 ,it is not always easy to realize what the old kitchen was like when these vessels were in use1 although in out-of-the-way places kitchens may occasionally be discovered in which but little change has been made4 ,this is especially so in some of the ,welsh villages1 and in order that visitors may see what such kitchens are like a ,welsh cottage fireplace showing the objects which might commonly have been found there a century ago has been reconstructed in the ,national ,museum of ,wales4 ,this we are able to reproduce in ,fig4 #da by the courtesy of the ,director4 ,the grate came from ,llansantffraid1 and was made by a local blacksmith2 the spit and its bearers came from ,glamorgan2 the brass pot came from ,barry1 and the dog wheel 7referred to on p4 #acj7 from ,haverfordwest2 most of the minor accessories came from different parts of ,north ,wales4 ,the ,kitchen ,grate4 ,the kitchen grate has evolved from the open fire2 at first in the centre of the room1 then removed for convenience to the side or end in front of which joints of meats were roasted on a spit in olden time4 ,the spit1 at first quite primitive1 was improved upon by local smiths1 until quite intricate arrangements provided the desired revolutions1 and turned the meat round and round until it was properly cooked4 ,in the thirteenth century the bellows blower was an officer in the ,royal kitchen1 his duty being to see that the soup on the fire was neither burnt nor smoked4 ,in course of time the bellows blower in lesser households became a useful kitchen boy1 turning the spit by hand4 ,it would seem1 however1 as if in quite early days efforts were made to economize labour in the kitchen1 and turn the spit by mechanical contrivances4 ,in roasting meat sliding prongs held the joint in place1 a cage or basket being used for roasting poultry4 ,this contrivance1 first turned by hand1 was afterwards accelerated and made more regular by the mechanical contrivances just referred to4 ,these appear to have been of three different types4 ,there was the clock jack1 two splendid specimens of which are illustrated in ,fig4 #db1 types becoming exceedingly rare4 ,those illustrated were recently in the possession of ,mr4 ,charles ,wayte1 of ,edenbridge1 an enthusiastic discoverer of antiquarian metal work in out-of-the-way places in ,sussex and ,kent4 ,earlier still there was the smoke jack or rotary fan fixed in the chimney1 operated by an up-draught1 pulleys and cords being attached to the end of the spit4 ,the third method referred to involved the shifting of manual labour from man to his domestic beast1 for the faithful hound was pressed into the service of the cook4 ,the dog worked in a cage1 operating a wheel or drum which in its turn revolved the turnspit4 ,such turnspits seem to have had a lingering existence1 and were occasionally heard of in ,north ,wales late in the nineteenth century4 ,illustration3 ,,gridirons ,,showing ,,foreign ,,influence ,,in ,,design3 ,,fig4 #dc1 ,,italian2 ,,fig4 #dd1 ,,flemish2 ,,fig4 #de1 ,,dutch2 ,,fig4 #df1 ,,german4 ,roasting before the fire lingered on long after the old-fashioned iron jacks and spits had ceased to be the common method of cooking meat4 ,the meat hastener and the ,dutch oven conserved and radiated the heat1 the joint turning slowly by the clockwork mechanism of the improved brass bottle jack4 ,as the size of the fireplace narrowed and kitchens were built smaller roasting in ovens became popular2 the cooker of to-day with its hot-plates1 grills1 and steam chests--whether heated by coal1 gas1 or electricity--presents a remarkable contrast to the old open fire grate4 ,it will readily be understood that the necessary basting of meat roasting before the fire involved the use of ladles and other utensils before the modern cooking appliances were invented4 ,most of the old vessels were strong and lasting1 and the materials employed in their construction were iron1 copper1 and brass4 ,in ,fig4 #di we show a selection of fat boats and hammered iron grease pans 7in the centre of the plate is an old mothering-iron from ,sussex7 typical of the vessels used in open fire roasting4 ,to these may be added basting spoons and skimmers1 in many places called skummers4 ,boilers and ,kettles4 ,it is probable that the cooking pot over the fire has been used side by side with roasting apparatus from the earliest times1 although no doubt vessels would be required for boiling foods before roasting1 in that discoveries show that the earliest method of roasting a piece of meat or a small animal was to encase it in clay and then expose it to the fire4 ,the clay crust could then be broken and would1 of course1 have been destroyed4 ,no doubt the crock antedated the bronze pot1 which was at first made of metal plates hammered and beaten into shape1 and then riveted together4 ,this method was followed by the craft of the founder1 who cast vessels after the same model first in bronze and then in iron4 ,the cooking pot was indispensable when the food of the common people was chiefly such as necessitated a vessel containing liquid2 the name of this ancient vessel has furnished us with many apt quotations1 and it is still the pot so many find difficult to keep boiling4 ,there have been many contrivances by which to suspend the pot over the fire4 ,years ago the usual method of suspension was from a beam of wood or a bar of iron placed across the chimney opening--the name by which the bar was known in the ,north of ,england was a gallybawk4 ,simple contrivances of metal followed1 the suspension hooks and chains leading to improved cranes with rack and loop handles4 ,no doubt many have noticed the apparent indiscriminate use of the term kettle2 the tea kettle as we understand it to-day is a modern invention4 ,the old kettle was a boiling pot with a bail handle1 its modern survivor being the three-legged kettle of the gipsies1 and the boiling pot or fish kettle of the modern household4 ,associated with the early use of tea kettles slung over a fire is the now scarce lazy-back or tilter1 at one time common in the ,west of ,england and in ,south ,wales4 ,illustration3 ,,figs4 #dg1 #dh4--,,two ,,wooden ,,food ,,boxes4 7,in the ,cardiff ,museum47 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #di4--;,a ,,collection ,,of ,,iron ,,fat ,,boats ,,and ,,grease ,,pans4 ,in ,chats on ,old ,copper and ,brass some very interesting illustrations of old copper and brass saucepans1 skillets1 and pipkins are given4 ,the skillet has survived for several centuries4 ,those made in the seventeenth century were frequently inscribed with various religious and sentimental legends2 one in the ,national ,museum of ,wales is inscribed ,,love ,,thy ,,neighbour4 ,frying pans have been in common use for a great number of years and are still daily requisitioned4 ,bakestones1 on which cakes were formerly baked1 are1 however1 becoming obsolete4 ,they were called girdle plates in the ,north of ,england1 and bakestones in ,wales and elsewhere4 ,grills and ,gridirons4 ,the gridiron or griddle was an appliance used extensively all over the ,continent of ,europe from the sixteenth century onward4 ,in this country it was formerly made by the village blacksmith1 and1 like the iron stool1 kitchen fender1 and other iron and brass kitchen utensils and furnishings1 was often made quite decorative4 ,it would appear as if the smith filled up his spare moments in designing intricate patterns with which to decorate the grid4 ,some of the sixteenth and seventeenth-century ,european gridirons were quite elaborate1 serving the double purpose of ornament and use1 for when finished with for cooking purposes they were carefully cleaned and polished and hung up over the kitchen mantelpiece4 ,some of the characteristic types met with are shown in the accompanying illustrations4 ,in ,fig4 #dc is seen the light and lacy ,italian style2 in ,fig4 #dd the openwork design of the ,flemish2 a formal ,dutch pattern being illustrated in ,fig4 #de2 whereas the heavy ,german floreated type is shown in ,fig4 #df4 ,contrasting with these ,continental types the ,english gridiron was strong and serviceable1 and essentially a grid or grill1 the smith putting his best work in the handle rather than the grid4 ,cooking ,utensils4 ,besides pots and pans there are many cooking utensils which may now be reckoned among the domestic curios4 ,there are1 of course1 ewers and basins1 water-carrying and retaining vessels1 and colanders of brass and earthenware1 strainers and graters which have been used from time to time in the kitchen4 ,sometimes the metal worker appears to have gone out of the way to produce curious forms not always the most convenient for the purposes for which they were made--such1 for instance1 as the aquamaniles1 several of which may be seen in the ,british ,museum 7see ,fig4 #bf74 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ej4--,,wooden ,,coffee ,,crushers ,,and ,,pestles ,,and ,,mortar4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ea4--;,,apple ,,scoops ,,of ,,bone4 ,some of the minor kitchen utensils include flesh hooks and forks and carving knives4 ,there are spoons of every kind made in all metals1 some of the earlier examples being of brass and latten4 ,in this connection also may be mentioned ladles1 fish slicers1 and scoops4 ,there are also many curious little pastrycooks' knives1 and knives used for cutting vegetables and preparing a repast in olden time1 many of them quite decorative1 even the common pastry-wheel frequently being carved4 ,it was at one time customary to expend much skill in decorating apple scoops1 those shown in ,fig4 #ea being very choice specimens in the ,national ,museum of ,wales1 in ,cardiff4 ,the one on the left hand of the picture is made of bone1 and is inlaid with a small brass name-plate2 that on the right-hand side is of ivory delicately turned1 the scoop being exceedingly thin2 and those in the centre are all home-made out of the metacarpal bones of the sheep1 being slightly ornamented with cut ,x-shaped lines and hatchings4 ,in the same museum there are some remarkably interesting coffee crushers and mortars and pestles1 several of these being illustrated in ,fig4 #ej4 ,in ,fig4 #ec we show a representative selection reminiscent of the days when wooden spoons and wooden platters were in common use4 ,the trencher takes its name from tranche1 the old name of the platter which replaced the piece of bread on which it was formerly customary to serve up meat2 like the bread1 it was at first square4 ,the minor kitchen accessories formerly in constant use included many objects of wood1 such as the charming little nutmeg mills of turned rosewood1 some of which are to be seen in the ,british ,museum4 ,there are also antique pasteboards and rolling-pins for rolling shortbread1 pot stirrers of wood1 and other utensils such as sand glasses4 ,in ,figs4 #dg and #dh we illustrate two wooden food boxes1 such as were formerly used to carry food to men working in the field4 ,they are now deposited with other curios in the ,cardiff ,museum1 where also may be seen some little wooden piggins1 and bowls used for porridge2 the piggin was an ancient vessel often mentioned in mediaeval days 7see ,fig4 #eb74 ,warming ,pans4 ,there are some household appointments which1 like some of the brass skimmers1 platters1 engraved foot and hand warmers1 chestnut roasters1 and the like1 have always served the double purpose of use and ornament4 ,among these are warming pans which in modern days have been brought out of their hiding-places1 repolished1 and hung up in conspicuous places by the fireside4 ,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 as well as some of the provincial museums1 there are many very fine examples1 those having dates and names upon them being especially valued4 ,as an instance of an exceptional specimen in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum we may mention one on which there is an engraving of reindeer1 ducally gorged1 the inscription upon this pan reading3 ,,the ,,earl ,,of ,,essex4 ,,his ,,armes4 #afcj4 ,another elaborate warming pan is engraved with figures of a cavalier and a lady1 richly embellished with peacocks and flowers4 ,the pan is of copper1 but the handle is of wrought iron with brass ornamental mounts4 ,some pans have wooden handles1 either walnut or oak1 some of the more modern being ebonized 7see ,fig4 #dj74 ,this brief review of kitchen utensils by no means exhausts the varieties of old metal work and other curios which may still be found in kitchens4 ,there appears to be no end to the minor varieties in form and decoration4 ,this is natural when we remember that years ago kitchen utensils were not made in quantities after the same pattern as they are nowadays4 ,they were the product of the local maker1 the smith and the village woodworker being frequently called upon to supply new kitchen utensils1 and it would appear that they did their best to make their work successful in that the vessels they fashioned were lasting1 and during their use contributed in no small degree towards the ornamentation of the home4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #eb4--,,wooden ,,piggins ,,and ,,porridge ,,bowl4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ec4--,,wooden ,,platter1 ,,bowl1 ,,and ,,spoons4 7,in the ,national ,museum of ,wales47 ,,vi ,,home ,,ornaments ,,chapter ,,vi ,,home ,,ornaments ,mantelpiece ornaments--,vases--,derbyshire spars--,jade or spleen stone--,wood carvings--,old gilt4 ,we are apt to wonder sometimes what it is that makes the house homelike1 and why there are such strong attachments to the old home4 ,surely it is the familiar aspect of the furnishings1 rather than the bricks and mortar1 that makes the old home so dear6 ,to the original owners there was an individuality about every piece1 although to the collector the same characteristics of well-known objects tell that in days gone by the cabinet-maker followed stereotyped lines1 and there were but few who moved out of the regular ruts and made distinctive designs in home ornaments and sundry furnishings4 ,it is noteworthy1 however1 that however much alike in furniture no two houses were alike in their ornamental surroundings4 ,the pictures and portraits on the walls have peculiarities recognized and understood by those who have dwelt for many years among them4 ,familiar table appointments1 however humble1 have a homelike look1 and there are odd bits of old china in the cabinet and silver or pewter on the sideboard which distinguish one house from another2 and it has ever been so4 ,chimney ornaments1 which may be quite commonplace1 have well-known characteristics which cannot be duplicated4 ,it is undoubtedly among the home ornaments that the tenderest thoughts linger1 and it is the trinkets of comparatively little value to an outsider that members of the family store when the old home is broken up4 ,there are such ornaments in every household2 and whenever there is a sale there are those who gladly buy them because of their associations with those by whom they were owned and valued4 ,the collector rarely gathers them on sentimental grounds1 securing them as curious specimens or characteristic styles wanting in his collection4 ,some specialize on old china cups and saucers2 others on rare porcelain figures2 some on the beautiful gilt and ormolu knick-knacks which looked so well on the early ,victorian drawing-room table1 and others prefer odds and ends1 some of which are mentioned in the following paragraphs4 ,it is1 perhaps1 from the old ornaments of the home that we learn most about the true home-life lived in former years4 ,wood carvers1 silversmiths1 leather workers1 glass blowers and potters fashioned their ornamental things after the living models they saw about them1 in the days in which they worked4 ,thus in the groups of ,staffordshire figures1 now much sought after1 we learn something of the story of life in the ,potteries in the closing years of the nineteenth century4 ,the story is recorded in the earthenware landlord and landlady1 lovers arm in arm1 and rustic cottages with which collectors are familiar4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ed4--;,,brass ,,chimney ,,ornament 7,,one ,,of ,a ,,pair74 ,mantelpiece ,ornaments4 ,there are many quaint brass chimney ornaments which were popular in many parts of ,england fifty to sixty years ago much sought after nowadays4 ,they were of polished brass1 usually in pairs1 and when several were arranged on a mantelpiece they presented a bright array4 ,the one illustrated in ,fig4 #ed is of the type much favoured in country districts4 ,it represents a shepherd with his crook1 the companion brass being a shepherdess4 ,on the sea-coast fishermen were much fancied1 and in mining districts the miner with his pick and other industrial models were extensively sold4 ,these were varied with birds and animals and miniature replicas of household furniture4 ,the older ones are not very common1 and therefore have been much copied1 for of these goods there are many modern replicas4 ,vases4 ,ornamental vases have varied much in form1 until a collection seems to cover every style of art4 ,thus ,egyptian and ,roman influence is seen in some2 others of ,french origin1 dating before the ,empire period1 are a combination of ,french art with ,egyptian ornament1 brought out during the ,directoire1 when after the ,battle of the ,pyramids ,french artists introduced the sphinx and other ,egyptian ornaments into their art designs4 ,during the ,empire period1 the style that is said to consist of a blending of ,roman1 ,greek1 and ,egyptian prevailed4 ,many of the continental countries have been noted for glass ornaments--especially vases4 ,the beautiful ,venetian glass is rich in colour1 and the vases are varied and graceful in form1 especially those of ewer-like shape4 ,bohemia has always been a noted centre of the glass industry4 ,then in our own country some beautiful vases have been produced4 ,there are other materials which are met with in curiously shaped vases4 ,at one time the beautiful ,derbyshire spars were much used4 ,there are biscuit china and ,parian vases1 and many exquisite vases of silver and other metals4 ,much might be written of the ,oriental vases and enamels1 especially of the artistic treasures of ,old ,japan and ,china1 from whence so much of our early vases and beautiful porcelain came4 ,of the products of ,chelsea and ,bow1 of ,coalbrookdale and ,derby1 and of ,bristol and ,nantgrw1 writers and collectors of rare ceramics have had much to record of the many-shaped vases with which the homes of the middle classes were made beautiful in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries4 ,these are preserved with care1 but many of the vases produced by the pioneers of the potting industry in this country serve their original purpose still1 and glass and china and rare ,wedgwood jasper ware ornament the home of the twentieth-century reader of the ,chats series1 as they did the withdrawing rooms of their original owners in the eighteenth century4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ee4--;,,black ,,and ,,gold ,,derbyshire ,,marble ,,vase4 7,in the ,author's collection47 ,derbyshire ,spars4 ,the ,derbyshire spars and inlaid marbles just referred to were very popular1 some exceedingly ornamental and decorative pieces being produced4 ,others were stiff and formal1 and can scarcely be regarded as beautiful4 ,the variety of marbles quarried in ,derbyshire gave the artist ample opportunity of displaying taste in colour4 ,the most beautiful are those made of fluor-spar1 the celebrated ,blue ,john ,mine providing the most beautiful specimens4 ,the purple shades present delightful tints1 and some of the old workers in ,derbyshire mosaics were exceptionally fortunate in their schemes of arrangement of the tiny pieces they inlaid so carefully4 ,the marble workers in this country have never been able to produce those beautiful effects for which the ,florentine school of artists was famous1 although it has been claimed by some that the artists of the ,peak produced in their larger works some equally as effective4 ,among old household ornaments small ,roman mosaics1 so called1 are often met with4 ,at one time the ,florentine artists used gems and real stones1 whereas the ,romans chiefly employed glass4 ,many will be familiar with the ,vatican pigeons and the fountain so frequently copied4 ,it is said that the ,derbyshire workers in mosaic excelled themselves in the production of a beautifully inlaid vase covered with flowers1 foliage1 and birds1 prepared for the late ,queen ,victoria1 in #ahdb4 ,half a century ago fancy shops were filled with the products of the ,derbyshire mines1 but most of the best pieces are now among household curios4 ,the wide-topped vase shown in ,fig4 #ee is made from ,derbyshire black and gold marble1 and was produced in ,matlock about sixty years ago4 ,it may be interesting to collectors to mention that although the ,romans are believed to have worked the ,blue ,john mines1 it was not until #aggj that the lovely purple spar was rediscovered in the ,hope ,valley1 a workman passing through the ,winnats being attracted by the pieces of spar he saw lying about1 eventually bringing them under the notice of the owner of a ,rotherham marble works4 ,besides the smaller objects there are the larger tables1 worked in the same materials1 some of which are sometimes met with second-hand for quite trifling sums4 ,jade or ,spleen ,stone4 ,among the rarer curios of the home are those wonderful ornaments cut and carved out of jade1 a beautiful stone which has been so highly prized by the ,chinese4 ,its special value lies in the exquisite tints of the different hues4 ,these marvellously varied stones were formerly quarried from the ,kuen-,kask ,valley1 where jade or yu-stone runs in different-coloured veins through the rocks4 ,it is said that jade in the form of spleen stone first came to ,europe from ,america4 ,it is found extensively in ,mexico1 and also in ,burma1 but the chief interest centres in the grotesque and cleverly carved ,chinese curios4 ,the beauty and value of these pieces lies not so much in their forms as in their marvellous tints and the clever way in which the ,chinese workmen1 in fashioning grotesque forms1 have cut away practically all the colour of certain intruding shades1 leaving the figures in some brilliant hue of green1 red1 or pink1 standing out upon a base of some other shade4 ,the curiously smoked mutton-fat colour is one of the rarest1 but to the amateur the more transparent and brilliant tints possess the greatest beauty4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ef4--,,temple ,,guardian1 ,,carved ,,from ,,the ,,gnarled ,,root ,,of ,a ,,tree4 7,in the ,author's collection47 ,true jade1 or nephrite1 is a native silicate of calcium and magnesium1 and does not exhibit either crystalline form or distinct cleavage4 ,in addition to the mutton-fat shade spoken so highly of there are lovely shades in green1 emerald1 moss1 tea and sea green1 violet and yellow1 and white and camphor2 but the rarest of all combinations is violet1 mutton-fat1 and emerald green4 ,wood ,carvings4 ,many of the more decorative household ornaments are made of wood4 ,to cut down a tree or to whittle a stick has been the favourite occupation of men of all ages1 and the possession of a pocket-knife the ambition of the schoolboy from time immemorial4 ,something to cut keeps him out of mischief and calls forth any ingenuity he may have4 ,some of the most wonderful curios have been cut by hand1 fashioned with skill4 ,some are remarkably realistic in their forms1 faithful copies of living originals1 or of objects of still greater antiquity with which the wood carver has been familiar4 ,carvers have sometimes allowed themselves to run wild in their imaginations as they have cut and shaped a block of wood1 giving it the most fantastic form1 picturing myths and fables in a wonderfully realistic way4 ,there seems to be no end to the variety of wooden ornament4 ,the carver has found a place in architectural design1 too1 many old houses being enriched with his handiwork4 ,in the days when walls were panelled with oak1 the carver and the wood worker delighted in cutting deep and intricate mouldings and in giving that delightful linen fold to the panels which would otherwise have been plain4 ,that was the ambition of the household decorator of ,elizabethan days4 ,tudor beams were cut and carved and quaint mottoes engraved upon them4 ,the old oak settles--sometimes portable1 at others fixtures--were carved all over1 and the fronts of oak chests were often made into pictures of wood4 ,they told the tale of the family tree by the coats of arms and the shields emblazoned by the cutter of wood1 sometimes being enriched with colour2 at others the picture forms were created by inlaying and superadding fretwork4 ,there were intricate carvings of the ,sheraton and ,chippendale periods1 and there were the wonderful floral sprays1 cherubs1 and other ornaments so cunningly wrought by ,grinling ,gibbons and his followers4 ,wooden ornament in those days took the form of over-doors1 and wreaths running down the lintels2 and massive mantelpieces of oak were carved deeply4 ,there were vases of wood full of flowers cut from the same material standing on wooden pedestals4 ,the floral sprays1 it is said1 were in some cases so delicately cut that they shook like natural flowers when any one crossed a room or a post-chaise rumbled along the street4 ,some remarkable picture frames were cut and carved by amateurs1 corresponding well with the handiwork of the needlewoman they enshrined4 ,the cutting and carving of banner screens was a work of art1 and many times a labour of love4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #eg4--;,,carved ,,plaque ,,stand4 ,there are quaint relics of other countries in wood carving among the curios of the home4 ,some remarkable pieces of carved cherry-trees have been brought over from ,japan1 the black trunk or root of the tree being turned into a grinning demon1 similar to the one illustrated in ,fig4 #ef1 which resembles the temple guardian4 ,others have been fashioned like ancient idols or apes1 many being an intermixture of different-coloured woods1 varying from almost red-brown to black1 throwing up the carving in relief4 ,the ,oriental was a clever wood carver1 and with his primitive tools he cut and fashioned a piece of wood according to his own sweet will1 evolving from it intricate works of art in wood4 ,perhaps the most remarkable examples of the wood-worker's skill are those tiny miniatures of which there is such a splendid collection in the ,british ,museum1 notably the almost microscopic reliquaries4 ,the ,japanese and ,chinese have shown remarkable skill in carvings1 and especially in the way they have set off china plates and bowls intended as ornamental objects2 a truly magnificent example of such work is shown in ,fig4 #eg4 ,old ,gilt4 ,the highly decorative work known as old gilt1 very fashionable in the early ,victorian drawing-room1 has quite recently been hunted up1 and many pieces have been restored to positions of honour4 ,the gilt1 so-called1 was in reality eighteen-carat gold overlaid upon soft brass by a process not now practised4 ,delightfully decorative trinket stands1 card trays1 and little baskets were made in this way2 and as they were afterwards coated over with a transparent varnish1 they have preserved their colour2 indeed1 when found black with age1 after carefully washing in soap and water1 they frequently come out bright and untarnished4 ,then if brushed over with white of egg or some transparent white varnish they will keep their colour for many years to come4 ,these decorative ornaments1 often perforated as well as embossed1 were frequently enriched with imitation jewels4 ,those shown in ,fig4 #fa are typical of the style of ornament referred to4 ,sometimes scent satchets and jewelled caskets are found fitted with quaint reels for sewing silk and curious needle holders4 ,the more elaborate pieces are often ornamented with floral sprays made of porcelain2 some of the baskets filled with coral and seaweed have curiously made little birds and butterflies1 many of them being genuine ,chelsea4 ,others are the framework for holding ,bow figures or painted plaques4 ,this ,victorian gilt is at present not over-scarce1 and as it is not as yet much in demand collectors have an exceptional opportunity of securing interesting specimens at moderate cost4 ,old ,ivories4 ,much might be written about old ivories4 ,ivory has been a much-valued material for ornamental decoration from quite early times4 ,in almost every home there are curios and pieces of furniture in which ivory has either been overlaid or inserted as panels4 ,at one time it was much used for overlays1 and in very thin plates made up into all kinds of decorative models4 ,illustration3 ,,figs4 #eh1 #ei4--,,miniature ,,copper ,,and ,,silver ,,kettles4 ,,fig4 #fj4--,,miniature ,,ivory ,,coffee ,,boiler4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #fa4--,,two ,,old-,,gilt ,,jewelled ,,ornaments4 ,there are carved tusks from ,africa and ,india1 and quaint native curios made of ivory cunningly wrought4 ,it is from the ,east that we receive so many beautiful curios1 and especially so from ,india1 ,china1 and ,japan4 ,the three remarkably handsome ivories illustrated in ,fig4 #fb will serve to illustrate the beautiful and oftentimes costly curios found in so many homes4 ,miniature ,antiques4 ,some of the most pleasing little antiques are silver models of children's toys4 ,the original models made contemporary with the furniture or household gods they purport to represent were frequently the gifts of godparents1 and many are most elaborate in their designs1 every detail found in the larger originals being faithfully reproduced4 ,some of these little silver toys1 with which probably children were seldom allowed to play1 represented common objects outside the home1 such as the dovecote in the garden1 the travelling coach with its prancing steeds1 the pack-horse ascending the slope towards a bridge over a stream1 in some instances objects of husbandry and agriculture1 being given to children familiar with the country4 ,another favourite type of model curio is found in the remarkably tiny objects workmen sometimes prided themselves upon making--such curios1 for instance1 as the silver and copper kettles and coffee pot shown in ,figs4 #eh1 #ei1 and #fj4 ,the larger specimen 7drawn larger than the original7 was made from a copper farthing1 the smaller kettles being hammered out of threepenny-pieces2 the coffee pot is of ivory--a charming model4 ,there are a few sundries which should not be overlooked when collecting curious things reminiscent of home-life as it once was4 ,among these are the glass pictures once so much prized by well-to-do folk1 now valued only by the collector of such things4 ,these were really prints from prints4 ,the method of their preparation was most inartistic1 although it was effectual4 ,a piece of glass was coated with varnish1 the print was then placed upon the varnish1 and when dry and quite hard the paper was washed off1 leaving a print upon the prepared surface1 which was then painted over at the back1 the picture thus being made complete4 ,much store was formerly set by the little plaques and medallions which1 with silhouettes1 hung upon the walls4 ,among the gems of such ornaments were the exquisite tablets and cameos made by ,josiah ,wedgwood1 whose beautiful vases and miniature bottles1 as well as tea-sets in the same wares1 were so much admired4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #fb4--,,three ,,fine ,,old ,,ivories4 ,,vii ,,glass ,,and ,,enamels ,,chapter ,,vii ,,glass ,,and ,,enamels ,waterford1 ,bristol1 and ,nailsea--,ornaments of glass--,enamels on metal4 ,glass is used in every home4 ,it is seen in its ornamental forms1 and is necessary in almost every department4 ,in kitchen and pantry there are dishes and tumblers and wine glasses and decanters ready for use4 ,among these there are often found old glasses--that is1 glass vessels which from their rarity or age have attained a curio value2 indeed1 many housewives are unaware that their kitchen cupboard contains what would be valued as interesting specimens gladly purchased by collectors of glass4 ,many of the old tumblers are beautifully engraved1 often having floral ornament and dainty rustic scenes4 ,they are now and then commemorative of events which the glass maker has recorded with his graving tool1 and sometimes they have been prepared to catch the passing fancy4 ,the styles of table glass have changed1 and their shapes and sizes have altered according to the popular custom of imbibing certain liquors4 ,when punch ceased to be the customary drink1 and lesser quantities of ale were consumed1 punch bowls and tankards were less in request4 ,their places were taken by wine glasses of more delicate forms1 and charming tallboys and crinkled vessels of glass took the place of the older mugs and pewter cups4 ,the glasses used in proffering and drinking toasts have changed much during the last century1 and the fiat glasses of the ,jacobite period1 and those curious glasses with portraits of the ,old ,pretender and the ,young ,pretender upon them1 are curios only1 for they are no longer needed1 neither is the toast of ,the ,king drunk over the water4 ,spirit glasses and decanters have altered in form1 but among those which have survived and are still sound are some rare examples of cutting1 made in the days when the glass cutter worked with primitive tools1 and such methods as the sand blast1 chemical etching1 and some of the newer processes were unknown4 ,waterford1 ,bristol1 and ,nailsea4 ,among table sundries are glass salts and cruets2 the latter1 however1 have been modernized and reduced in size1 and the bottles and curiously shaped oil and vinegar cruets of a hundred or more years ago look quaint when compared with those of the present day4 ,even the flower vases which formerly adorned the table1 and the more decorative dishes used for fancy sweetmeats and confections1 have changed1 leaving in the process many of the older pieces1 relegated to the store-cupboard1 where disused glass so often remains until in due time it is rescued from oblivion by the collector of household curios4 ,among the eighteenth-century cut glass jugs and trifle bowls are many beautiful vessels1 for the making of which certain districts from time to time became famous4 ,the old ,waterford glass is especially noteworthy1 and as a speculation1 apart from the interest it possesses for collectors1 is worth securing4 ,bristol glass to the uninitiated appears to be a misnomer1 in that the beautiful white milk-like surface upon which so many exquisite floral designs have been painted looks more like egg-shell porcelain1 but when held up to the light is found to be of glass-like nature1 pellucid although semi-opaque4 ,nailsea glass has many peculiar characteristics about it1 notably the curiously introduced waved and twisted lines in colours4 ,many objects which were essentially curios1 their utilitarian purposes having always been secondary1 were made at ,nailsea4 ,there are gigantic models of tobacco pipes1 formerly hung up against the walls as ornaments4 ,as fitting companions to the pipes were walking-sticks of glass1 some very remarkable designs which might at one time have been carried by the gallants of that day4 ,they were often filled with sweetmeats and comfits1 ornamented with bows of ribbon1 and presented to ladies of their choice by devoted swains4 ,a few of those curious sticks or shepherd's crooks1 as they were called1 are to be seen in most representative museum collections4 ,the so-called rolling-pins of glass1 made at ,sunderland as well as at ,nailsea and ,bristol1 were known as sailors' love tokens1 and are referred to more fully in ,chapter ,,xiii4 ,in the ,taunton ,castle ,museum there are some interesting specimens of old glass1 notably one of the very rare dark bottle-glass linen smoothers which came from ,south ,petherton4 ,such smoothers were at one time favoured in the kitchen laundry in the days when servant-maids excelled in getting up linen1 and prided themselves on the beautiful gloss they were able to impart--in the days before public laundries with their modern glossing machines were instituted4 ,some of our readers may have seen the curious glass tubes1 one yard in length1 into which ale was poured in the days when it was considered a desirable attainment to be able to drink at one draught a yard of ale4 ,of the larger vessels such as wine bottles1 the chief collectable feature about them is the old glass-bottle-makers' stamps1 very frequently found on fragments of bottles1 such stamps often turning up among the oddments of kitchen drawers which have probably been undisturbed for many years4 ,to collect bottle stamps is certainly an uncommon hobby1 but one that is not altogether devoid of interest4 ,ornaments of ,glass4 ,of household ornaments in glass there appears to be no end4 ,there are the glass ,venetian vases and ewers1 beautiful and graceful in form1 richly ornamented in gold2 and there are the old ,english and ,french vases1 the colouring of which is not always in accord with modern taste4 ,cut glass1 in whatever form it is met with1 is appreciated1 in that the workmanship involving so much studious labour is recognized4 ,continental glass has at all periods been imported into this country1 and especially so ,bohemian glass1 of which there are decanters of ruby1 claret1 blue1 and other rich colours2 some remarkable effects have been produced upon red glass by adding tinted colours and white decoration interspersed with gold4 ,glass lustres have acquired an antiquarian value1 and chandeliers and mantelpiece lustre candlesticks are sought after by the collector1 who sometimes finds interspersed with cut glass lustre pretty coloured china droppers4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #fc4--;,,battersea ,,enamels4 ,pictorial ,art in ,glass4 ,stained-glass windows are associated with ecclesiastical edifices4 ,old ,english houses1 however1 not infrequently contain armorial panels1 coats of arms in leaden frames1 and curious little pictures in colours which can be hung against modern windows where the light will throw up the rich colouring of the old-time painters4 ,little patches of colour1 too1 were often introduced in otherwise plain diamond-shaped lattice panes4 ,there are glass pictures1 so-called1 oftentimes consisting of coloured prints pasted on one side of the glass1 a softened effect being produced by the glass through which they were seen2 but they must be distinguished from the more costly paintings on glass sometimes met with4 ,in many an old house the glass shade with its contents so inartistic1 although removed from its place of honour on the parlour table1 found a niche where it is preserved4 ,under such shades were preserved wool-work baskets filled with artificial flowers1 among which were often small porcelain figures1 butterflies and birds4 ,sometimes a ,parian vase has been filled with wax flowers1 the making of which was a favourite pastime half a century ago4 ,the dried plant called honesty was frequently covered with a glass shade4 ,glass ships were exceedingly popular in seaport towns1 and little miniature replicas of household furniture in glass are met with2 indeed1 there seems to have been no limit to the fancies and freaks of the glass blower1 who has at different periods provided the present-day collector with curious1 if very breakable1 curios4 ,enamels on ,metal4 ,the art of enamelling on metal has been practised from very early times4 ,in its earlier forms it was chiefly an art applied to jewellery and the ornamentation of ecclesiastical metal work4 ,in time1 however1 it was applied as a convenient method of decorating utilitarian household articles such as fire-dogs and candlesticks4 ,those who frequent the more important museums often associate enamels with the costly and rare enamels of ,limoges1 and the choice bits of ,italian enamels seen in the cases of metals where the most valuable curios are gathered together4 ,such vessels as those marvellous effects produced by the enamellers of ,limoges are indeed rarely found among household curios2 it is well1 however1 to note that the processes by which those effects were produced changed as time went on4 ,the earlier translucent enamel of the ,italian artists was laid over an incised metal ground1 the design previously prepared showing through4 ,in the later ,limoges enamels the surface with which the copper base was overlaid was painted1 very much in the same way as the miniature painters on enamels operated in after-years4 ,the process of covering metal with enamels made of a species of glass is very ancient1 but the basis of all enamels is the application of fusible colourless silicate or glass in pattern or design1 mixed with metallic oxides1 the prepared surface being afterwards fired until the enamel adheres firmly to the copper or other metal4 ,the processes varied1 but the firing or fusing was the same throughout4 ,the name enamel is traceable to the ,french word enail and the ,italian smalto1 both having the same root as the ,anglo-,saxon word smelt4 ,the enamels of ,china and ,japan so extensively imported into this country of late years are chiefly made by filling cloisons or cells formed of fine metal wires or plates with coloured enamels and then firing them4 ,as the collector advances in his appreciation of the old craftsmen1 he soon recognizes the difference between the antiques sent over by ,oriental merchants and the modern works made on present-day commercial lines1 and not the work of men whose time was deemed of small account if they acquired notoriety for the beauty of their work4 ,the household enamels of ,english make consist chiefly of those beautiful little boxes1 trinkets1 and domestic objects made at ,battersea and ,bilston in the eighteenth century4 ,the enamels used for the ground were tinted rose1 blue1 and other shades1 and ornamented with painted pictures and mottoes4 ,a very fine group of ,battersea patch boxes is shown in ,fig4 #fc4 ,,viii ,,leather ,,and ,,horn ,,chapter ,,viii ,,leather ,,and ,,horn ,spanish leather--,cuir boulli work--,tapestry and upholstery--,leather bottles and drinking vessels--,leather curios--,shoes--,horn work4 ,that there is nothing like leather has been believed by people of all ages1 and in many countries the general belief has been put into practice1 for many indeed are the uses to which leather has been put4 ,as a lasting material it has been proved to possess excellent qualities4 ,the artist1 too1 has found that leather is capable of being treated so as to give the effect of delicate carvings1 and to serve well many purposes of decoration4 ,in the ,east leather was used in patriarchal times1 the skins of animals making excellent water bottles4 ,in mediaeval ,england leather black jacks1 cups1 and flagons withstood the rough usage of those roisterous times4 ,the collector seeks both useful and ornamental1 and finds much to delight among the old leathern objects hid away as being now quite useless or antiquated4 ,spanish ,leather4 ,as early as the fifteenth century ,cordova1 in ,spain1 was celebrated for its workers in leather1 and for the fine ornamental leather vessels produced there4 ,some of the designs favoured by ,spanish craftsmen were gruesome in the extreme4 ,indeed1 many were fashioned for the purpose of creating fear in the use of the vessels so ornamented4 ,a few years ago a remarkably fine collection of old ,spanish leather work was exhibited in ,london4 ,there were some hideous and grotesque figures1 which it was said had been designed for the mental torture of the victims of the ,inquisition4 ,some of the larger specimens were remarkably well executed1 especially so some of the wine bottles which imitated very realistically the pose of men and women4 ,some of the female figures were represented wearing flowing gowns and costumes of the height of fashion--tall and noble women4 ,by way of contrast there were little manikin wine jugs of the most grotesque forms4 ,the ,spaniards made leather upholsteries of remarkable designs2 they also ornamented boxes1 trunks1 and cases for knives and costly trinkets4 ,cuir boulli ,work4 ,most of the decorated leather work of that period1 examples of which are not very difficult to secure1 was made by the cuir boulli process4 ,the leather1 after being boiled down to a pulp and salt and alum added1 was then moulded to any desired form1 the decoration being imparted in the process4 ,the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum is very rich in fine examples1 and a description of some of the typical pieces there may serve as a guide to collectors hopeful of including some objects moulded by this process among their household relics4 ,the work was carried on at ,cordova and other places for a long period1 some of the museum examples dating back to the fifteenth century4 ,there are cases for holding what were then rare books and manuscripts1 and a remarkable scribe's case with a red cover has loops on either side to which a cord was attached4 ,the scribe was an important personage in commercial and private correspondence in the days when even rudimentary education was by no means general4 ,in the same collection is a leather box for holding a knife and fork2 on the outer case is a medallion1 in the centre of which is a representation of the two spies returning from ,canaan with a large bunch of grapes4 ,there are also cases which have once held wine bottles1 some ornamented in colours2 indeed1 the stamped1 cut1 and embossed designs of the cuir boulli work were frequently enriched by the addition of red1 yellow1 and gold4 ,there are some specially interesting examples of ,italian work1 representing a period covering nearly the whole of the ,renaissance4 ,in this connection there are pilgrim bottles of yellow glass encased in wonderful leather covers1 cut and embossed4 ,there are leather snuff boxes with trellis-work ornament and scroll borders1 one very interesting piece being varnished to imitate tortoiseshell4 ,there are also some attractive toilet objects1 evidently antique presentation pieces4 ,one is a most elaborately cut and incised comb case1 on the exterior of which is the motto or legend3 ,,de ,,boen ,,amore4 ,in the same collection there is a fine leather case for a cup or tankard4 ,such cup cases are not uncommon1 many being the receptacles for treasured heirlooms4 ,perhaps one of the most noted examples of the use of embossed and decorative leather work is the ancient case of stamped leather intricately foliated1 a highly decorative work of art in which is enclosed that remarkable goblet of legendary fame known as ,the ,luck of ,eden ,hall4 ,tapestry and ,upholstery4 ,stamped and embossed leather work is very conspicuous in domestic upholstery4 ,in very early times the leather work1 hung upon the wall in panels1 took the place of more modern wall-coverings1 and it was truly lasting4 ,much of the ,cordovan leather is still very fresh in appearance1 although several centuries old4 ,some of the panels hanging on the walls at ,south ,kensington look remarkably fresh1 and1 richly decorated in colours1 many of them are very effective4 ,a special branch of this work was that devoted to the decoration of chair backs2 stamped leather work for upholstery has been used in this country to a large extent1 and some of the large oak chairs are still upholstered in the original ornamental leather produced by boiling the hides by a special process1 so that the material could be readily moulded4 ,in more modern times1 however1 the decoration is effected by embossing and stamping1 supplementing such ornament by the use of an immense quantity of small brass nails1 which are arranged in geometrical patterns or straight lines1 oftentimes names and dates being included in the design4 ,in this connection also are screens of painted and gilt leather1 chiefly of eighteenth-century manufacture4 ,there is a good deal of this leather work to be found in old houses still1 and much of it is capable of improvement by properly cleaning and touching up here and there so as to revive the old colours4 ,here and there hung up as wall decorations may be seen leather-covered boxes which were specially made to hold deeds2 in the older examples there is a large circular piece below the narrow box1 arranged so that the seal could hang in its proper position from the end of the deed2 they were1 of course1 in common use before the days of safes and other methods of preserving parchments and property deeds4 ,one in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum is stamped on the exterior with the description of the deed it originally contained1 the inscription commencing thus3 ,,the ,,graunt ,,of ,,hen3 ,,the #e ,,to ,,the ,,abbot ,,of ,,rading4 ,chests and ,coffers4 ,before modern travelling requisites were known and in the days when journeys were few1 the leather-covered coffer contained the whole travelling outfit of perhaps some noble lord and his household4 ,there were also large coffers covered with leather used as permanent receptacles of clothing1 covered with ornamental embossed leather work1 some very decorative4 ,there were smaller coffers1 too2 possibly they were jewel caskets in their day4 ,there are others which may have been presentation cases1 for their decoration is especially elaborate4 ,in making these continental craftsmen seem to have excelled4 ,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum there is a curious ,german casket of wood covered with leather1 strongly bound with iron1 having three immense hasps from which locks once hung1 altogether too massive for the little casket4 ,one would think such precautions were of not much avail against theft1 for the box itself could be removed readily6 ,there is another charming little casket1 with a circular or dome-shaped top1 decorated and banded1 a veritable prototype of the tin trunks generally in use a quarter of a century ago4 ,there is also a remarkable piece1 a wood box covered over with leather embossed by the cuir boulli process4 ,the chief design takes the form of two armed horsemen1 surrounded by grotesque ornament on the top1 on the sides being hunting scenes1 episodes of the chase4 ,this curious example of the work of seventeenth-century artists in leather measures #af #a_/b in4 in length by #ab #a_/b in4 in width4 ,another typical piece1 of a highly decorative allegorical character1 is a rectangular coffret with arched lid1 the ornament being in colours and gilt4 ,on the front is a knight and a lady1 on the lid two paladins mounted on griffins1 two savages with clubs and shields1 and two images of the sun1 these typifying the story of the delivery of a captured lady by a knight4 ,leather ,bottles and ,drinking ,vessels4 ,several interesting specialistic collections of leather bottles and drinking vessels have been got together1 showing the varied forms of the almost imperishable vessels1 so suitable as liquor carriers and drinking cups in olden time4 ,in the ,guildhall ,museum are several different types of bottles1 black jacks1 and silver-rimmed cups4 ,until comparatively recent times many old inns were famous for their leather drinking cups1 but as the coaching days came to an end such vessels were gradually dispersed4 ,now that motor-cars have popularized the road once more1 and old inns are again frequented1 the collector seeks in vain for what were once quite common4 ,in another noted collection there is a drinking cup or bottle moulded like a negro's head1 and there are what are called pilgrim bottles1 some of which are of ornamental type4 ,the so-called pots have sometimes lids and loosely fitting covers2 the black jacks1 however1 are chiefly open1 ill-shaped vessels4 ,some of the black jacks were very large1 one in the ,taunton ,museum measuring #ai in4 in height4 ,it was originally used in the servants' hall at ,montacute ,house1 which is one of the finest old buildings in ,somerset4 ,this famous jack was in olden time filled with beer every morning and placed on the servants' breakfast table4 ,those smaller cups with silver mounts and shields1 on which are often engraved crests or initials of their former owners1 are of the rarer type1 but they are not infrequently found among the relics of an old family4 ,there is a fine collection in the ,hull ,museum1 and in other places where they are found in excellent condition1 proving the truth of the rhyme published in ,westminster ,drollery in the seventeenth century in praise of the black jack1 which runs as follows3-- ,no tankard1 flagon1 bottle1 or jug ,are half so good1 or so well can hold tug2 ,for when they are broken or full of cracks1 ,then must they fly to the brave black jacks4 ,leather ,curios4 ,some very fine pieces of leather work have been modelled as curios and ornaments4 ,some of the most notable are models of old warships and fully rigged galleons made of leather4 ,leather pictures were made some years ago2 a little later leather modelling of baskets of flowers1 and the making of picture frames of leather was a popular amusement1 some of the ornamental brackets made of leather being specially effective4 ,the surrounds of picture frames made of leather cut to shape1 carved and modelled1 had a very similar effect to the beautiful carved wood work of an earlier period4 ,some of the powder flasks of leather which were used a century or two ago are valued curios1 as well as the leather cases stamped and embossed so decorative and appropriate to the pistols and knives they were made to contain4 ,of the finer objects there are small curios like leather snuff boxes and trinket cases4 ,of the more utilitarian leather work there is the wearing apparel of former days1 the leather clothing of ,cromwellian times and the leather boots4 ,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum there is a remarkably interesting case of leather shoes showing the evolution in style and appearance4 ,there are some very pointed shoes worn in the fourteenth century1 a slightly different shape in the fifteenth1 both contrasting with the change in fashion which had come about in the sixteenth century1 when the boots were square and some of the shoes very rounded4 ,the ,wellington boots of a later period are not yet much valued2 there may come a time1 however1 when they will be regarded as museum curios4 ,leather gloves date back many centuries1 and some of the old specimens with gauntlets and decorative cuffs are interesting antiques1 as well as leather wallets1 purses1 and girdles4 ,shoes4 ,among sundry ,eastern curios quaintly shaped and sometimes beautifully embroidered shoes are met with1 such as those which have been brought over to this country from ,china and ,eastern lands4 ,most of the shoes worn in the ,east are slipped off easily1 and1 like ,persian and ,turkish slippers1 are made of red leather beautifully embroidered1 silk1 satin1 and velvet being overlaid and embroidered with silver and sequins4 ,the old practice of compressing the feet of young girls in ,china is dying out1 but some of the curious little shoes which gave such pain to their wearers are seen as museum curios on account of their curious decoration4 ,indian shoes are met with at times1 especially those embroidered with silver thread1 and with green and other coloured silks4 ,a curious ceremony is associated with the marriage of a ,turkish bride1 who wears a pair of clogs carved all over1 sometimes with symbolical significance1 on her way to her prescribed ceremonial visit to the bath4 ,at one time it was customary for a ,jewish bridegroom to present his bride with a shoe at the conclusion of the wedding ceremony1 this custom being not far removed from that of throwing an old shoe after a newly married couple for luck4 ,horn ,work4 ,art in horn work was practised more a century ago than it is to-day1 the material being then a favourite one for drinking cups and a variety of ornamental work4 ,old snuff boxes were frequently made of horn impressed or stamped with beautiful designs1 such as hunting scenes and mythological figures4 ,horn can either be cut1 moulded1 or turned1 its natural elasticity making it very durable and difficult to break4 ,its source of supply is chiefly from the horned cattle1 the buffalo and the bison1 the horns of these beasts in their natural state frequently being mounted on shields just as in later years the horns of smaller animals1 such as the ,south ,african varieties of the ibex1 springbok1 and similar horned sheep and cattle1 are brought over to this country and mounted as ornaments4 ,it is said that the old art of impressing or stamping horn and tortoiseshell has long been discarded1 and is only retained for stamping buttons4 ,fancy hair ornaments were frequently so moulded1 the horn or tortoiseshell being afterwards decorated with inlaid silver and gold4 ,some of the pressed work is extremely beautiful and has every appearance of being done by hand1 but much cheaper1 of course1 as the patterns could be multiplied to any extent after the dies had been cut4 ,thin plates of horn were formerly used in lanterns1 and a similar piece of horn was used as a protector over the ancient alphabet and child's spelling tablet that gave it the name of the horn book4 ,among household curios are drinking horns elaborately etched1 and frequently turned in a lathe4 ,they were popular in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries1 and the turned patterns then so common were copied by the silversmiths1 who made silver tankards and drinking cups on the same models4 ,the cornucopia or horn of abundance figures frequently in sculpture1 paintings1 and works of art4 ,the horn is one of the early instruments of music 7see ,chapter ,,xv71 and has long been associated with sports4 ,it has sounded the ,tally ,ho of the fox hunt1 and played an important part in coaching days4 ,in some old houses veritable horns are found hung in conspicuous places as relics of the past1 but the coaching horns just referred to are for the most part of metal4 ,the ,worshipful ,company of ,horners is still in evidence at ,city feasts4 ,the work of the craft in olden time1 as recorded by the chaplain of the ,company in a little book he has prepared1 giving the history of the ,horners1 was practised in the days of ,king ,alfred4 ,at least two hundred and fifty years before the ,norman ,conquest many of the patens and chalices used in churches were made by horners1 and at one time cups1 plates1 and other vessels made of that useful material were in daily use in ,english homes4 ,,ix ,,the ,,toilet ,,table ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #fd4--;,,antique ,,dressing ,,or ,,toilet ,,glass4 7,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum47 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,toilet ,,table ,the table and its secrets--,combs--,patch boxes--,enamelled objects--,perfume boxes and holders--,dressing cases--,scratchbacks--,toilet chatelaines--,locks of hair--,jewel cabinets4 ,the mysteries of the toilet table are sometimes revealed in the curious furnishings of the dressing-room4 ,the numerous accessories which are purchased from the beauty specialist1 and as the result of speciously worded and attractively illustrated advertisements1 in the present day1 indicate that it is not at all unlikely that the fashions of all ages have demanded a plentiful supply of toilet requisites in order that the ,society beauty might vie with her nearest rival4 ,the curio collector is not so much concerned with the cosmetics1 salves1 pomades1 and hair washes and dyes1 the use of which has called forth receptacles for them1 as with the choice boxes1 cases1 and implements of the tonsorial art which their use involved4 ,to search for such things and to secure some hitherto unknown instrument or receptacle is ever the ambition of the energetic curio hunter4 ,the field is large enough1 for such curios are found in the tombs of the prehistoric dead1 and among the household gods of the primitive savage in the few remaining unexplored inhabited countries to-day4 ,such objects may with a fair prospect of success be looked for among the relics of ,assyrian and ,egyptian races1 and among the bronze curios of ,ancient ,greece and ,rome2 and excavations reveal relics of ,saxon and mediaeval ,england among the ruins which have been covered up for centuries4 ,coming down the ages1 the mysteries of the toilet table1 as pictured in the not always refined engravings of the copper-plate artists of a century or so ago1 tell of habits and conditions prevailing among the ladies of ,society then which would hardly be deemed polite and refined now4 ,ladies who used patches and cosmetics and dressed their hair in such a mode that it was rarely let down and brushed1 needed many accessories now obsolete4 ,moreover1 the gradual change which passed over ,society1 and the privacy of the modern toilet as compared with the days when much that is now deemed curious and antique was in common use1 has brought about a new order of things1 and made other trinkets than patch1 powder1 and salve boxes acceptable gifts between lovers2 hence we scarcely realize the sentiment that induced the donors of toilet requisites to bestow them on the ladies of their choice1 or the recipients to welcome some of the curios obviously given from sentimental motives4 ,the illustrations in books published many years ago incidentally recorded the use of some of the curios then in the making4 ,the artists certainly were not over-modest1 and far from bashful in the lucid way in which they pictured or caricatured the toilet table1 and the maiden who in those days was acquainted with the uses of the little relics of her day which are now among the household curios appropriately grouped under the heading of this chapter4 ,the ,table and its ,secrets4 ,it is before the looking glass1 the central object on1 or forming a part of1 the toilet table1 that the chief mysteries of the toilet are performed4 ,it is obvious1 therefore1 that the table1 to be in accord with the use its name suggests1 should be the grand receptacle for all the minor preparations and their boxes or covers1 as well as for the brushes and combs and mirrors and sundries a ,society beauty may require4 ,it is scarcely necessary to tax the mental faculties in imagining what may have been the equivalent to brushes and combs with which the prehistoric woman of thousands of years ago brushed and combed her tangled tresses4 ,she was ingenious enough to break off and trim sharp prickly thorns1 and to use them as pins to fasten her scanty home-made garments1 no doubt2 and she would probably find in ,nature's supply what served her when making her toilet1 and viewing herself in clear pool or stream4 ,artists have pictured such toilets1 and poets have told of the toilet and the bath of ,greek and ,roman maidens of olden time4 ,it is said that the toilet of a ,roman lady occupied much of her time4 ,after she had risen and taken her bath she placed herself in the hands of the cosmotes1 slaves who possessed the secrets of preserving and beautifying the complexion of the skin4 ,she frequently wore a medicated mask and went through what would to-day be considered very painful operations4 ,her skin was rubbed with pumice stone1 and superfluous hairs were removed with a pair of tweezers4 ,grecian slaves were adepts at colouring eyelashes and eyebrows and treating the lips with red pomade4 ,the mirror was in frequent use4 ,many of the polished metal mirrors of those days were adorned with precious stones and had handles of mother-o'-pearl2 and silver and gold were common in the fashioning of the framework4 ,hair appointments1 including combs1 were very decorative1 frequently being made of ivory1 and many beautiful carved specimens are to be seen in our museums4 ,the dressing table as we understand it to-day was of later days1 for many centuries elapsed between the toilet of the ladies just mentioned and that of ,english dames whose odds and ends are to be found in most houses to-day--for few are without family relics of the toilet4 ,the toilet or dressing table was originally quite small1 and made solely for the purpose named4 ,it opened very much like a small desk or bureau1 and was seldom more than #ah in4 or #bj in4 in width4 ,the desk-like flap served the purpose of a table2 behind it was a number of tiny drawers in which the secret mysteries of the toilet were hidden4 ,there1 too1 were the lady's trinkets and jewellery1 safely housed in the depths of those curious recesses4 ,such a table was surmounted by a looking glass of the type now spoken of in a generic sense as ,sheraton4 ,in line with the more elaborately fitted tables were independent glasses fitted with a small drawer--a poor substitute1 however1 for the toilet table and glass1 combined or used in conjunction1 in front of which the ladies of the eighteenth century performed their toilets4 ,in ,fig4 #fd is illustrated a very beautiful glass of the ,oriental style of japanned decoration4 ,the slide supports of the desk-like flap are on the principle adopted in the construction of contemporary bureaux4 ,there is also a drawer1 full of compartments1 which draws out and discloses their covers and some of the instruments and articles of the toilet they contain4 ,combs4 ,the combs of olden time were much more elaborate affairs than they are to-day4 ,it would appear that the comb which must so frequently have been viewed by the fair user was considered the most appropriate toilet requisite on which to expend care and to lavish costly labour in order to make it truly a thing of beauty1 to be retained and even jealously guarded4 ,the precious metals and ivory were used as well as hard woods4 ,alas6 like the fate of modern combs1 the teeth--coarse and fine--snapped one by one1 and oftentimes a rare and beautiful back1 between the two rows of teeth that once were1 is nearly all that is left of the once perfect comb4 ,many combs of ivory1 however1 carved all over with exquisite miniatures1 have been preserved1 and the scenes upon them have been incidents of the chase1 classic love scenes1 and sometimes reproductions in picture form of well-known biblical scenes1 not always of the most delicately chosen subjects4 ,not long ago a very remarkable gold comb of first-century workmanship was found near the village of ,znamenka1 in ,southern ,russia1 where excavations in a burial mound had brought to light the tomb of a ,scythian king1 whose head was adorned with this beautiful comb4 ,the upper portion represented a combat between three warriors1 one mounted on a charger4 ,that comb1 however1 should be classed among dress combs rather than dressing combs4 ,the ivory combs for combing the hair vary in size and in the strength of their teeth4 ,sometimes a comb made of boxwood was inlaid with ivory1 and delicately pierced panels were inserted in the centre of the comb4 ,in some instances a small mirror is found instead of a carved panel2 especially is that the case with the smaller combs carried in a reticule or bag4 ,inscriptions were common1 such1 for instance1 as those which breathed the sentiment on a boxwood comb in the ,british ,museum1 which is inscribed in ,french3 ,accept with goodwill this little gift2 it is a pretty piece of early work1 dating probably from the middle of the sixteenth century4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #fe4--,,three ,,old ,,scratchbacks4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ff4--,,silver ,,chatelaine ,,toilet ,,instruments4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #fg4--;,,another ,,chatelaine ,,set4 ,patch ,boxes4 ,the accessories of the toilet table--useful and ornamental--are many4 ,it has ever been so1 and in the change going on many odds and ends are left behind and become relics of former practices4 ,perhaps among the most interesting of these curios are the little boxes of porcelain1 enamelled wares1 and wood1 which were once used as patch boxes1 and as receptacles for the pigments employed when gumming patches upon the cheeks and forehead was the height of fashion1 and when painting the face was the rule rather than the exception4 ,it may be contended by some that these mysteries of the toilet are not unknown in the present day1 but as yet the modern accessories of the toilet table do not come within the ken of the curio hunter4 ,it was at the ,court of ,louis ,,xv of ,france that the practice of gumming small pieces of black taffeta on the cheeks originated1 the patches soon afterwards becoming common in this country4 ,from simple circular discs were evolved stars1 crescents1 and other curious forms2 then1 as in so many other instances1 extremes of fashion brought the practice into disrepute1 for so extravagant became the style that the coach and horses patch and others as absurd came into favour4 ,the famous ,sam ,pepys recorded in his ,diary the first time he saw his wife wearing a black patch2 apparently it caught his fancy1 for he wrote3 ,my wife seemed very pretty to-day1 it being the first time ,i had given her lief to wear a black patch4 ,incidentally it may be noted that the famous ,pepys controlled even his wife's toilet1 and that she was obedient to him even in the mysteries of the dressing table6 ,enamelled ,objects4 ,the receptacles for all these compounds varied2 some were of wood1 beautifully carved1 often embellished with brass mountings1 the insides being lined with silk1 and small mirrors were inserted in the lids4 ,the pretty trinket trays1 curiously coloured and decorated1 boxes1 and little candlesticks for my lady's table1 made of ,battersea and other enamels1 were much in favour a century or more ago4 ,some remarkably charming boxes are met with stamped with the name of ,lille1 in ,france1 where many such objects were made--the ,english enamels of that period are rarely if ever marked4 ,it would appear that very many of these little articles were the gifts of friends or purchased as souvenirs of the comparatively rare visits to fashionable places of resort4 ,many of those given by friends were chosen because of the mottoes and emblems with which they were decorated2 for1 like the combs1 they were made use of to convey messages of love and friendship4 ,we can well understand the fear that might arise lest patches became loose and rendered the fair wearer ludicrous2 hence the little mirrors so often found within the boxes1 which it may be mentioned were carried about in the pocket ready for use when opportunity served4 ,many of the older specimens are found with mirrors of steel which1 owing to exposure to damp1 have become very rusty1 and1 in some instances1 have perished altogether4 ,others with silvered glass mirrors show spots1 and are much blurred from the same cause4 ,the colourings of enamels vary2 in some the groundwork is white1 in others pink or rose-colour or blue4 ,little picture scenes are varied with the quaint mottoes or sentimental lines so much in vogue then4 ,the illustrations given in ,fig4 #fc are typical of the choicer decorations1 showing the floral style as well as the pictorial miniature scenes for which the artists of that time were famous4 ,some of the toilet sundries took the form of scent bottles1 others etui cases and boxes for toilet requisites1 including manicure sets4 ,perfume ,boxes and ,holders4 ,perfume has always been associated with the requisites of the lady's toilet4 ,sweet-smelling spices are referred to in biblical records1 and even to-day the offering of perfume is a symbol of honour to the guest in the ,east2 and some very beautiful ,oriental scent sprinklers and spice boxes are now and then met with among ,eastern curios4 ,the long-necked rose-water sprinkler is the most common form1 supplemented by betel-nut boxes and receptacles made by ,persian artists for the famous attar of roses4 ,scents and sweet odours became fashionable in ,europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries2 articles of clothing were scented1 and there was a profusion of scent for the hair and in making the toilet4 ,the pomander box1 the favourite perfume holder of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries of ,england1 was in the form of an apple1 the perfumes and spices being made up like a ball4 ,it is said that the perfume was prepared from a sixteenth-century recipe1 the basis of which was sweet apples or apple pulp1 and scented gums and essences4 ,from the pomander box smaller receptacles were evolved1 and more elaborately prepared scents were kept in them4 ,some of the preparations consisted of camphor1 mint1 rosemary1 and lavender in vinegar1 a piece of sponge being saturated with the liquid4 ,then came the use of aromatic vinegar1 and gradually beautiful little silver vinaigrettes were introduced4 ,many of them were very ornamental in shape1 highly decorated with miniatures and floreated embellishment1 the monogram or name of the owner often being added4 ,in the outer case was usually a cover of perforated gold which closed over a piece of sponge1 upon which aromatic vinegar or some similar preparation was poured4 ,the best vinaigrettes are those bearing the hall-marks varying from #ahjj to about #ahdj1 when the making of vinaigrettes declined and other scents took their place4 ,the burning of perfumes in bedrooms and the fumigation of wardrobes and chests by means of a fumador was a custom much resorted to by ,portuguese ladies in the eighteenth century4 ,sweet lavender is still used in the linen cupboard1 although its use was much more general in the days when ,london street cries were heard4 ,dressing ,cases4 ,when people travel and visit their friends their luggage includes among other things a dressing case1 for there are many toilet requisites which are of a personal character1 and cannot well be substituted by others4 ,it is true that the need of portable dressing cases has increased of late years owing to greater travelling abroad4 ,dressing cases1 however1 are by no means modern1 for some very beautiful examples with silver-topped bottles1 hall-marked in the days of ,queen ,anne1 are among the collectable curios4 ,there is a still older example in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum--a case of tortoiseshell1 filled with a complete toilet set1 consisting of four combs and thirteen toilet instruments1 partly of steel and partly of silver4 ,it is an historic case1 having been presented by ,charles ,,ii to a ,mr4 ,t4 ,campland1 who is said to have at one time sheltered him4 ,many old families have interesting and valuable examples1 and not infrequently isolated cut-glass bottles with ,georgian hall-marked silver tops which have formed part of the equipment of dressing cases are met with4 ,scratchbacks4 ,old ,english scratchbacks are among the rarities of the curios associated with the toilet table4 ,it is unnecessary to comment upon the habits and customs of those periods when scratchbacks were found necessary1 or to refer to the hygienic conditions of the toilet then conspicuous by their absence4 ,it is sufficient to allude to these curious little instruments1 mostly shaped like a hand1 often of ivory1 and always fitted with a handle in length from #ab to #ae in4 ,the hand in some cases is large in proportion1 measuring as much as #b #a_/b in4 in length1 sometimes as an open hand1 at others with the fingers closed1 often very beautifully modelled4 ,horn and whalebone were favourite materials for the handle1 although some were of ebony and other woods4 ,scratchbacks appear to have been made both in lefts and rights in this country2 but the scratchbacks of the ,far ,east were invariably rights4 ,the accompanying illustrations1 ,fig4 #fe1 show the usual types of these now obsolete toilet requisites1 which it may be noted were sometimes duplicated by miniature scratchbacks carried about on the person1 hung from the girdle4 ,toilet ,chatelaines4 ,the chatelaines worn by the ladies of olden time were bulky1 and the various objects deemed necessary to carry about the person rendered them cumbersome in the extreme4 ,a bunch of keys was always in evidence1 and a glance at a few old keys indicates how large the keys of even quite small boxes were in olden time4 ,there were the keys of the store cupboard1 of the linen chest1 and of the larder and the wine cellar4 ,drawers and cupboards and boxes1 as well as the bureau or desk1 were always locked1 and to deliver up the keys was indeed to surrender one of the privileges of the matron and housewife which were jealously guarded4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #fh4--;,,fine ,,oriental ,,lacquered ,,box4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #fi4--,,small ,,lacquer ,,cabinet4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #gj4--;,a ,,pagoda-,,shaped ,,casket4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ga4--;,,decorated ,,jewel ,,case4 ,there were articles of toilet use1 too1 worn at the girdle4 ,it is recorded that ,queen ,elizabeth carried her earpick of gold ornamented with pearls and diamonds4 ,the little set1 which was worn at a lady's chatelaine in the eighteenth century1 shown in ,fig4 #ff1 consists of toothpick1 earpick1 and tongue scraper of silver1 whereas the set illustrated in ,fig4 #fg includes tweezers1 a nail knife1 and other instruments4 ,there are some charming manicure sets extant1 as well as isolated nail files of ivory and steel1 and curious little instruments for simple surgical operations1 such as strong-nerved ladies were not averse to perform in the good old days4 ,locks of ,hair4 ,although long since separated from toilet operations1 mention of locks of hair so carefully preserved may not inappropriately be made here4 ,many of these are associated with happy memories of childhood1 others of more saddened recollections4 ,it has been a common practice to preserve locks of hair of departed friends and relatives4 ,in former days these locks of hair were often enclosed in lockets1 some of which were very large4 ,the simple lock did not always satisfy1 for there are many artistic plaits and beautifully formed sprays1 imitating feathers and even flowers1 which were in years gone by cunningly interwoven and artistically arranged on cardboard preserved by glass1 often in golden lockets and frames4 ,some persons have made quite important collections1 one of the most noted being that of ,menelik ,,ii1 the ,abyssinian king1 who possessed upwards of two thousand locks1 varying from light to dark1 and from fine to coarse1 each lock being labelled with the date and particulars of its acquisition4 ,it would be well perhaps not to enter too closely into the source of some of these specimens1 which had peculiar interest to the dusky king4 ,it is said that some of them were chiefly admired for their settings1 which included mounting with rare emeralds4 ,the collection of emeralds1 of which he had some of marvellous beauty and lustre1 was another of that monarch's hobbies4 ,jewel ,cabinets4 ,in association with the toilet table are the numerous boxes which have been made as receptacles for jewels4 ,from the days when the dower chest contained a small compartment for valuable trinkets the furniture of the lady's boudoir has been incomplete without a jewel box or some article of furniture where the knick-knacks of the home could be kept1 and more especially the wearable jewellery4 ,the ,chinese and ,japanese have ever been clever in the fashioning of small cabinets1 and many delightful little boxes1 cabinets1 and jewellery receptacles have been brought over to this country4 ,some of the old lacquer ware is exceptionally interesting1 the decorations upon such pieces being doubly so when the legends they depict are fully realized and understood4 ,the accompanying illustrations represent four ,japanese jewel cases which are exceptionally fine curios4 ,fig4 #gj is decorated on the outside of the doors with a view of ,itsukushima2 and there are two peacocks on the top1 and the two elders of ,takasago are depicted on the back4 ,the bamboo and the plum are designs symbolical of longevity4 ,this truly exceptional piece was sold in the auction rooms of ,glendining ,co41 who also disposed of the remarkable jewel box shaped as a pagoda1 illustrated in ,fig4 #ga1 a very beautiful piece elaborately decorated with birds and landscapes1 and the box illustrated in ,fig4 #fh and small cabinet1 ,fig4 #fi4 ,x ,,the ,,old ,,workbox ,,chapter ,x ,,the ,,old ,,workbox ,spinning wheels--,materials and work--,little accessories--,cutlery--,quaint woodwork--,the needlewoman--,old samplers4 ,under the generic term of workbox the curios of the household associated with the industrial handiwork of former days may well be reviewed4 ,there is no record of when receptacles for ladies' work were first introduced1 although1 no doubt1 in very early days small oak boxes1 carved1 and bearing the owner's initials1 and other indications of ownership1 would be the chosen receptacles for the numerous oddments which are required in the practice and pursuit of every home handicraft1 and especially those connected with plying the needle4 ,there was a time1 however1 when the fabrics used in the making up of clothing were home-made1 when the seamstress and the needleworker stitched and embroidered upon cloths spun if not actually woven by the housewife and her handmaidens4 ,in the barrows containing remains of people of the ,stone ,age1 and the peoples of the early ,bronze ,age1 among the few ornaments and personal adornments buried with them were spinning whorls--the curiosities which remain to us of the earliest known form of textile craftsmanship4 ,spinning ,wheels4 ,in old pictures and woodblock engravings some curious illustrations are met with showing ,englishwomen using the distaff4 ,st4 ,distaff's ,day was formerly the #gth of ,january1 for it was then that the women resumed work after the ,christmas festivities were over4 ,the distaff and the spindle belonged to an age little understood now1 and the occupations of the women of that date are almost forgotten4 ,the spinning wheel was the outcome of the simpler distaff and spindle1 and although the spinning wheels we find among the most interesting of household relics look primitive indeed compared with the complex machinery seen in the spinning mills to-day1 those dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries must have been considered ingenious contrivances when compared with the older models1 just as the latest types of sewing machines show a wonderful advance from the early machines invented in the beginning of the nineteenth century4 ,very clever indeed were many women in manipulating the spinning wheel1 and there seems to have been some competitive contests for notoriety among country women1 who found a pleasing though perhaps at times tedious occupation in spinning the wool for the local weaver who wove the home-made cloth4 ,it is recorded that in #agde a woman at ,east ,dereham spun a single pound of wool into a thread of #hd1jjj yards4 ,she was far outdistanced1 however1 a few years later1 when a young lady at ,norwich out of a pound of combed wool produced a thread computed to measure #afh1jjj yards4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #gb4--,,old ,,spinning ,,wheel4 7,in the collection of ,mr4 ,phillips1 of the ,manor ,house1 ,hitchin47 ,to secure a fine spinning wheel is the ambition of collectors1 and many ladies point with pride to the old relic placed in a position of honour on an oak chest of drawers1 or1 perhaps1 standing on a coffer in the hall4 ,an exceptionally fine wheel is shown in ,fig4 #gb2 it is one of many secured by ,mr4 ,phillips1 of the ,manor ,house1 ,hitchin4 ,another illustration is taken from a sketch of a spinning wheel in the ,hull ,museum 7see ,fig4 #gc74 ,it appears that early in the nineteenth century ,hull encouraged the training of domestic spinners1 and at that time supported a spinning school4 ,apropos of that institution reference may appropriately be made to ,hadley's ,history of ,hull1 in which the historian1 in reference to ,sunday ,schools1 which had then quite recently been founded1 says3 ,from the ,sunday ,school reports for this year #aghh it seems they did not take4 ,to whatever cause this may be attributed1 it by no means warrants the aspersions thrown upon the town on that account1 which has with equal ardour and wisdom espoused that useful establishment of ,spinning ,schools1 in preference to a preposterous institution replete with folly1 intolerance1 fanaticism1 and mischief4 ,in explanation it has been remarked that1 ,evidently wheels were plentiful in ,hull and ,sunday ,schools a novelty4 ,to-day we can reverse the statement1 for schools are plentiful but spinning wheels are rare6 ,collectors eagerly secure anything in the way of a genuine antique wheel1 although the fastidious have the choice of two distinct types--those worked by hand and those operated by a treadle4 ,sometimes a spinning wheel made for the foot could be worked independently by the hand1 just in the same way as modern sewing machines are made for hand or treadle1 and sometimes a combination of both methods4 ,the very general use of the spinning wheel is accounted for by the fact that this useful machine was met with in every cottage in the days when homespun yarns and wools were prepared by hand1 and they were also found in the mansion and the palace1 where they served to amuse the ladies of the household4 ,there are many varieties of spinning wheels1 among them the old oak spinning wheels used in ,england in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries1 and the more decorative used until quite late in the eighteenth century1 from their ornament and lightness1 apparently used more for preparing the material for fancy work rather than for really utilitarian purposes4 ,some highly decorative spinning wheels inlaid with mother-o'-pearl and ivory have been brought over to this country from ,holland and other continental countries1 perhaps the most decorative being those made by ,french workmen in the ,chinese style1 the wood being lacquered blue and ornamented with gilt4 ,mr4 ,john ,suddaby1 who presented the spinning wheel we have illustrated to the ,hull ,wilberforce ,museum1 named after ,william ,wilberforce1 paid a high tribute to the famous philanthropist1 who he declared to be associated with the spinning schools of the town4 ,the old wheels of early date were gradually improved until they were rendered obsolete by the greater inventions of machines which could be worked by steam engines1 thus originating the factory system of textile production4 ,among the sundry curios associated with the spinning wheel are handsomely carved wood distaffs of boxwood1 curiously turned spindles2 and now and then a pewter vessel of circular form1 puzzling in its identity1 turns out to be the rim cup from the distaff of an old spinning wheel4 ,materials and ,work4 ,old workboxes appear to be very numerous4 ,the older ones were mostly of wood1 but the external decoration seems to have been a matter of taste1 some preferring inlays4 ,in early days moulded plaster ornament1 richly gilded and coloured1 was much favoured1 and in still earlier times deep relief carvings in the oak of which the boxes were made4 ,in the ,stuart and later periods ladies worked the exterior ornament in silks and satins and embroidery4 ,among the workboxes in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum there is a painted box in distemper and gilding1 the subject chosen for the ornamentation of the lid being the story of ,david and ,bathsheba1 round the sides being floral devices4 ,this decorative workbox has drawers and compartments1 a sliding front facilitating their use4 ,in the same collection there are workboxes overlaid with straw work in geometrical patterns relieved by colour4 ,straw-work decoration was much favoured at the commencement of the nineteenth century1 its origin being traceable to the ,french military prisoners in this country during the ,napoleonic wars between the years #agig and #ahad1 when many officers and men were detained at ,porchester ,castle1 near ,portsmouth1 and at ,norman ,cross1 near ,peterborough4 ,the grasses1 of which the boxes were covered1 were collected and dried by the prisoners1 who obtained the different shades and tints which render this class of work so effective by steeping them in infusions of tea1 according to a note by ,dr4 ,strong1 who visited the barracks at ,norman ,cross4 ,the workboxes1 so rich in gilding and relief1 came from ,italy1 when1 as early as the year #adjj1 caskets were covered with a species of lime which was moulded1 the gesso1 as it was called1 on a gilt ground of white compo1 giving it a very rich effect4 ,leather was used with good effect1 too1 for the ornamentation of workboxes1 red morocco being much favoured in ,england early in the nineteenth century4 ,fig4 #gf illustrates three very beautiful little fitted boxes with inlaid ornament and straw work4 ,little ,accessories4 ,the contents of an old workbox are many and varied4 ,among the odds and ends it is no uncommon thing to find relics of lace-making1 by which so many cottagers have been able to maintain themselves for generations4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #gc4--,,spinning ,,wheel4 7,in the ,hull ,museum47 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #gd4--,,old ,,lace ,,bobbins4 7a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 and f1 reading from left to right47 ,there is something very remarkable about the manufacture of pillow lace1 in that it is carried on in the villages of ,buckinghamshire just as it was two or more centuries ago1 and the pillow and the bobbins are almost identical in form and design--indeed1 the patterns of the lace have changed little1 for the workers cling tenaciously to the old designs1 ,flemish in their characteristics1 just as they do to the old bobbins4 ,some of these little spools or bobbins have been handed down from mother to daughter as heirlooms1 and many of them carry a romantic story1 if it were but known4 ,just as the ,welsh lovespoons and the ,sunderland glass rolling-pins were given as love tokens1 many of these bobbins are the result of patient labour1 their decoration having often been the work of days2 ivory1 bone1 wood1 and metal being cut and shaped1 gilded and stained1 in order to provide the favoured one with a bobbin unlike any other and quite distinctive in design4 ,in the making of pillow lace1 pins1 cleverly placed so as to form the pattern1 were inserted into the cushion1 and the threads on a dozen or more bobbins deftly twisted in and out and tied round the pins4 ,the glass beads1 many of the older ones of odd shapes and colours1 hand-made1 made the first distinction1 and their weight helped to keep the light turned wood bobbins in place4 ,it was the bobbins which were ornamental1 and some of the older ones--those made in the eighteenth century--are very decorative1 and now much sought after by collectors4 ,those illustrated in ,fig4 #gd have been selected from a large collection for their representative types3 7,a7 is the oldest2 the ornament is of pewter let into the wood1 it has a very small spool2 7,b7 is ivory1 the incised parts stained green2 7,c7 is bone1 the incised pattern filled in with gold beaten into a thin plate2 7,d7 is also of bone with a band of brass and coloured inlays2 7,e7 walnut wood1 turned in the deep grooves are six loose silver rings1 some of the heads are of brass gilt2 7,f7 the most modern type1 such as may be seen in use in ,buckinghamshire to-day1 the present revival of the hand-made lace industry being due to the efforts of the ,north ,bucks ,lace ,association4 ,of such handwork ,cowper wrote3-- ,yon cottager who weaves at her own door1 ,pillow and bobbins all her little store3 ,content1 though mean1 and cheerful1 if not gay1 ,shuffering her threads about the livelong day4 ,the lace-maker1 and the housewife who occupied her leisure moments in lace-making1 left behind many collectable curios4 ,the worker of samplers and those advanced in the higher arts of needlecraft had also their little work necessaries4 ,very clever indeed were the workers of silk-embroidered pictures1 and the instruments they used were fine and delicate1 different indeed from the coarser needles of the knitter and the meshes of the netter4 ,in later years the workbox became more substantial1 and less attention was given to the exterior1 for the interior fittings of the workbox became beautiful1 and a wealth of art was shown in the carving of the ivory accessories1 and the pearl tops of the thread and silk reels and winders and the curious little wax holders4 ,there were cleverly contrived measuring tapes1 and beautiful little baskets of ivory and wood1 some filled with emery1 others serving the purpose of receptacles for pins and needles4 ,from these evolved the needlebooks and the more modern companions4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ge4--,,old ,,pin ,,poppets ,,and ,,ancient ,,pins4 ,in ,fig4 #gg are shown several beautiful oddments taken out of an old workbox2 they are all made of ivory1 carved and fretted in such delicate tracery that it is a wonder that they have survived for a century or more without injury4 ,ivory work holders1 in which ladies rolled their needlework when they went out to tea1 were often beautifully carved2 they1 too1 are charming additions to ivory workbox fittings4 ,cutlery4 ,the cutler has contributed to the curios of the workbox4 ,the knives and scissors1 bodkins1 and stilettos from an old workbox look strangely out of date when compared with those bought in the shops to-day4 ,the chief thing that is so noticeable to the critical observer is the cutting of the steel and the hand ornamentation of those days4 ,some of the embroidery scissors were engraved all over with fancy patterns1 and there are some remarkably quaint button-hole scissors1 on which the owner's name or initials were often engraved4 ,some time ago an old lady made a small collection of thimbles4 ,it was not a very expensive hobby1 but the variety she secured was truly remarkable4 ,there were thimbles of bone1 ivory1 steel1 brass1 enamel1 silver1 and even gold4 ,some were chased and engraved1 some stamped and punched4 ,there were thimbles of huge size and others with open ends1 the same that sailors use4 ,it is said that the thimble dates back to #afhd1 when one ,nicholas ,benschoten1 of ,amsterdam1 sent one as a present to a lady friend with the dedicatory inscription3 ,to ,my frouw van ,rensclear this little object which ,i have invented and executed as a protective covering for her industrious fingers4 ,it is said the name in this country was originally thumb-bell1 so called because of the shape being of bell-like form4 ,of the thimbles of the wealthy it is recorded there are thimbles of onyx1 mother-o'-pearl1 and of gold1 encrusted with rubies and diamonds--the seamstress has1 however1 to be content with useful if less costly baubles4 ,quaint ,woodwork4 ,by way of contrast the outfit of the worker often includes wooden needles and occasionally utensils made of wood1 but covered with evidences of love and tender regard for those who were destined to use them4 ,the knitter seems to have been peculiarly fortunate1 for knitting sticks and sheaths afforded the amateur carver ample opportunities of showing his skill2 and1 like the carved lovespoons1 of which there is such a famous collection in the ,cardiff ,museum1 the knitting sheaths and sticks seem to indicate that in a similar way the amorous swain gave vent to his feelings in the curious designs1 mottoes1 and names which he carved upon knitting sticks and kindred objects used by the lady of his choice4 ,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum there are some beautiful boxwood needle sticks2 one example is cleverly carved with emblems of ,faith1 ,hope1 and ,charity4 ,another beautiful needle stick in the same collection is mounted with silver4 ,on some of the woodwork used for similar purposes there are cleverly designed pictures1 and these were not always associated with private use1 for the clothworkers in many districts used quite fanciful tools1 especially in the villages1 where time was of small moment1 and the long winter evenings could be occupied with cutting and carving the handles and framework of the tools which in everyday practice served such a useful and often wage-earning purpose4 ,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum there is a remarkable cloth-measure made of walnut1 bearing date #agde1 three-sided1 one being covered over with letters of the alphabet cut in deep relief1 thus serving a useful purpose in the home or as an educational standard4 ,on the second side there are cleverly designed pastoral and hunting scenes1 and on the third the arms of the ,swiss cantons4 ,other portions of the measure illustrate the implements and tools used by clothworkers at that period4 ,switzerland has long been famous for its wood carving1 and many of the curios found in this country have come from the ,swiss mountain villages4 ,no doubt some of our readers have come across the old pin poppets which boys and girls carried with them to the village school half a century or more ago4 ,the girls filled them with pins and needles1 bodkin and stiletto1 and the boys with pencils and pens4 ,in ,fig4 #ge two curious old pin boxes are illustrated4 ,the pins shown on the same page are1 however1 of much older date2 they are1 in fact1 merely thorns2 these interesting and authentic relics of the common objects of the home1 or perhaps more correctly described1 of dress1 are to be seen in the ,national ,collection of ,wales at ,cardiff1 the measuring stick shown in the photograph giving their size4 ,the pin poppet1 as its name denotes1 was1 however1 intended originally for the requirements of the early needleworker who at the dames' school won renown in those great achievements--the samplers of old4 ,these1 however1 do not exhaust the wood-carving curios of the workbox1 but they may serve to remind collectors of what they may hope to discover in their hunt for household curios4 ,the ,needlewoman4 ,the curiosities much prized to-day1 the work of the needlewoman1 or those who plied the needle chiefly for purposes of amusement or to give pleasure to those on whom they bestowed the products of their skill1 are met with in many distinct forms4 ,this is not a work on needlework1 or we might tell of the various stitches which are indicative of certain periods4 ,it is1 however1 admissible to mention some of the household curios1 the product of such patient labour applied to the skilful manipulation of silks and threads and cottons and wools1 of all colours and substances1 embroidered or worked on canvas or other fabric4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #gf4--,,three ,,old ,,workboxes4 7,in the collection of ,mr4 ,phillips1 of ,hitchin47 ,the mistresses of the old ,english homes were very industrious4 ,they worked crewel bed hangings and cross-stitch and tent-stitch upholstery in the seventeenth century1 and in still earlier times richly ornamented linens and other fabrics with flowers and scriptural subjects4 ,writing in reference to ,queen ,mary1 the wife of ,william ,,iii1 ,sir ,charles ,sedley said3-- ,when she rode in coach abroad ,she was always knotting thread4 ,and her example was followed by many in humbler circumstances4 ,in later years women have wrought needlework and beadwork pictures1 and have even threaded their needles with human hair when no silk could be found fine enough4 ,of the permanent ornaments of the home--now valued curios--there are cases formerly used on a lady's toilet table1 embroidered with floss silk and frequently dated4 ,some were made to hold devotional books1 others were portable boxes1 the covers of which were worked on white satin with coloured silks and beads1 oftentimes scriptural scenes being depicted in silk2 one very favourite scene in the seventeenth century was the visit of the ,queen of ,sheba to ,solomon4 ,many beautifully embroidered trinket boxes record the patience with which they were worked1 and were undoubtedly a labour of love4 ,among the smaller objects1 gifts from friend to friend1 were pincushions1 some of which bear dates in the seventeenth century4 ,these were worked in coloured silks on canvas1 the ornament often taking the form of a fruit or flower basket1 birds and insects4 ,the favourite material and colour for the back of such pincushions was yellow satin4 ,a rather pleasing variety consisted of bag and pincushion worked to match1 the two being united by a cord of plaited silk4 ,of purses there were many varieties1 chiefly made of coarse canvas worked in cross and tent stitches with coloured silks and silver threads1 couched or laid over silver thread1 and then stitched to the canvas concealing it4 ,there are also miniature pincushions worked in silk like the old samplers and brocade pocket books1 some of which were woven in ,france in the seventeenth century4 ,there are also holdalls and needle cases in embroidery and cross stitch4 ,the favourite colours worked by ,english ladies in the eighteenth century were pink1 orange1 and light green4 ,on these were often worked mottoes and rhyme4 ,one will serve as a sample3-- ,when ,judah's daughters captive led ,behold their mighty kings subdued4 ,loyal mottoes were frequently worked1 especially during the days when the ,pretenders were carrying on their hopeless campaign4 ,there is a subtle reminder of the desire to make known loyal feelings1 intermixed with prudence in concealing them1 in the quaint embroidered garter in the ,british ,museum which is inscribed ,,god ,,bless ,p4,c4 ,to smokers were given embroidered tobacco pouches in green1 pink1 and silver2 one charming old beadwork tobacco pouch in ,taunton ,castle is embroidered ,,love ,,me ,,for ,i ,,am ,,thine1 #afca4 ,there were necklaces and bracelets of needlework1 and some of coloured glass beads1 as well as the long watchguards worn round the neck1 chiefly of the nineteenth century4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #gg4--,,old ,,workbox ,,fittings4 7,in the ,author's collection47 ,old ,samplers4 ,old samplers may well be regarded as educational1 belonging to the schoolroom as well as to the workbox4 ,they were intended to teach needlework1 and served as reminders of alphabets1 sums1 and mapping4 ,many worked in silk on yellow linen in the eighteenth century were quite elaborate pieces of needlework4 ,those of the seventeenth century1 chiefly of linen1 were much cruder and simpler in design4 ,during the latter half of the eighteenth century samplers were mostly worked on canvas or sampler cloth1 a material which was used almost as long as samplers were in fashion4 ,different stitches were employed2 there was the early drawn and cut work1 and then the silk embroidery showing the girl's acquirement of the darning stitch4 ,some early tapestry maps are numbered among the educational curios in which samplers are so prominent4 ,the ,yorkshire ,philosophical ,society own two unique specimens of sixteenth-century tapestry1 formerly in the possession of ,horace ,walpole4 ,they measure about #af ft4 by #ab ft41 the sections including ,herefordshire1 ,shropshire1 ,gloucestershire1 ,oxfordshire1 and a part of ,berkshire4 ,these remarkable maps are vividly coloured and show excellent pictorial scenes indicating villages1 parks1 and country seats4 ,such maps are rare1 but now and then really interesting examples of needlework mapping are met with4 ,collectors keep an eye on preservation1 but they are keen on dated specimens1 and those with ornate and quaintly picturesque borders4 ,the condition adds to the beauty1 but not always to the value1 for many of the older and less well-preserved samplers are now becoming scarce4 ,they have been retained by those who have no interest in antiques because they bore the name of some fair ancestress who lived and worked on her sampler more than a century ago1 leaving it behind as a memorial of her skill in the use of a needle for future generations to admire4 ,how many ladies of the twentieth century are preparing permanent records of their skill in needlework for those who are to come to hand on to generations unborn8 is a question some may like to ponder4 ,,xi ,,the ,,library ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,library ,from cover to cover--,old scrap books--,almanacs--,the writing table4 ,the library is usually where the master of the house conducts his business correspondence and1 if a student1 spends much of his time among his favourite books1 or1 perchance1 engages in literary work4 ,in days gone by1 when there were fewer opportunities of visiting public libraries1 and when circulating libraries were few and far between1 the man of letters accumulated around him standard works and ancient tomes1 possibly seldom read4 ,when such a library1 perhaps scarcely examined for a century or more1 comes to be dispersed1 it often happens that curiosities are brought to light4 ,the furniture of the library is full of interest1 for a quaint writing table1 bureau1 or desk full of oddments is an exceedingly prolific field of research4 ,in the following paragraphs a few of these curiosities are referred to2 there are others1 however1 that the collector will discover1 possibly one of the scarcer curios of the library1 some of which realize unexpectedly high prices when they are brought under the hammer4 ,from ,cover to ,cover4 ,the books which constitute the library are often curious1 and there is much that receives its monetary value on account of its antiquity and rarity4 ,an old library will frequently include black-letter printing and old volumes illustrated with wood blocks1 and1 perchance1 illuminated initial letters4 ,some of the volumes may be printed on vellum1 and there may be some in manuscript4 ,the bindings of presentation books may be of rich calf and tooled in gold2 some may even have edge paintings and choice hand-painted illuminations4 ,the subject-matter of the volumes often gives rise to specialistic collections4 ,some will find amusement in tracing the progress of a great industry through published information1 like those curious old time tables in the early days of railways1 and the pamphlets which are classed by the collector as ,railroadia1 and from them learn the story of the iron horse4 ,there are others who collect books and prints relating to ballooning1 the microscope1 and many of the earlier sciences4 ,there are topographical curiosities and historical marvels4 ,some books will be valued because of their illustrations1 for the work of a master hand may be recognized by the expert searcher after valuables4 ,the rare mezzotints1 stipples1 and delicate line engravings1 to say nothing of the more valuable colour prints1 often realize far more than the books themselves4 ,ancient art is more valued than the literary efforts of past masters of wielding the pen6 ,it is thus that the books are often thrown away after the pictures or even superadded illustrations or mere name-plates have been removed4 ,the collector of bookplates searches for his treasures4 ,some talk of the vandalism of the collector of ex-libris1 but they must remember that it is quite easy to remove a bookplate without injuring the volume1 and there are many worthless books4 ,the name labels or bookplates found in ,english libraries range from the early dated plates of the close of the seventeenth century to the present day4 ,the different styles of ornament in vogue in the respective periods of their engraving were with few exceptions adhered to by the printers of such plates4 ,thus the collector classifies his albums and rejoices in the variations and details of the engraver's fancy1 while he separates them into such well-defined groups as early armorial1 ,jacobean1 ,chippendale1 ribbon and wreath1 urn1 pictorial1 armorial1 and simple shield4 ,to other than the enthusiastic collector1 bookplates may possess merit in that they have belonged to famous men1 and are souvenirs taken from the volumes which were once handled by distinguished statesmen1 divines1 and men of letters4 ,old ,scrap ,books4 ,the making of scrap books or the filling of portfolios was not always an amusement for children1 neither did older folk make those quaint scrap books with such assortments of literary and pictorial odds and ends solely for the amusement of their visitors4 ,many enthusiastic collectors stored their treasures in such books1 the binding of which was often very costly and quite gorgeously ornamented4 ,some pointed with pride to collections of prints1 others to albums of frontispieces1 printers' marks1 and tailpieces1 some of which were beautiful little pictures4 ,in modern times collectors rescue from the flames old tickets1 pictorial benefit tickets1 theatre passes1 and quaint pictures which tell us of great events which happened in days gone by at ,ranelagh1 ,vauxhall1 and other places4 ,ranelagh1 where the entertainments of which relics in the shape of beautifully engraved tickets are to be found1 was at ,chelsea1 and the gardens visited by ,walpole1 ,johnson1 and ,goldsmith were famous for their promenades and for the music and singing which might be enjoyed1 among the evening pleasures being displays of fireworks and masked dances4 ,in the summer tea and coffee were sipped under the trees1 and there were water carnivals on the river4 ,there were also masquerade balls and dances1 for which tickets engraved by ,bartolozzi and other famous artists were issued4 ,it is these tickets which are preserved and collected now4 ,the autograph hunter extends his hobby by adding old parchments and deeds with seals1 for among the odd bundles of parchments in old libraries are many documents attested with thumb-marks and seals--,his mark1 of days when many of the landed proprietors could not write their own names4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #gh4--;,,ancient ,,clog ,,almanac4 ,the joys of ,st4 ,valentine's ,day1 remembered by older people still1 are unknown to the present generation1 but collectors perpetuate ,february #adth as it was kept in the past by filling albums with such old valentines as they may be able to secure4 ,watch ,papers4 ,another comparatively small collection can be made up of pictorial watch papers1 those rare little pictorial views which once reposed in the interior of the cases of old watches4 ,watches are by no means common curios of the household1 but now and then an old silver verge or a decorated watch case thought little of is found to contain one of those pretty pictures which were chiefly engraved and printed in the eighteenth century4 ,many of the designs were printed on satin2 some were devices in needlework2 again others were cut out in the most lace-like designs4 ,theatrical celebrities were often pictured2 thus the theatrical amateur would buy his watch paper representing the celebrated ,miss ,gunning1 or possibly ,mr4 ,garrick4 ,the pictures were really gems1 too1 for great artists such as ,angelica ,kaufmann1 ,cipriani1 and ,bartolozzi did not disdain to engrave watch papers4 ,old ,almanacs4 ,some of the best finds when libraries have been overhauled have been the curious old almanacs published when superstition was rife4 ,the oldest1 perhaps1 were the clog almanacs1 although some were common in ,staffordshire until about #ahbj4 ,the accompanying illustration 7see ,fig4 #gh7 was engraved in an old book referring to that county published more than a century ago4 ,in ,camden's ,britannia some information is given in reference to these early clog almanacs1 in which it is said holidays were distinguished by hieroglyphics2 in some the ,massacre of the ,innocents was denoted by a drawn sword2 ,,ss4 ,simon and ,jude's ,day by a ship1 because they were fishers2 and ,st4 ,george's ,day by a horse4 ,in the ,norway clog almanacs ,st4 ,martin's ,day is marked with a goose1 the custom of eating a goose now being transferred to ,michaelmas4 ,in the illustration given in ,fig4 #gh the first section embraces ,january1 ,february1 and ,march2 the second1 ,april1 ,may1 and ,june2 the third1 ,july1 ,august1 and ,september2 and the fourth1 ,october1 ,november1 and ,december4 ,conspicuously inscribed on the clog will be noticed the ring for ,new ,year's ,day2 the star denoting the ,epiphany2 the axe for ,st4 ,paul2 ,february #adth is indicated by a lover's knot2 a spear denotes ,st4 ,george's ,day in ,april2 and ,may ,day by a tree branch4 ,the keys of ,st4 ,peter are noticed as indicating the #bith of ,june2 the scales of ,st4 ,michael are seen at the end of ,september4 ,st4 ,catherine's wheel figures in the middle of ,november1 immediately under it being the somewhat large cross of ,st4 ,andrew4 ,other symbols will doubtless be recognized on this interesting relic4 ,the study of the almanac is not now one of the chief diversions of the fair sex4 ,at one time1 however1 when ladies had fewer amusements than they have now1 they spent much time poring over almanacs1 and placed implicit trust in what they found recorded there1 especially in the forecasts and prognostications for the future of those born on certain days and under so-called lucky or unlucky stars4 ,one of the most popular calendars of olden time was ,the ,ladies' ,diary or the ,woman's ,almanac1 containing many delightful and entertaining particulars for the fair sex4 ,let us take1 for example1 a copy of that popular almanac for the year of grace #agdi4 ,on the cover there is a picture of the ,queen4 ,alluding to the peace then prevailing are the lines3-- ,perch'd o'er this ,realm1 the ancient seat of ,kings1 ,now dove-like peace the sprig of laurel brings2 ,and ,british fair ones happy days shall see1 ,while ,george shall reign1 and ,britons still are free4 ,another ,george is on the throne1 and his consort ,queen ,mary is an ideal woman1 and what to many is of the highest importance1 ,peace reigns in this country and ,britons are still free6 ,among the contents of that curious almanac are ,latin and ,french enigmas1 mathematical questions and paradoxes4 ,the concluding paragraph for the dedication of that day is entitled ,truth's ,moral ,euclid2 the proposition given being3-- ,virtue promotes happiness1 private and public4 ,vice is destructive of happiness1 private and public4 ,honour is the reward of virtue4 ,one of the finest collections of old almanacs is in the ,bodleian ,library at ,oxford--chiefly seventeenth-century productions4 ,a still older almanac was the ,poor ,robin of #affd2 another seventeenth-century almanac being the ,vox ,stellarum of ,francis ,moore1 a quack doctor4 ,in #agcc ,benjamin ,franklin published in ,philadelphia his ,poor ,richard's ,almanac1 noted for its verses1 jests1 and sayings4 ,the monopoly once possessed by the ,stationers' ,company has long been broken down1 and of later almanacs and calendars there is no end4 ,among the miniature books1 the collection of which is much favoured now1 are some very tiny almanacs1 like the beautiful specimens of such a calendar given in ,fig4 #hj1 produced actual size1 shown open and closed4 ,this miniature almanac is printed on satin and is full of pleasing little pictures4 ,it is the work of a ,french artist early in the nineteenth century1 the pictures and their descriptions and the monthly calendars occupying alternate pages4 ,the binding is of mother-o'-pearl1 bound in ormolu and richly gilt and engraved4 ,some similar calendars in tiny leather bindings1 beautifully tooled and ornamented in gold1 are also collectable4 ,the ,writing ,table4 ,the writing table usually occupies an honoured place in the library4 ,it may be a massive table of oak or a simple writing desk venerated on account of the great literary works which have been written upon it4 ,it is no uncommon thing to read of large sums paid for a writing desk on which the manuscript of a famous book has been penned1 and some of the writing tables upon which deeds of historical fame have been signed have gained a reputation and a money value out of all proportion to their curio or antiquarian merits4 ,not long ago the late ,king ,edward presented to the ,commonwealth of ,australia the table on which the great ,charter was signed1 together with the inkstand and pen used on that occasion4 ,those will be relics for future generations to value4 ,the table appointments are among the collectable curios of the library1 and prominent among these is the inkstand4 ,inkstands find their prototypes in the inkhorns of the scribe2 and throughout the generations which have provided curios for twentieth-century collectors there have been fresh supplies in silver1 pewter1 ,sheffield plate1 copper1 bronze1 iron1 wood1 china1 and brass4 ,very beautiful indeed are some of the old inkstands in their separate vase-like attachments4 ,the ink-well was formerly accompanied by a sand box or a pounce caster1 in modern days superseded by a second ink-well4 ,the sand casters for sprinkling pounce or sand upon newly written pages were a necessity before the days of blotting paper4 ,perhaps some day blotters1 blotting pads1 and the like1 may become collectable curios6 ,collectors of old china are familiar with the rare boxes1 egg-cup-like in form1 made by ,richard ,chaffers1 of ,liverpool1 the blue and white decoration1 the name of the potter in the narrowed portion of the box being characteristic of what was for a long time known as ,dick's ,pepperbox4 ,it was1 however1 intended for a pounce box1 the pounce or pumice being a fine powder of the cuttle-fish bone1 afterwards giving the name to the pounce paper or transparent tracing material4 ,of the inkstands to be seen in our museums there are many dating from almost prehistoric times2 their variety may be instanced by mention of one in the ,berlin ,museum1 an ,egyptian curio said to be #c1djj years old1 below the ink compartments being a case for holding reed pens4 ,in early days before even well-to-do people could read and write the scribe found a ready occupation4 ,the materials he used were carried about in a writing case of metal1 and among such curios are writing cases which were used in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries4 ,they were often the work of the craftsmen of ,mesopotamia1 who were clever artists in metal1 and the work they performed came to ,europe through ,syria4 ,the example shown in ,fig4 #ha is the work of ,mahmud1 the son of ,sonkor1 of ,baghdad1 and is dated #abha4 ,this beautiful specimen may be seen in the ,british ,museum4 ,the implements the scribe used changed as time went on1 for parchment was used quite early in the ,east4 ,writing was introduced into ,spain by the ,moors in the tenth century1 although writing paper was not made in ,england until the fifteenth century4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #gi4--,,old ,,coin ,,tester4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #hj4--,,miniature ,,souvenir ,,almanac4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ha4--;,,ancient ,,writing ,,set4 ,the evolution of the pen has been slow1 for the use of quills continues still in some ,government offices1 and quills are still supplied to readers in the ,british ,museum ,reading ,room4 ,the old-fashioned quill pens were in days gone by shaped with a small knife made specially for that purpose4 ,indeed1 it is to the quill pen that we are indebted for our pen knives1 which have long been put to other uses4 ,it was not every one who was expert in cutting a pen neatly and making it write well4 ,consequently an instrument was made for that purpose1 known as the quill-pen cutter4 ,these cutters are now and then met with in old desks1 where they have lain unused for many years4 ,quill-pen making was an important industry until the invention of the steel pen1 and the quality of the quill was a matter of importance to the scribe4 ,in a trader's circular dated #ahbj there is notice of the ,royal ,appointment of a ,liverpool maker1 who was authorized to exercise and enjoy all the rights1 profits1 privileges1 and advantages of his appointment of ,pen ,cutter and ,quill ,dresser to ,his ,majesty ,king ,george ,,iv4 ,in the same circular it is stated that the quill pens supplied were of varying qualities1 secured from the swan1 raven1 goose1 turkey1 crow1 and duck4 ,sealing correspondence was a necessity before gummed envelopes were invented4 ,then sealing-wax was in daily use on the writing table1 and the signet ring or seal was requisitioned4 ,the outfit of a library table would scarcely be complete without wax1 wafer irons1 and seals4 ,one of the curios found now and then in old desks is a little cutting instrument useful in removing seals or opening letters which had been sealed4 ,in the days before penny postage letters were sent carriage forward1 and the postage which had to be paid on the receipt of letters from a distance was a heavy tax on those who had many friends and much correspondence4 ,the penalty of being the recipient of much correspondence may1 perhaps1 have been lightened by the wording of the seal2 for many old letter seals conveyed sentimental messages which to the receiver from that particular sender might have meant much4 ,the following is a selection of the characteristic sentiments of the day3 ,break the seal1 read the letter1 and keep the secret2 ,you have a loyal friend2 and ,life is naught without a friend4 ,we cannot tell what was the result of sending a letter bearing such a seal legend as3-- ,mine is a heart that loveth thee2 ,so1 ladylove1 do thou love me4 ,collectors' hobbies now and then are increased by the introduction of something entirely new1 something never known before1 and the world rejoices over a genuine novelty4 ,the cynic declares that there is nothing new under the sun1 but the introduction of the penny postage in #ahdj1 at the instigation of ,rowland ,hill1 laid the foundation to stamp collecting1 which has become the most popular of all collectors' hobbies4 ,the philatelist is found in every civilized country1 and the collection of postage stamps1 used and unused1 grows apace4 ,a bundle of old letters in entire envelopes1 posted forty or fifty years ago from one of the ,british ,colonies1 discovered when ransacking an old library1 will probably prove the most valuable relic of the past found in it4 ,,xii ,,the ,,smoker',s ,,cabinet ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,smoker',s ,,cabinet ,old pipes--,pipe racks--,tobacco boxes--,smokers' tongs and stoppers--,snuff boxes and rasps4 ,the slave of the pipe and the moderate smoker of years gone by have left behind them relics in nearly every home4 ,such curios are found when pulling down old houses1 and clearing out rubbish heaps2 and even when making excavations in the vicinity of once occupied ground remains left behind by smokers of olden times are discovered4 ,many are marked as curios on account of their curious forms2 others have been regarded as such because their uses have become obsolete1 and some because of their great beauty and the costliness of the materials of which they are made4 ,the collectable curios of the smoker's cabinet consist of clay pipes1 varying from the earliest form known to the later types not far removed from the modern clays still smoked by workmen2 of pipes of curious forms and quaintly carved bowls2 and the ,eastern pipes1 which look more like show pieces in their size and forms than any pipe made for actual use4 ,the curios include tobacco jars1 spill cups1 and ash trays2 and there are also brass and copper spittoons and pipe racks4 ,an old smoker's desk often contains odd curios1 such as the one-time common pipe-stoppers1 so many of which were made by ,birmingham toy-makers in the eighteenth century4 ,old ,pipes4 ,when tobacco was first introduced into this country1 and smoking was taught to those whose descendants in countless numbers were destined to worship at the shrine of my ,lady ,nicotine on ,british soil1 the pipe was brought over too2 for tobacco and the tobacco pipe are inseparable1 although the pipe shares its popularity with cigars and cigarettes4 ,there are few records of early experiments in the modelling and baking of local clays by pipe makers2 it was1 however1 soon discovered that ,broseley clay was most suitable for the tobacco pipe1 and there are pipes known to have been made at ,broseley in the seventeenth century4 ,the flat heels of the early pipes were useful in that pipes could then be laid down on the table4 ,then in the reign of ,james ,,ii an advance was made by the spur-like projection of the bowl1 which was found to be convenient for the purpose of branding with the initials of the maker or his trade mark1 and there are many examples of old marks1 some of which are very curious1 a not uncommon form being a punning rebus on the maker's name2 thus we have a gauntlet1 used by a man named ,gauntlet4 ,the earlier forms of clay pipes gradually gave way to the long-stemmed churchwardens1 which in course of time were again superseded by pipes with short stems4 ,the meerschaum in its day had many followers1 and some of the curiosities of the smoker's cabinet 7the term cabinet is used here in a figurative rather than a realistic sense7 are those elaborately carved specimens of meerschaum1 that remarkably light material that lends itself so well to the carver's art4 ,pipe ,racks4 ,there appear to have been two distinct forms of racks--those used for cleaning or rebaking clay pipes1 and the racks on which they were stored4 ,the pipe rack was originally a wrought-iron frame upon which dirty clay pipes were stoved in a brick oven and restored to their original freshness4 ,the stoving of pipes was a common practice not only in taverns and public clubs but in private houses in the days when long clay pipes were served to the guests1 and a bowl of punch was placed before them--it was thus that convivial spirits enjoyed themselves in time gone by4 ,now and then these old pipe racks are met with in some outhouse or attic1 but they are getting very scarce1 for most of them appear to have found their way into the scrap heap of the old-metal dealer4 ,some of the racks intended for the storage of pipes and not for baking them were exceedingly decorative1 the ornamental sides terminating with acorn knobs made of cast lead4 ,tobacco ,boxes4 ,it seems natural to suppose that the need of a suitable receptacle for tobacco would early be felt4 ,many of the old tobacco boxes--those for storage purposes--were made of lead or pewter4 ,lead was found to be cool and was also used as an appropriate lining for boxes made of other materials4 ,jars soon came into vogue1 and there are quite ancient specimens1 especially the old japanned boxes1 ornamented with figures in gilt4 ,there is1 of course1 a vast difference between the storage jar and the smaller box carried about by the smoker much in the same way as the pouch is now used4 ,many still prefer metal to other materials1 and it is no uncommon thing to see brass and steel boxes in use in industrial districts4 ,few1 however1 excepting modern replicas of the antique1 are decorated in the way the old ,dutch tobacco boxes of brass were in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries4 ,it is not very clear why so many of them were engraved with scriptural subjects1 for there does not appear to be much connection between biblical history and the pipe6 ,engravings of scenes depicting ,noah and the ,flood are common1 the incongruity of the clothing shown being often commented upon2 one writer upon the subject referred to the engravings on one of these tobacco boxes as being ornamented with ,jewish characters wearing knee breeches of ,english type1 talking to ,dutch frauen4 ,historical portraits are not uncommonly met with on these quaint boxes1 and quite a number of battle scenes have been engraved4 ,such metal work has been gathered together in several museums1 and in the ,british ,museum there is a fine collection of various shapes1 some oval1 others long and narrow1 and some almost square4 ,the brass tobacco box illustrated in ,fig4 #hc has a medallion portrait of ,frederick the ,great in the centre1 such embossed subjects being very popular in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries1 both in ,england and in ,holland1 although ,dutch artists gave preference to scriptural subjects1 many fine examples of which are to be seen in our museums4 ,fortunately there are many really curious specimens obtainable at a moderate cost4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #hb4--,,three ,,curious ,,pipe-,,stoppers4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #hc4--;,,brass ,,tobacco ,,box4 7,in the ,british ,museum47 ,smokers' ,tongs and ,stoppers4 ,curious little ember tongs were formerly used by smokers for taking up hot embers or ashes with which to light their pipes4 ,of these there are several varieties1 most of them of polished steel1 cut and chased4 ,in the eighteenth century similar tongs were used for holding cigars2 some were fitted with small knives1 and a few of the earlier examples included tinder boxes4 ,not infrequently one end of the handle terminated in a tobacco stopper4 ,stoppers1 were1 however1 destined soon to become an independent and important smokers' accessory4 ,they were made of different materials1 including brass1 steel1 bone1 and ivory1 to some being added a pick for clearing out the bowl of a pipe4 ,many curious handles were modelled1 among the varieties being some representing soldiers in armour of the time of ,james ,i4 ,there is one favourite type representing ,charles ,i1 crowned1 and wearing the collar of the ,garter1 and another a bust of ,oliver ,cromwell4 ,in one example a farm labourer works a flail1 in another a milkmaid goes a-milking with her pail4 ,there are many varieties of a hand holding a pipe1 of jockeys and prize-fighters1 and of ,st4 ,george and the ,dragon4 ,the three stoppers illustrated in ,fig4 #hb are quite exceptional specimens1 illustrating1 however1 the kind of stopper which collectors should keep a keen look out for4 ,these examples are in the ,british ,museum along with a few others of seventeenth and eighteenth-century manufacture1 having striking characteristics4 ,one is described as having a human figure at the butt1 and at the other end a crowned head4 ,the third example is an historic souvenir1 having been made1 as the inscription on the stopper indicates1 from the royal oak which sheltered ,charles ,,ii1 by ,mr4 ,george ,plaxton1 at one time parson of the parish4 ,in the ,taunton ,castle ,museum there is an exceptionally beautiful stopper made of ivory inscribed3-- ,,now 4 ,,man 4 ,,with 4 ,,man 4 ,,is 4 ,,so 4 ,,vnjvst 4 ,,that 4 ,,one 4 ,,can 4 ,,scarce 4 ,,tell 4 ,,who 4 ,,to 4 ,,trvst4 ,there are similar stoppers in private collections4 ,the inscription on one at ,south ,petherton reads3-- ,,the 4 ,,fayrest 4 ,,mayd 4 ,,that 4 ,,did 4 ,,bayr 4 ,,life 4 ,,for 4 ,,love 4 ,,to 4 ,,man 4 ,,became 4 ,a 4 ,,wife4 ,snuff ,boxes and ,rasps4 ,snuff-taking has been a habit associated with smoking tobacco from quite early days4 ,the preparation of snuff was formerly achieved at home1 and consequently there sprang up the need of rasps1 which were frequently carried about in the pocket1 many of the cases being very ornamental4 ,they varied in size1 but the rasp cases usually held a plug or twist of tobacco from which the snuff was made4 ,there are several fine old snuff rasps in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 one large rasp measuring #ae in4 in length2 its case1 which is of walnut and extremely decorative1 is attributed to a ,dutch carver who executed it in the second half of the seventeenth century4 ,there is also a small iron rasp in a case of teak wood1 which is inlaid with rosewood1 ivory1 and tortoiseshell1 the rasp measuring about #h in4 in length4 ,an eighteenth-century ,french rasp of boxwood is carved in low relief2 on one side a pair of doves is represented1 under the picture being the legend1 ,unis jusqu'a la mort4 ,on the other side there is a man blowing a horn with the legend1 ,la fidelite est perdue1 around which is a rope-like frame supporting two cornucopiae4 ,another curious variety of snuff rasp is made to run on wheels4 ,when snuff-making became an established trade1 and the need for snuff rasps to be carried was not so great1 the decoration of snuff boxes became more ornate4 ,it was in the days of ,queen ,anne that the height of the glory of the snuffer was reached2 it was1 however1 during the reigns of the ,georges that so many beautiful boxes were made4 ,there were boxes carved out of a piece of wood1 others of bone1 papier-mache1 and metal2 indeed1 all the metals seem to have been used1 for among the curiosities of old snuff boxes are those made of iron1 copper1 brass1 silver1 and gold4 ,some of the more costly were enriched with diamonds and precious stones1 and with tiny miniature paintings and beautiful ,wedgwood cameos4 ,in the days when snuff-taking was a commoner practice than it is now1 the ornamental snuff box was the chosen gift to men of fame4 ,kings1 princes1 and the nobility received gold and jewelled snuff boxes on occasions when in more modern days they would have been given a scroll of vellum in a golden casket4 ,many provincial museums contain excellent collections of smokers' requisites4 ,in the handbook of ,welsh antiquities published in connection with the ,national ,museum of ,wales1 in ,cardiff1 there are allusions to several interesting specimens1 the writer of the guide quoting some lines penned by a sixteenth-century poet1 who extolled tobacco thus3-- ,tobacco engages ,both sexes1 all ages-- ,the poor as well as the wealthy2 ,from the ,court to the cottage1 ,from childhood to dotage1 ,both those that are sick and the healthy4 ,,xiii ,,love ,,tokens ,,and ,,lucky ,,emblems ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,love ,,tokens ,,and ,,lucky ,,emblems ,amulets--,horse trappings--,emblems of luck--,lovespoons--,glass curios4 ,the collector rarely troubles about attempting to solve matters of dispute1 and cares little to enter into argumentative discussions in reference to the supposed purposes of the curios he collects1 or the different uses with which they have been associated4 ,he does not inquire too deeply into the faiths and beliefs which may have been held and revered by his ancestors when he puts in his cabinet some curiosity which may have been regarded almost with reverential feelings and handled with superstitious regard by its original possessor4 ,the more thoughtful man does1 however1 pay some tribute to their early associations4 ,our museums are filled with such relics1 with delightfully carved reliquaries1 triptychs1 and marvellously carved beads which in their religious use as rosaries have been looked upon as something more than mere specimens of the carver's art4 ,there are mysteries in beliefs which have been held dear in the past which are not understood by succeeding generations4 ,it is difficult to understand in the present day the deep-seated faith in amulets and charms1 which were thought to have brought about what would now be regarded as curious coincidences1 or to place reliance upon the babbling utterances of some old crone who posed as a witch or a fortune-teller4 ,yet among such old-world stories there are germs of truth although misapplied4 ,the emblems1 amulets1 and charms so implicitly believed in a few centuries ago are objects numbered among collectable curios1 valued even in this prosaic age not only for their intrinsic worth and antiquarian interest1 but for the so-called magic influences they were supposed to possess4 ,there is something more understandable about love tokens1 for we can tell their purpose1 and indeed to-day1 stripped of the charm which was often supposed to go with them1 love tokens are given1 received1 and valued just as much as they were in the past4 ,amulets4 ,the amulet1 which in its realistic form is regarded as an antiquity to be preserved with care1 was usually regarded either as a charm against disease1 accident1 or misfortune1 or as something the possession of which would bring good luck4 ,the efficacy of amulets was believed in by the most cultured and scientific peoples in the past1 for it was an article of belief in ,egypt and ,chaldea4 ,the ,jews had regard for their phylacteries1 and the ,greeks and ,romans had their amulets4 ,the image of ,thor was an amulet peculiar to the old ,norsemen2 and in ,britain we have had many examples4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #hd4--;,,collection ,,of ,,harness ,,amulets ,,and ,,team ,,bells4 7,in the possession of ,mr4 ,charles ,wayte1 of ,edenbridge47 ,although not necessarily objects to be worn1 no doubt charms usually took the form of something which could be suspended1 for the origin of the word coming to us through the ,latin has been traced to an ,arabic word1 signifying a pendant4 ,in the early ,christian ,church the fish was worn as a symbol or charm1 and in many parts of rural ,england to-day amulets are kept1 and even charms1 as preventives against disease4 ,men and women buy so-called amulets from the jewellers' shops at the present time1 and wear them on their watch chains or bangles1 and round their necks2 but the faith reposed in such charms by the educated classes in this country may be dismissed as a myth1 for few really understand their true significance1 or place any real reliance upon such fanciful relics of a former age--an age of superstition1 when people blindly clutched at any mysterious protective power or emblem4 ,horse ,trappings4 ,among the commoner emblems of good luck handed down from the far-off past1 are the brass amulets worn on horse trappings even to-day4 ,a set of brasses consists of a face brass1 taking chief place of prominence on the horse's forehead2 two ear brasses1 which are seen behind the ears2 ten martingale brasses1 worn on the breast2 and three brasses suspended from straps on each of the shoulders4 ,these amulets were primarily worn to keep off the evil eye1 and thus protect the horse and its rider or its owner from calamity and harm4 ,the brasses were varied in design1 some of the more important being developments of the crescent moon4 ,some were made to imitate the sun with its pointed rays1 others the ,catherine wheel2 the ,kentish horse1 too1 a relic of ,saxon days1 has been frequently used1 and there is the lotus flower of ,egyptian origin4 ,there are ,moorish and ,buddhist symbols1 and many curious developments which have gone far astray from their original types4 ,the agriculturist is still superstitious1 and does not like to lessen the number of these somewhat weighty brasses suspended from his horse trappings4 ,for purposes of utility they are useless2 they remain1 however1 a connecting link with the superstitions of the past1 and a collection of such curious objects is of extreme interest4 ,in ,fig4 #hd is shown an exceptionally fine collection got together by ,mr4 ,wayte1 of ,edenbridge1 who collects many such things4 ,emblems of ,luck4 ,there seems to be a distinctive difference between the amulets which were protectors against harm and those which are emblems of good fortune4 ,perhaps hovering between the two may be classed such curios as those which tradition has held to be a preservative of luck1 like the ,luck of ,eden ,hall1 that wonderful goblet preserved with such great care in its charming case of cour boulli4 ,in this category are the numerous gifts from friend to friend having no special emblematic value1 but which were frequently handed over with such sayings as3 ,i give you this for luck1 and ,may good luck go with you4 ,the wish and implied virtue in the charm has about as much value in it as the wish playfully and unbelievingly uttered by the twentieth-century maiden at the wishing well to-day4 ,there is still1 however1 an undeniable lingering belief in the mysterious value in the possession of an emblem of luck1 one of the best known and commonly used to-day being the horseshoe1 preferably1 according to old tradition1 a cast shoe found and nailed up over the doorway or in some prominent place4 ,it is generally believed that the horseshoe carries with it good luck on account of its form1 which resembles the crescent moon1 a notorious symbol in the days of the ,crusaders1 already referred to as being an important feature in the amulets or charms on horse trappings--such is the curious mixture of scepticism and superstitious faith met with to-day6 ,lovespoons4 ,the collection of ,welsh lovespoons in the ,national ,museum of ,wales1 several of which are illustrated in ,fig4 #he1 is quite unique4 ,dr4 ,hoyle1 the ,director of the ,museum1 in his admirable description of the case in which these pretty little objects are shown1 explains that they are arranged to show the evolution of the lovespoon from the normal spoon4 ,such lovespoons might1 a few years ago1 have been seen in many ,welsh homes1 where they hung as things of ornament and sentiment1 for it is said they were given in spooning days to the girl of his choice by the lover4 ,the handle is of course the appropriate field of decoration1 the double bowl being symbolic of ,we two are one4 ,the dated spoons were mostly made in the middle of the eighteenth century4 ,glass ,curios4 ,some of the most pleasing love tokens are those made at ,nailsea in ,somerset1 and in ,sunderland4 ,the commoner kinds1 chiefly made at the latter place1 were known as sailors' love tokens4 ,they took the form of rolling-pins1 which were evidently intended for ornament and not for use4 ,a bow of ribbon was tied round the end of the pin by which the roller could be hung up4 ,these glass rolling-pins were covered over with sentimental mottoes1 generally accompanied by a ship1 a typical feature of the decorations commonly used4 ,some of these little mementoes given away by sailors were of white semi-opaque glass1 others were brilliantly coloured4 ,nailsea glass works were noted for the ,italian influence shown in the colour effects produced in them4 ,among other objects made at those famous glass works were flasks and bottles for wines and spirits in greens1 browns1 and blues1 to which were added in smaller quantities red and yellow4 ,other trinkets of an ornamental character were glass tobacco pipes1 bells1 and coach horns4 ,there were also ,nailsea walking sticks made of twisted glass1 and many curious cups4 ,most of these were given for luck1 especially as love tokens when sailors were about to set out on a voyage1 the superstition attached to the gift being that if the glass pin were broken it was a sign that the vessel in which the giver had sailed had been wrecked4 ,hence it was that a ribbon was securely attached1 and the gift hung up out of harm's reach4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #he4--,,old ,,welsh ,,love ,,spoons4 7,in the ,national ,museum of ,wales47 ,in association with glass rolling-pins and other love tokens there are many sundry curios which from the mottoes upon them were evidently given with a similar purpose4 ,even objects of metal and brass were frequently inscribed with loving reminders of the donor4 ,the pleasing little trinket and patch boxes of enamels and glass1 referred to in another chapter1 were given from sentimental motives as evidenced by their inscriptions4 ,covers of pocket books and tobacco pouches were covered over with similar legends1 like a delightful beadwork tobacco pouch in the ,taunton ,castle ,museum1 on which is the motto or sentiment1 ,,love ,,me ,,for ,i ,,am ,,thine1 #afca1 wrought by a seventeenth-century needleworker4 ,similar mottoes are found on the little pincushions formerly carried in the capacious pockets of women of olden time1 sometimes wrought in needlework and at others in beads4 ,,xiv ,,the ,,marking ,,of ,,time ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,the ,,marking ,,of ,,time ,clocks--,watches--,watch keys--,watch stands4 ,the early marking of time was simple enough1 for we are told that the ,arabs1 by driving a spear or a staff into the sand of the desert1 told the time of day4 ,the shadow of the sun roughly gave those who were familiar with astronomy the lay of the land and the time1 approximately4 ,when the dial and the gnomon were understood1 dialling became a popular science1 and ere long the sundial on the church tower1 in a public place1 or in a private garden1 told the time4 ,then came the marking of time by pocket dials--an advance which foreshadowed the watch which was to come4 ,the pocket dial was soon followed by mechanical clocks1 the clock watch1 and the more delicate work of the watchmaker4 ,the watch has become more accurate in its marking of time by the introduction of machinery in its manufacture2 and it is cheapened by competition1 so that now every one for a mere trifle can carry in his pocket a watch by means of which he can tell accurately the hour of day1 as ,shakespeare has it in ,as ,you ,like ,it3-- ,and then he drew a dial from his poke2 ,and looking on it with lack-lustre eye1 ,says1 very wisely1 ',it is ten o'clock2 ,thus we may see1' quoth he1 'how the world wags4' ,some further references to the sundial will be found in ,chapter ,,xvii1 the sundial being one of the accompaniments of the old-world garden4 ,clocks4 ,in ,chats on ,old ,copper and ,brass some mention is made of old clocks1 and of the watch which grew in beauty and fineness of workmanship as it evolved from the watch-clock and the still earlier lantern and other old clocks1 which were gradually introduced to supersede or supplement the earlier sundials4 ,very remarkable indeed are some of these household curios4 ,the very movement of the clock1 with its pendulum swinging to and fro and the loud tick which can be heard all over the room1 gives a sort of venerated respect for the grandfather1 with its massive and often richly carved or inlaid oaken or mahogany case1 making it an important piece of furniture in the room4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #hf4--;,,fine ,,gothic ,,french ,,clock4 7,in the collection of ,w4 ,egan ,sons1 ,ltd41 ,cork47 ,the ,cromwellian lantern clock was beautiful in its way1 and it may be regarded as the earliest type of commonly used domestic clocks1 most of which were made at a later period than is denoted by the name of ,cromwellian4 ,they are1 however1 of a good respectable age1 and are now really valuable household antiquities4 ,the lantern clock may be regarded as the ancestor of the grandfather1 the works of which were protected by a wooden case4 ,the evolution from the earlier type is quite easy to follow1 for the wooden hood to protect the clock on the bracket shelf was added2 then came the framed head1 which was glazed1 and eventually the lower case covering the weights4 ,much has been written about grandfathers and the smaller variety commonly designated grandmothers4 ,the dials of the earlier specimens are of brass and have only the hour hand1 an onward step being marked when the minute finger was added4 ,the mechanical arrangement by which the days of the week and the month were indicated was a happy addition1 although some would1 doubtless1 regard them as somewhat unnecessary4 ,the collector of antiques is likely to be imposed upon unless he is acquainted with the technical construction of both works and frame or case1 for it is not an uncommon thing to fit in a modern antique case a set of old works4 ,the timepiece is an innovation of comparatively recent days4 ,from the first it became the central ornament on the mantelpiece1 and many artists were employed in providing suitable designs and combining various materials to produce clocks in keeping with prevailing styles of furniture and decoration4 ,the ,french clockmakers became experts as designers of the smaller and more varied cases of mantelpiece clocks1 many fine examples of the ,empire period ranking as art treasures as well as curios4 ,fig4 #hf represents an exceptionally fine example of a ,gothic ,french clock1 beautifully modelled1 and in excellent condition4 ,some of the gilt clocks and side vases to match were bought as mantelpiece ornaments1 rather than for their merit as timekeepers1 although the best makers always put in reliable works--there were no such works as those made by machinery and sold so cheaply to-day6 ,the timepieces of early ,victorian days are scarcely antiques1 and few of them are treasured as such1 although undoubtedly curious4 ,watches4 ,the first step towards watches as we understand them was the manufacture of pocket clocks 7many of which show ,dutch influence in design71 some of the cases of which were very beautiful4 ,the watches which followed in due course were at first without glasses1 and for the better protection of the works and of the delicate engravings and ornamentation of the backs and dials loose cases of metal or shagreen were made4 ,some of them were highly ornamental1 little studs of gold or silver being arranged in geometrical and floral patterns on the exteriors4 ,two very pretty examples of such cases are shown in ,fig4 #hh4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #hg--,,specimens ,,of ,,old ,,watch ,,keys4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #hh4--,,two ,,antique ,,watch ,,cases4 ,many of the watch backs were chased and perforated and beautifully enamelled2 the dials were covered with painted miniatures1 and gold watches were enriched with jewels4 ,from ,switzerland and ,nuremberg come many choice examples2 but there were clever watchmakers in ,england too1 among them ,john ,stevens1 of ,colchester1 a sixteenth-century watchmaker noted for his pierced and engraved brass-gilt cases4 ,classical figures and designs showing ,dutch influence became popular late in the seventeenth century2 then fashions changed1 and the ,court of the ,emperors of ,france exercised an influence over art in this and other countries1 and watch cases and other lesser objects were made more or less in harmony4 ,at one time curiously shaped cases were the fashion2 at another octagonal watches1 such as were made in the seventeenth century by ,edmund ,bull1 of ,fleet ,street1 who is said to have made an elliptic silver watch engraved all over with minute scriptural subjects4 ,the collection of watches is a hobby indulged in by but few2 there are1 however1 many single examples included in household curios1 and not infrequently several handsomely engraved old watch cases are seen exhibited in the modern glass-topped curio tables so fashionable in twentieth-century drawing-rooms--now and then the interest in them being increased by the musical bells of the repeaters1 many of which were made a century or more ago4 ,watch ,keys4 ,keyless watches have been invented within the memory of most of us2 it is obvious1 therefore1 that old watches were supplied with old keys1 many of which were curious in form4 ,the collector in search of a small group of collectable curios finds the watch key an excellent variety on which to specialize4 ,when larger clocks were supplemented by the pocket watch1 the loose key with which to wind it up naturally took the form of the larger clock keys4 ,such keys soon became more ornamental1 for they were either carried in the pocket or attached to a chatelaine or bunch of keys2 many of the bows were modelled on the pattern of other keys on the bunch4 ,in the accompanying illustration1 ,fig4 #hg1 some little idea may be formed of the early developments4 ,the three keys in the upper row are of the clock-winder type1 showing the gradual improvement in their formation4 ,then came a development of the metal keys1 mostly of brass1 the engraving and modelling of the key itself being improved1 the ornamentation being supplemented by enamelling4 ,the watch key ultimately became very ornate1 for the more precious metals were gradually introduced1 and rich enamels1 rare gems and stones1 and ,wedgwood cameos were added4 ,pinchbeck metal was very much used for watch keys1 the fob seals remaining in fashion until knee breeches went out4 ,some of the ,french keys are extremely decorative1 and many cut and polished steel keys are worth collecting4 ,it is said that ,switzerland is one of the happy hunting-grounds of the watch-key collector1 but there are many curio shops1 both on the ,continent and in this country1 where fancy keys can be bought still at reasonable prices4 ,in some localities special designs and metal have been made4 ,thus it is said that in ,holland the silver keys of large size were long favoured1 and many of these are still on sale4 ,another special feature about these curios is that makers at one time specialized on trade emblems1 and it is quite possible to get together an interesting collection representing the attributes of musicians1 butchers1 bakers1 and horticulturists1 one signifying the latter industry being shown in ,fig4 #hg1 that on the left-hand corner of the lower row being fashioned in the form of a spade and a rake4 ,watch ,stands4 ,there are some very quaint old wood watch stands used chiefly as the temporary home of the watch at night1 although some seem to have been permanently used by those who possessed a second watch4 ,some of the wood carvings were covered with old gilt2 others were relieved in colours4 ,some were classic in design2 others were like the little ,french clocks of the ,empire period4 ,some were shaped like musical instruments1 and others of more elaborate forms of decoration represent ,mercury and ,hercules supporting the watch stand4 ,some of the most beautiful are made of ,french lacquer and ornamented in the ,vernis ,martin style4 ,to these may be added watch stands of marble1 and curious inlays1 of papier-mache and japanned wares1 and some of brass and bronze4 ,,xv ,,musical ,,instruments ,,chapter ,,xv ,,musical ,,instruments ,early examples--,whistles and pipes--,violins and harps4 ,there are few homes without some old musical instruments1 indicating that at one time or other one or more members of the family have been musical4 ,there is a sadness about the discovery of a long-neglected instrument1 telling of the breaking up of the old home or of an absent one whose instrument has been cherished in memory of happy moments when harmonious sounds and beautiful music were drawn from the now long-neglected piano1 harp1 or violin4 ,to its owner a simple flute or bugle is probably of as much value as an old piano1 although the more important instrument may be more valuable as a curio and antique4 ,there are some old instruments which increase in value1 such1 for instance1 as violins made years ago by masters of constructional art1 for they have become mellow with age1 and1 like the bells of some old parish church1 now give out rich and yet soft notes when handled by a master hand4 ,the story of the development of the piano from the very early prototypes is an enchanting theme to the lover of music1 for there is a far remove from the modern pianoforte1 and still newer player piano to the virginal1 harpsichord1 and spinet which may occasionally be found among the curios of the household4 ,early ,examples4 ,in the eleventh century1 when musical notation came into being1 a monochord was used to teach singing4 ,the clavichord followed in due course1 and by a rapid process of development regals1 organs1 and virginals evolved4 ,the virginal1 although distinct1 was associated with the spinet1 which with the later harpsichord may be found in houses which have been but little disturbed since the middle of the eighteenth century4 ,it was in that century that the piano came1 but not until it was well advanced1 for in an old playbill of ,covent ,garden ,theatre1 published in #agfg1 it was announced that ,miss ,brickler will sing a favourite song from ,judith1 accompanied by ,mr4 ,dibdin on a new instrument called the piano forte4 ,of such instruments and of earlier types there are many fine examples in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum at ,south ,kensington1 in the ,royal ,scottish ,museum1 and in the ,crosby-,brown ,collection in the ,metropolitan ,museum of ,art in ,new ,york ,city4 ,in ,fig4 #hi is seen a beautiful spinet in excellent condition4 ,whistles and ,pipes4 ,it is said by the exponents of artistic furnishing and decoration that no home can be complete without music1 for it gives an atmosphere of art which nothing else can impart2 and certainly a collection of household curios cannot be complete without some musical instrument1 although but a humble example4 ,it may be a moot point among collectors whether the insignificant whistle or primitive call can be regarded as sufficiently musical to rank in this category4 ,it is certain1 however1 that it is one of the commonest of sound producers2 if there is a boy in the home there is almost sure to be a whistle in the house4 ,few trouble about the scientific explanation of the sound produced by this common instrument1 but experts tell us that the sound comes because condensations occur by the collision of air against the cutting edge placed in its path4 ,of antique whistles there are many types1 those shown in ,fig4 #ij being the most frequently met with4 ,the one marked ,d is said to be an attempt to increase the volume of sound by the extension of a cutting edge4 ,a double sound is produced by that marked ,f1 whereas ,a is of the more familiar type1 the example illustrated being an ivory whistle used upwards of a hundred years ago4 ,from the whistle came the tin pipe capable of producing tunes in the hands of a skilful player4 ,the whistle and pipe were in olden times associated with coaching days and inns4 ,at one time it was customary for a whistle to be attached to the handles of spoons used on inn tables4 ,thirsty travellers blew the whistle when refreshment was required1 and from that custom we get the common expression1 ,you may whistle for it4 ,the horn1 too1 was a favourite instrument1 and very necessary in days gone by1 when it served many useful purposes4 ,the horn is probably the most ancient of all wind instruments4 ,it was used at the ,jewish feast of the ,atonement1 and the ,romans used it for signalling purposes1 their infantry carrying circular bronze horns4 ,there is an interesting popular fable that horns were first introduced into ,western ,europe by the ,crusaders2 but that is incorrect1 in that bronze horns have been found in prehistoric barrows4 ,the horn was commonly used for summoning the folk mote in ,saxon times1 and in quite early days horns sounded in ,english homes on the arrival of guests4 ,the hunting horn was found in every house of importance in mediaeval times1 and in the sixteenth century it had become semicircular4 ,great composers testify to the value of the horn in instrumental music1 ,handel and ,mozart writing pieces specially adapted for its use4 ,some very quaint old flutes are found among household instruments1 the origin of the primitive pipe or flute being lost in the mists of antiquity4 ,among household curios old flutes beautifully inlaid stowed away in antique leather cases are interesting relics of former days4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #hi4 ,,old ,,spinet4 7,in the collection of ,mr4 ,phillips1 of ,hitchin47 ,violins and ,harps4 ,to many the chief charm of old instruments is found in the delicious tones and notes produced by an old violin1 which1 if the work of a well-known maker1 commands a fancy price2 among the most valuable being an authentic ,stradivarius4 ,many old ,english violins were made in ,soho in the eighteenth century1 for that was the centre of the trade1 although in still earlier days violin makers worked in ,piccadilly4 ,in ,soho1 too1 horns1 trumpets1 drums1 and guitars were made4 ,the guitar1 but in slightly altered form1 was the popular home instrument played upon by ,greek and ,roman maidens4 ,many of the earlier ,european lutes were in reality guitars4 ,some beautifully inlaid specimens are occasionally met with4 ,of these there are many varieties in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum2 among them there is a guitar lyre1 on which is a mask of ,apollo1 an exact imitation of the lyre of the ,ancients1 which was formerly used by a member of the ,prince ,regent's ,band at the ,royal ,aquarium1 ,brighton4 ,there is one other instrument which ranks high among the musical instruments of olden time found in ,british homes4 ,it is the harp1 heard to perfection in the drawing-room and the concert hall--an instrument upon which such beautiful melodies can be produced4 ,there are many pretty legends about the harp heard with such delight and yet superstitious awe by the ,vikings1 who1 on their return from ,britain1 told of the mysterious shores where mermaids of great beauty were said to rise from the seas1 and1 sitting upon the foam-lashed rocks1 played upon their harps music of sweetest sound4 ,american collectors to-day pay large sums for genuine ,irish harps1 which differ somewhat in size and form from those upon which ,welsh maidens played4 ,there are still a few such ancient instruments to be met with in ,ireland and ,wales4 ,of minor instruments there is not much to say--all are intensely interesting when they carry with them memories of former owners1 for they are veritable mementoes of home amusements1 pleasures1 and delights4 ,,xvi ,,play ,,and ,,sport ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,play ,,and ,,sport ,dolls--,toys--,old games--,outdoor amusements--,relics of sport4 ,it would appear that there have been amusements at all periods of the world's history1 and that everywhere work and play have gone hand in hand together4 ,the occupations of the nursery have been an intermixture of lessons and play2 amusements1 although not always of an elevating or educative character1 have for the most part tended to develop and form the mind1 as well as strengthen the body4 ,recreation has played an important part in the upbringing of child and man1 and when absent the advance has been retarded4 ,the youth of all ages has found time for games and sports1 which have enlivened the duties of manhood and womanhood by physical and mental pleasures4 ,even as age creeps on1 men and women lessen the monotony of daily toil by indulging in indoor games and outside sports1 suitable to their age and inclinations4 ,as few games can be played or sport engaged in without accessories1 it is not surprising that many relics of the play and sport of past generations are to be met with4 ,some of the appliances and apparatus which were acquired in the pursuit of these pleasures have become of antiquarian value1 for many of them are curious and represent amusements almost forgotten4 ,others tell of the steady survival of the oldest games and amusements1 but show the developments and alterations which have gone on in the methods of playing or in the appliances which have been invented to enhance the interest in those delights4 ,these changes are seen more especially in sports and games of skill4 ,as an instance1 we may take one of the great manly sports1 that of hunting game1 a custom surviving from days when this ,england of ours was a wild and uncultivated forest and swamp1 full of strange birds and many wild animals roamed therein4 ,the flint-pointed arrow of primitive man was but the beginning in the evolution of arms4 ,in the relics of these former plays and sports there is much to admire1 and many objects to collect4 ,there is something very pathetic about the household relics of the playroom and the nursery4 ,many little articles of clothing and valueless toys and trinkets are retained by a fond mother years after her offspring has grown up4 ,they remind her of her early married life1 and very often of children who have played in the nursery but who never lived to grow up4 ,these pathetic relics have been carefully preserved for at least one generation4 ,then their associations have been forgotten1 and those into whose hands they fall probably know nothing of their origin2 to them they are merely curios4 ,a sympathetic feeling may have induced a new owner to retain them for a little while longer1 although of no great intrinsic value2 but oftener than not they have been kept as connecting links between the old and the new1 and thus they have been handed on until their age alone would make them collectable curios in this day of reverence for all things old6 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ij4--;,,curious ,,types ,,of ,,whistles4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ia4--,,quaint ,,old ,,toy4 7,in the possession of ,mr4 ,phillips1 of ,hitchin47 ,there has been a remarkable sequence in the toys of children of all generations1 and of races far apart4 ,the same games have been played1 and the same toys used4 ,now and then a child more careful than usual preserves his or her toys when grown to man's or woman's estate2 but such collections are rare4 ,there are some noted collections1 however1 which have passed into the range of museum curios1 grouped together as representative of the period when they were played with--authentic records of the playthings of that day4 ,in ,fig4 #ia there is a remarkable old toy now in the diversified collection of household curios and antique furniture of ,mr4 ,phillips1 of the ,manor ,house1 ,hitchin4 ,dolls4 ,probably the commonest toy is the doll1 which children have ever regarded as the ideal plaything4 ,the maternal instinct is strong in the youngest girl1 and dolls are often looked upon as something more than mere toys4 ,they are talked to1 played with1 and treated as if they were human beings4 ,their realism1 at first imagined1 seems to have grown up with their long use until a personality surrounds each one of the dolls in the nursery4 ,now and then a quaint doll is treasured as having been the plaything of more than one generation1 especially so the old wooden ,dutch dolls1 strong and lasting1 which have in some instances been handed on as playthings1 almost as family heirlooms4 ,the most famous collection of dolls played with by one child1 and yet dressed to cover almost every period of ,english history--a veritable history of costume--is that famous collection in the ,london ,museum1 consisting of dolls dressed by and for the late ,queen ,victoria1 who1 doubtless1 had unique opportunities of copying correctly the costumes of the ,court1 and of others less high in social status1 during the reigns of the ,english sovereigns who had preceded her4 ,few1 if any1 can hope to possess such a representative collection2 there are many who can find1 however1 curiously dressed dolls which are very helpful in learning something of local costumes and useful instructors in research after the habits and occupations of people who may have lived in places and districts little known to the present generation4 ,some children's toys are much older than they appear at first sight to be1 for many very similar playthings were found in the playrooms of boys and girls who lived two thousand years ago4 ,there are the dolls and quaint little figures played with by ,greek and ,roman children4 ,among the more familiar objects were little wooden tortoises1 ducks1 and pigs4 ,some were cleverly carved out of wood1 and the arms and legs of dolls moved1 much the same as the ,dutch dolls of later days4 ,those children had chariots and horses of metal much the same as children have leaden soldiers now4 ,they trundled hoops of bronze1 in some of them bells being placed in the centre1 ringing as they ran along4 ,some of the toys of these little ,roman and ,greek maidens and youths were very elaborate1 and must have belonged to the children of the wealthy1 who1 like modern parents1 gave presents to them on name days4 ,toys have always served the double purpose of amusement and education4 ,years before kindergarten methods were adopted--although unknown1 probably1 to parents--scientific and philosophic toys were doing good work1 and driving home elementary truths4 ,there were curious cylindrical mirrors1 the inevitable kaleidoscope1 and the water imps1 an amusing toy1 for the imps1 inserted in a bowl or bottle of water1 bobbed about in a curious way when the india-rubber cap which covered the neck was pressed and manipulated by the fingers4 ,the modern picture theatre1 with all its attractions to grown-up folks1 was foreshadowed in the very primitive magic lantern1 which threw a cloudy disc and an almost undiscernible picture1 by the aid of an evil-smelling oil lamp1 on an old sheet hung up in the nursery4 ,old ,games4 ,there are many curios reminding us of indoor games and winter amusements now obsolete1 and of the change which has gone on in games still played4 ,when we recall the number of new games which have been introduced during the last quarter of a century1 it is surprising how few have survived4 ,new games come and go1 and their accessories are discarded as but toys of the moment4 ,most of the popular games are those which have been handed down throughout the ages1 many of them of great antiquity1 especially scientific games and games of skill4 ,among these games1 or rather the apparatus for playing them1 are often curios1 for they are quite different to and often more decorative than those used in playing similar games to-day4 ,we are accustomed to plain leather or wood chess and draught boards and the regulation patterns of the men nowadays1 but formerly much time was expended in decorating and enriching chess boards and men4 ,the boards often served other purposes too1 many being beautifully inlaid and reversible2 thus the older game boards were fitted with slides for backgammon1 provision being made for chess1 merelles1 and fox and geese1 the oak of which they were often made being relieved with rich marqueterie 7tarsia7 of ebony1 ivory1 and silver4 ,it is not often that a collection of old chessmen is found among household curios1 although it was not uncommon to discover among sundry ivory carvings a few odd pieces which had been secured on account of their beautiful carving4 ,in ,india and ,china some very remarkable chessmen have been produced4 ,the origin of the game is lost in antiquity1 although it was played in the ,east at a very early period4 ,it is said to have been introduced into ,spain from ,arabia1 and to have been played by the ,hindus more than a thousand years ago4 ,it was certainly known in this country before the ,norman ,conquest4 ,some few years ago a very remarkable collection of chessmen1 such as may be seen in isolated sets or still more frequently represented by single pieces in cabinets of old ivories1 was dispersed under the hammer in a ,london saleroom4 ,there were ,chinese sets in red and white1 wonderful figures standing upon concentric balls2 antique ,persian sets in cream-coloured ivory decorated in colours and gold1 kings and queens on elephants1 knights on horses1 and bishops on camels2 ,burmese sets with royal personages seated on chairs of state2 and some very remarkable ,english porcelain1 ,wedgwood ware1 and ,minton pottery sets4 ,several finds of ,scandinavian chessmen1 made1 probably1 in the twelfth century1 have been made in the island of ,lewis4 ,from these and other sets met with in other places much has been learned about the evolution in the game4 ,the queen does not appear to have been introduced into the game until the eleventh century4 ,the castle has undergone many changes2 its older name of rook was derived from the ,persian word rokh1 a hero4 ,no doubt all the pieces were then carved personalities1 well understood from king to pawn4 ,in the modern forms of ,staunton and ,london ,club patterns the knight alone retains its semblance in the horse's head--a poor substitute for the beautifully carved warrior on horseback seen in some of the older sets4 ,draughts1 or dames1 is also a game of antiquity2 and in the ,british ,museum there is a set said to date back to the ,saxon period4 ,some of the old boards are interesting relics1 and the sets of carved draughtsmen1 now scarce1 are beautiful works of art4 ,backgammon is one of the older kindred games1 frequently played on the interior of the chess board which was for that purpose marked with twelve points or fleches in alternate colours4 ,in this game dice were used1 and some of the old dice cups are very prettily decorated4 ,cribbage played with cards and a board is said to be essentially an ,english game4 ,some very remarkable cribbage boards were made many years ago1 many of metal1 others of wood and ivory2 one exceptionally interesting piece1 a brass cribbage board1 in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 is engraved3 ,,mr4 ,,christr ,,elliott ,,at ,,winborrow ,,green1 ,,sussex #agfh4 ,cards1 of which there are so many curious types among the old examples found in many homes1 were introduced into the ,west of ,europe from the ,east about the fourteenth century4 ,at first they were hand drawn and coloured1 then printed from wood blocks1 being subsequently printed from blocks and plates engraved on the types which were gradually standardized4 ,some very interesting collections of old cards have been made1 one of the most complete being that of ,lady ,charlotte ,schreiber1 now in the ,department of ,prints and ,drawings in the ,british ,museum4 ,in the days when card playing was at its height many fine brass counter trays and curious card trays were fashioned in brass and copper4 ,some of these may very well be collected1 and are suitable receptacles for old metal counters1 of which there are many varieties4 ,some of these counters were made by the diesinkers who helped tradesmen to provide themselves with token change1 and they bear a striking resemblance to the contemporary metallic currency4 ,others were chiefly hand engraved1 and often sold in small metal and silver boxes1 those dating from the time of ,queen ,anne being the most interesting4 ,the most popular card counters in the early days of the nineteenth century were brass copies of the spade-ace gold guinea1 which they closely resembled1 and it is feared1 when gilt1 were not infrequently palmed off as genuine gold4 ,outdoor ,amusements4 ,the outdoor games practised when household curios were being fashioned necessitated fewer accessories than such games do to-day1 and many of them were crude and obviously the work of amateurs4 ,yet the same games were being played and possibly enjoyed as much1 although the sport was rougher6 ,when we think of winter amusements in the past somehow we conjure up pictures of hard frosts and crisp snow1 although rain1 damp1 and fog were probably frequent visitors in ,old ,england4 ,some of the games can be traced back to very early days--such1 for instance1 as skating1 many ancient skates having been found4 ,there is a remarkable contrast between the beautifully made skates now used on the comparatively rare occasions when the ice bears and the roller skates used all the year round1 to those curious bone skates1 so very primitive in their construction1 examples of which are to be found in several local museums4 ,in the ,hull ,museum1 among the ,market ,weighton antiquities1 there is a choice collection from ,east ,yorkshire2 one1 made from the cannon bone of a horse1 is smooth and well polished1 having seen some active use1 evidently belonging to some skater in the fifteenth or sixteenth century4 ,the bone skates were fastened on to the feet much the same as metal skates1 but they had no cutting edges1 and consequently the skater carried a stick shod with an iron point1 and by its aid propelled himself forward4 ,fitzstephen1 writing in the time of ,edward ,,ii1 describes the ponds at ,moorfields where the citizens of ,london skated4 ,the ponds have long been dried up and built over2 it is there1 however1 where1 during excavations1 some very fine examples of the old bone skates have been found4 ,relics of ,old ,sport4 ,among the relics of old sport met with are the curious and often beautifully embroidered hoods of white leather used in the days of hawking4 ,these pretty little hoods1 which were placed over the head of the hawk when carried on the wrist to the hunting field1 were often embroidered in panels and furnished with braces for tying round the hawk's head4 ,in the ,british ,museum there is a curious silver lock-ring for a hawk engraved with arms and owner's name1 apparently of seventeenth-century workmanship4 ,no doubt the real purport of such curios is often overlooked1 for not infrequently hawks' hoods have been found amongst old dolls' clothing1 having been given to children in later years as playthings4 ,guns1 ,pistols1 and ,flasks4 ,eastern weapons have been brought over to this country in large numbers1 some of them very ancient4 ,it is said that among some of the ,arab tribes it is no uncommon thing to meet with swords and daggers of antique form1 richly damascened1 and sometimes with jewelled hilts1 made a thousand years or more ago1 and a few years ago ,crusaders' relics could be met with in the ,east4 ,many of these knives have silica blades1 some of the handles being of jade4 ,those of grey jade are often pique with gold1 others1 of ivory1 being inlaid with jewels4 ,there is not very much to interest in old guns of ,english make1 for few found in houses date back beyond the commencement of the nineteenth century4 ,among them1 however1 are flint-locks and here and there an old wheel-lock4 ,the pistols met with among household curios are often handsome and have been preserved in leather cases1 carefully stowed away4 ,some of them record the days of duelling1 others the dangers of the road1 when highway robbers lurked in every wood1 and many a family coach was waylaid and its occupants robbed of their jewels and their purses of gold4 ,to those interested in sporting1 and familiar with the breech-loading guns of the present day1 much interest attaches to the old powder flasks which were once necessary accompaniments of sportsmen4 ,there are many beautifully engraved1 embossed1 and decorated flasks in museums1 some of the early seventeenth-century specimens being made of boxwood1 others of ivory1 frequently ornamented with hunting scenes4 ,in ,fig4 #ib is shown a curious flint-lock powder tester1 then also regarded as one of the essential accessories of the sportsman's outfit4 ,the copper powder flask illustrated in ,fig4 #ic is now in the ,hull ,museum4 ,it is specially interesting in that the plain copper work is engraved in the centre with its original owner's monogram--,w ,r in script4 ,this flask1 made about the year #agej1 was evidently a keepsake1 for engraved round the circular disc is the legend ,keep this for ,joseph's sake4 ,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum at ,south ,kensington there are some more elaborate specimens1 two of which are illustrated in ,fig4 #id4 ,they are magnificent examples of metal repousse work--a favourite decoration in the eighteenth century1 copied in more inexpensive forms in the nineteenth century by makers of sporting accessories1 who stamped them from dies and reproduced some of the old hunting scenes4 ,a review of the outdoor sports and relics of former days would scarcely be complete without some mention of swords and rapiers1 which were once commonly worn1 along with pistols1 alas6 too frequently in use when a hasty word called forth a challenge to a duel4 ,many of these old swords are rusty1 but they frequently show marks of former use4 ,they are needed no longer by civilians in this country1 and take their places in trophies of arms1 forming important features in the decorative curios of the household4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ib4--;,a ,,powder ,,tester4 ,,fig4 #ic4--;,a ,,priming ,,flask4 7,in the ,municipal ,museum1 ,hull47 ,,xvii ,,miscellaneous ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,miscellaneous ,dower chests--,medicine chests--,old lacquer--,the tool chest--,egyptian curios--,ancient spectacles--,curious chinaware--,garden curios--,the mounting of curios--,obsolete household names4 ,there are many household curios which cannot be classified under the headings of the foregoing chapters4 ,they represent well-known features in every home1 and yet each little group has an individuality of its own4 ,some may say that the main features of house-furnishing have been left out of consideration1 and that they are the most interesting household curios when age and disuse have come upon them4 ,household furniture1 however1 has been fully dealt with in the ,chats series in the two volumes entitled ,chats on ,old ,english ,furniture1 and ,chats on ,cottage and ,farmhouse ,furniture1 to which books those interested in the curiosities of cabinet-making and village carpentry are referred4 ,yet notwithstanding the completeness of those works there are a few objects which have so entirely passed into the range of household curios1 and their uses were so entirely apart from present-day furniture1 that some of them are specially noted in the following paragraphs1 together with a few other isolated antiques4 ,dower ,chests4 ,if there is one piece of furniture above another that is surrounded with a halo of romance1 surely it is the dower chest6 ,we can picture the incoming of the coffer in all the newness of hand polish1 fresh from the hands of the village carpenter or the retainer who had wrought the gnarled old oak grown on the estate for a favourite daughter of his lord--that chest which was to be packed full of fragrant linen1 between which was laid sweet lavender1 and richly embroidered garments for the bride1 who1 with her personal belongings stowed away therein1 was to pass from the parental home to her newly wedded and unknown life4 ,there are ancient chests full of historic memories1 such as those in which the wealth of monarchs has been stored1 like that in ,knaresborough ,castle1 which1 according to legend and some reference in old deeds1 came over with ,william the ,conqueror4 ,in the ,castle ,museum there is another chest made for ,queen ,philippa in #accc--;a veritable dower chest4 ,some of the older chests have had loops for poles by which they could be carried about2 but such were more correctly treasure chests4 ,the dower chests usually remained in the home of the bride1 and in time became her receptacle for bedding and other household stores1 the little tray or corner box for jewels and trinkets being disused and eventually done away with altogether4 ,the evolution of the chest until it became a cabinet or a chest of drawers is a story for the lover of old furniture to tell1 but the dower chest in its earlier forms is a curio rich in legend and folklore4 ,it may interest ,american readers to record that many of the oldest specimens in the ,states were first used as packing cases of unusual strength1 gifts from the old folks at home1 when colonists in ,jacobean days crossed the ,atlantic4 ,curiously enough1 ,american craftsmen copied them and maintained the purity of the old ,english style long after the makers of ,english dower chests had been influenced by ,dutch and ,french design and inlay4 ,medicine ,chests4 ,some of the early ,english medicine chests1 the foundation of which is of wood1 are covered with tapestry1 others with green satin1 sometimes ornamented with floral devices made of puffed satin1 overlaid and outlined with gold thread4 ,medicine chests varied in size1 but few households were furnished without a fitting receptacle for home-made recipes for simple ailments1 such as were much resorted to in the past4 ,the chests were usually well fitted with bottles and phials1 and with glass stoppers or silver or pewter tops4 ,many of the medicines had been prescribed by local practitioners1 and were regarded as sovereign remedies to be used on all occasions2 others were family recipes held in high repute4 ,in such chests there was often a drawer or compartment containing bleeding cups and lancet--a remedy often resorted to when an illness could not be diagnosed4 ,old ,lacquer4 ,the beautiful red lacquer work is getting scarce1 although it has had a long run1 for it is more than twelve hundred years since the ,japanese learned the secret of making it from the ,coreans1 who in their turn had it from the ,chinese4 ,the secret of producing in ,china and ,japan lacquer which cannot be imitated in other countries lies in the rhus vernificifera which flourishes in those localities4 ,it is the gum of that tree commonly called the lacquer-tree1 which when taken fresh and applied to the object it is intended to lacquer turns jet-black on exposure to the sun1 drying with great hardness4 ,it will thus be seen that although ,french and ,english lacquers have been very popular1 the imitation lacquer applied can have neither the effect nor the durability of the natural gum which sets so hard1 and in the larger and more important objects can be applied again and again until quite a depth of lacquer is obtained1 sometimes encrusted over with jewels and other materials embedded in it4 ,the best ,english lacquer was made in this country between the years #afgj and #agaj1 and was a very successful imitation of the ,oriental4 ,at that time and during the following century very many tea caddies1 trays1 screens1 trinket boxes1 and even furniture1 were imported2 and it was those which ,english workmen copied1 gradually increasing the variety of household goods for which that material was so suitable4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #id4--,,old ,,powder ,,flasks4 7,in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum47 ,old ,english lacquer differed from the more modern papier-mache in that instead of the pulp being composed entirely of paper1 glued together and pressed1 it was composed of a basis of wood1 covered over with a black lacquer1 on which the design was painted in colours4 ,it was made under considerable difficulties1 in that it had to compete with the imported ,oriental wares which were made in ,china and ,japan under more favourable natural conditions4 ,the art of japanning was revived in ,england late in the eighteenth century1 and some remarkable pieces appear to have been the work of amateurs who painted and gilded so-called lacquer work1 tea caddies1 and jewelled caskets4 ,it must be remembered that the art of japanning was looked upon at one time as an accomplishment1 for about the year #agjj many gentlewomen were taught the art4 ,french artists took up the ,oriental style1 and produced some very successful lacquer work1 striking out in an entirely distinct style1 which1 as ,vernis ,martin decoration1 became famous4 ,the varnish or lacquer forming the foundation for those delightful little pictures was not unlike in effect the ,oriental lacquer which to some extent it was intended to imitate4 ,in the early nineteenth century lacquering as an art fell into disrepute1 and such decorations were largely associated with the commoner metal wares1 stoved and lacquered by the so-called japanning process carried out in ,birmingham and other places1 although there is now some admiration shown by collectors for small trays1 bread baskets1 candle boxes1 and snuffer trays of metal1 japanned and decorated by hand in colours and much fine gold pencilling4 ,the ,tool ,chest4 ,there have been amateur mechanics in all ages1 and among the household curios are many old tools suggestive of having been made when the carpenter had plenty of time on his hands to decorate his tools with carvings1 and frequently to make up his own kit4 ,thus old planes and braces were evidently the work of men who possessed some humour and skill1 too1 for some of the carved decoration is quite grotesque4 ,there is a fine collection of old tools made and used in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries on view in one of our museums4 ,there is a carpenter's plough1 dated #agej1 moulding planes and skew-mouthed fillisters of beechwood1 and a router plane of carved hornbeam4 ,the modern hand brace becomes more realistic1 and its origin understood at a glance when we examine the old hand brace of turned and carved boxwood1 dated #afdb1 in that collection4 ,the part where the bit is fitted is literally a hand1 carved out of solid wood1 and the curious crank indicates an imaginary twist in the arm1 perhaps suggested by some carpenter who was able to manipulate his tools in a way not commonly understood1 thus giving to future carpenters a most useful tool4 ,egyptian ,curios4 ,among the collectable curios of old households are many antiquities from foreign lands4 ,perhaps the most interesting1 in that they afford us examples of the prototypes of household antiques as they were known to a nation possessing an early civilization1 polish1 and refinement1 are those which have been discovered recently in ,egyptian tombs4 ,some representative examples may be seen in the ,british ,museum4 ,there are toilet requisites including mirrors1 combs1 and even wigs and wig boxes1 as well as a glass tube for stibium or eye paint4 ,there are ivory pillows or head rests1 models of the ghostly boats of the underworld1 and a vast variety of children's toys1 including wooden dolls with strings of mud beads to represent hair1 porcelain elephants1 and wooden cats2 and there are children's balls made of blue glazed porcelain1 and of leather stuffed with chopped straw4 ,there are many games and amusements1 such as stone draught boards1 and draughtsmen in porcelain and wood4 ,there are bells of bronze and some remarkable musical instruments like a harp1 the body of which is in the form of a woman2 and there are reed flutes and whistles and cymbals such as were carried by priestesses4 ,there are curious ivory amulets1 quaintly carved spoons1 ivory boxes1 and even theatre tickets4 ,necklaces and pendants and other articles of adornment are plentiful1 for the ,egyptian maidens possessed much jewellery--bracelets1 rings1 and necklaces4 ,one very exceptionally fine relic of this far-off age is a toilet box complete with vases of unguents1 eye paint1 comb1 and bronze shell on which to mix unguents1 and other trinkets4 ,many such antiquities find their way into museums and private collections of household curios1 and are useful and interesting for purposes of comparison1 telling of customs which change not1 and of the many connecting links which exist between the past and the present4 ,ancient ,spectacles4 ,it is truly astonishing how many ancient spectacles1 which to collectors of such things would be veritable treasures1 lie neglected and allowed to knock about until broken or otherwise damaged4 ,those mostly discovered are the heavy brass and silver-rimmed spectacles of about one hundred years ago1 some very interesting specimens of which are to be seen in several of the larger local museums4 ,spectacles are of very respectable age1 although they cannot be traced back to the ancient peoples1 for the ,egyptians1 ,greeks1 and ,romans1 notwithstanding that they polished glass and rock crystal and possessed much scientific lore1 were ignorant of their use as aids to sight4 ,it is said that the credit of the discovery of how to make use of artificial aids to defective sight must be accorded to ,roger ,bacon1 who in his book ,opus ,majus1 published in the thirteenth century1 mentioned magnifying glasses as being useful to old people to make them see better4 ,true spectacles are said to have been fashioned in #acag by ,salvino degli ,armati1 a ,florentine nobleman4 ,at first they were convex2 indeed1 no mention of concave glasses for shortsighted persons was made until towards the middle of the sixteenth century4 ,from that time onward there were developments1 and among the household curios are to be found silver1 brass1 and tortoiseshell rims1 and glasses of more or less utility4 ,curious ,china ,ware4 ,old china and pottery have been fully dealt with by many specialist writers1 but there are some household curios made of porcelain1 china1 and earthenware which cannot be omitted from this survey of household curios4 ,foremost among these are the now scarce ,toby jugs1 made at so many of the famous potteries4 ,in a large collection the variations are at once recognized2 yet the same idea seems to have run through the minds of the artists in fashioning these jugs1 so essentially typical of the age in which they were made and used4 ,among the ,sunderland jugs are many variations both in size and colouring2 they were rich in colours1 too1 and look exceedingly well on an old cabinet4 ,the posset cups of silver were supplemented by tygs and posset cups and many-handled drinking cups of early ,staffordshire make4 ,the brown and yellow slip decoration of this ware is a striking characteristic4 ,all the early seventeenth-century ale drinking cups like the tygs had handles1 and in those days of conviviality the double or multiplied handle served a useful purpose1 for the vessels were in use when it was the custom of the ale-house for several friends to drink out of one vessel1 just as in more polite society and on public occasions the loving cup was passed round4 ,some of the so-called portrait busts and statuettes of the eighteenth century are especially interesting to collectors4 ,there are figures to suit all2 musicians may delight in that of ,handel2 others in the busts of ,wesley and ,whitfield2 explorers in the statue of ,benjamin ,franklin made about #aggj1 and some in that of ,john ,wilks seated near an old column of a still earlier date4 ,there is also a cleverly modelled figure of ,geoffrey ,chaucer4 ,one of the best known groups is that of the ,vicar and ,moses1 made by ,wood1 of ,burslem4 ,garden ,curios4 ,it is said that garden craft1 like most other forms of art1 came from the ,east2 that the cultivation of gardens commenced in ,egypt1 ,persia1 and ,assyria1 travelling westward through ,greece and ,rome2 and in some of the early ,english gardens which horticulturists are so fond of copying to-day there are traces of ,eastern influence still remaining4 ,although the garden is the place where we expect to find flowers1 foliage1 and perhaps fruit and vegetables1 it has always been associated with home life1 and some of the charms of domestic comradeship owe their greatness to the garden and pleasance4 ,it has always been the aim of the professional and the amateur gardener to furnish the lawn and flower-beds with appropriate settings1 some of which have become very quaint in the eyes of twentieth-century horticulturists4 ,the ,egyptians had their trellised bowers1 and their tiny pools of clear water4 ,the ,greeks1 however1 were fortunate in having undulated and even hilly ground to cultivate1 and their gardens were much more picturesque than the level ground of ,egypt1 although the ,orientals built terraces1 and by artificial means enhanced the beauty of their gardens4 ,the adornment of gardens with statuary comes to us from ,greece1 and many modern reproductions of ancient ,greek statues are regarded as the curios of the modern garden4 ,delightful1 indeed1 are some of the statuettes in stone and lead representing ,aphrodite and the ,graces4 ,the ,roman gardens were magnificent in their miniature temples1 replicas of which are found in the old ,georgian summer-houses1 such as may be seen at ,kew1 and in many private grounds1 dating from that period4 ,the ,romans were lovers of roses1 and had many charming rose bowers1 curiously and cunningly formed4 ,the dawn of gardening on some approved plan1 and then ornamenting the portions not covered with greenery1 began in monastic days4 ,the oldest of the occupations of civilized man1 it was long held in high repute1 and many worthy men have posed as amateurs4 ,indeed1 there have been ,royal gardeners1 among the most familiar being ,edward ,i and ,queen ,elizabeth4 ,from ,tudor times onward the once waste land in the immediate vicinity of castles and palaces was cultivated1 and the gardens of the nobility along the ,strand in ,london were full of beautiful stonework and statuettes4 ,a writer in the sixteenth century1 describing an ,english garden of his day1 wrote3 ,every garden of account hath its fish pond1 its maze1 and its sundials4 ,many fine old fountains or miniature fishponds remain1 and sundials are among the curios associated with the outdoor life of the home4 ,the garden houses of the eighteenth century included a bowling green or court1 viewed from the terrace2 and towards the end of that period many leaden figures were cast1 the favourite being replicas of ,roman statuary dedicated to such deities as ,bacchus1 ,venus1 ,neptune1 and ,minerva4 ,these lead statues have been collected by dealers during the last few years4 ,some of them are really very beautifully formed1 although in many instances the wear and tear of a couple of centuries has covered them over with scratches and indentations4 ,a few years ago lead statues received little consideration from their owners1 and the children made them targets for stone-throwing4 ,they are thought more of now1 and at several recent sales lead statuettes and vases have sold for considerable sums4 ,sometimes ancient lead cisterns are seen outside old houses2 many of these and even rain-water spout heads1 beautifully moulded and cast1 are among the household curios for which there is some call among collectors4 ,the ,mounting of ,curios4 ,a miscellaneous assortment of curios displayed without any regard to their proper setting has just the same effect as a badly framed picture1 or a painting with an inappropriate frame4 ,sundry curios may be made to look charming when properly shown in a glass-topped table or a suitable case1 their value as home ornaments being materially increased4 ,indeed1 there are many beautiful objects which look nothing unless properly framed4 ,the ,wedgwood cameo gems so varied and so very minutely tooled require proper display2 according to their colours so should they be arranged on a velvet or cloth background with an ample margin to separate them4 ,a group of miniatures looks nothing unless in suitable setting or mount4 ,much of the beauty of old china is lost because it is simply laid out without a colour scheme4 ,a cup and saucer look very much better when shown on a stand1 so that the saucer can be seen and every detail of the cup examined1 the richness of the colouring inside or out1 as the case may be1 being thrown up by the ebonized stand on which it is placed4 ,carved ivories should certainly be shown with a dark setting4 ,in a similar way ,oriental plaques and even smaller plates with light backgrounds are set off to the best advantage when shown in dark ebony frames4 ,the ,orientals know the value of framework perhaps more than any other people1 and among the curios they have sent over to this country are appropriately carved frames and stands4 ,the almost priceless ginger jars when placed upon carved-wood stands1 for which the ,chinese are so famous1 are beautiful indeed1 the contrast of the black and blue against the black base being very striking4 ,indeed1 much of the carved furniture of the ,orientals has been specially designed as a framework for mother-o'-pearl and gem ornaments4 ,the rare jade carvings in black ebony screens1 and the marvellous carving of the larger screens are but appropriate settings to the painted and needlework pictures so rich in colours and gold4 ,in ,fig4 #eg we illustrate a very remarkable piece in which the artist has expended his wonderful skill in providing a suitable stand or frame for a very beautiful early porcelain plate4 ,every detail of the carving is worthy of close inspection4 ,this beautiful piece was included in a collection of jade1 cloisonne enamels1 and carved furniture gathered together in ,java some years ago by a well-known collector of ,chinese and ,oriental curios4 ,now and then such pieces are to be seen in the shops of ,west ,end dealers4 ,but it would be difficult indeed to find one so characteristic of the ,chinese carver's art as the one shown4 ,obsolete ,household ,names4 ,most household goods and both useful and ornamental home appointments used at the present time are the outcome of progress and development1 and their names have changed but little4 ,the change has been in style1 material1 and manufacture rather than in newness of purpose4 ,it is true that in modern household economy some of the present-day household utensils are the outcome of modern invention1 having no similarity in form to the simpler primitive contrivances which they have superseded4 ,thus1 for instance1 the vacuum cleaner has little in its appearance to associate it with the old-fashioned carpet brush1 neither has the modern knife cleaner much in common with the old knife board4 ,there are some articles1 however1 which have become quite obsolete1 and their names are fast disappearing from inventories of household goods1 and1 like the older antiquarian relics1 are likely soon to be forgotten4 ,in the foregoing chapters mention has been made of the collectable objects of household use1 dating from the period of bronze to modern times1 and no doubt there are many other articles which have entirely disappeared on account of their perishable nature1 or from their very character1 there being nothing to suggest their retention4 ,it may be useful for purposes of reference to note the following articles of furniture1 kitchen utensils1 and mechanical contrivances1 which were mentioned in a book published about one hundred years ago--house furnishings1 about the ancient uses of which we hear nothing at the present time4 ,,ample--,an ointment box1 formerly carried by a medical man4 ,,apple-,,grate--,a sixteenth-century cradle of iron in which to roast apples4 ,,bombard--,a large leathern bottle for carrying beer2 a term also applied to ancient ale-barrels4 ,,canister--,the ancient canister was a pannier or basket1 the name being appropriated to its modern use when tea came into the market4 ,,chafing-,,dish--,the name appropriated to modern cooking vessels was originally applied to a dish upon which perfumes were burnt1 and in ,roman times was an ensign of honour4 ,,comfit ,,boxes--,boxes divided into compartments in which were rare spices1 handed round with dessert4 ,,finger-,,guard--,horn finger-guards were formerly used by writing masters to protect their nails when nibbing pens4 ,,fire-,,screen--,fire-screens are noted as early as the fourteenth century1 long before they were filled with needlework2 they were made of wicker1 described by a sixteenth-century writer as a little wicker skrene sett in a frame of walnut tree4 ,,scrip--,scrips were hung from girdles1 and differed1 among the chief varieties being the shepherd's scrip1 the pilgrim's scrip1 and the traveller's scrip1 a kind of purse or wallet4 ,,standish--,the old name for an ink horn or vessel1 afterwards applied to the stand or dish1 or1 as we call it now1 inkstand1 which contained the box or vessel for ink1 and another for blotting powder4 ,,trencher--,a wooden platter1 a term more particularly applied to the beautiful hand-painted circular boards for sweetmeats or cakes4 ,in conclusion1 in the foregoing pages most of the best-known household curios--regarded as such by the collector--have been passed in review4 ,the list is1 however1 by no means exhausted1 for as search is made among the relics of former days many little-known objects come to light1 and as isolated examples find their way into public and private collections4 ,,index ,ale tubes1 #agh ,almanacs1 #bei-bfb ,american museums1 #di ,ample1 #cee ,andirons1 #db1 #dd1 #dg ,apple-grate1 #cee ,apple-scoops1 #ach1 #ada ,arms of ,cutlers' ,company1 #hj ,banner screens1 #afe ,basting spoons1 #acc ,battersea enamels1 #ia1 #ahc1 #bab ,beakers1 #ajd ,bellows1 #eg ,bellows blower1 #abi ,bells1 #caa ,bilston enamel1 #ahc ,bodkins1 #bci ,bohemian glass1 #aed ,boilers1 #acc ,bombards1 #cee ,boule1 ,charles1 #bi ,bow cupids1 #aab1 #aac ,bristol glass1 #agf ,british glass1 #if ,british ,museum exhibits1 #ib1 #ach1 #ada1 #afe1 #bjh1 #bdf1 #bgh1 #cca1 #cdg ,bronze pots1 #acc ,buhl work1 #bi ,caddies1 #aab ,candle boxes1 #fe1 #ff ,candle moulds1 #fe ,candles1 #fe-fg ,candlesticks1 #fg ,canisters1 #cee ,carving-knives1 #he ,caskets1 #aib ,caudle cups1 #ii ,chafing dishes1 #cee ,chantilly porcelain1 #ia ,chatelaines1 #baf ,chelsea cupids1 #aab1 #aac ,chessmen1 #cbh ,chestnut roasters1 #adb ,chests1 #aia ,chimney ornaments1 #aej ,china1 #cdi ,chinese influence1 #ajj ,chinese lacquer1 #bi ,chippendale influence1 #aja1 #afb ,clocks1 #bih1 #bii ,clog almanacs1 #bei ,cloisonne enamel1 #ahc ,coaching horns1 #aig ,cocoanut cups1 #ajc ,cocoanut flagons1 #ajc ,coffers1 #aia ,combs1 #bjf-bjh ,comfit boxes1 #cee ,continental gridirons1 #acg ,cooking vessels1 #ach1 #ada ,copper urns1 #aag ,cordova leather1 #ahg1 #ahh ,couvre de feu1 #ci ,cream jugs1 #ajh1 #aaa ,cribbage boards1 #ccj ,cruet stands1 #if1 #ig ,cuir boulli work1 #hd1 #ij1 #ahh1 #aij1 #aib ,cupids1 ,chelsea and ,bow1 #aab1 #aac ,cups1 #ii1 #ajj ,curio hunting1 #bd ,cutlers' ,company1 #hj ,cutlery1 #hj-ie1 #bci1 #bdj ,damascened steel1 #ij ,derbyshire spar1 #aed1 #aeg1 #aeh ,dolls1 #cbe1 #cbf ,domesday ,book1 #bc ,dower chests1 #cdj1 #cda ,draughts1 #cbi1 #ceg ,dressing cases1 #bae ,dutch influence on art1 #cj ,dutch ovens1 #acj ,egyptian curios1 #cdg ,egyptian influence1 #aec ,enamelled wares1 #bab ,enamels1 #ahb-ahd ,fenders1 #ec1 #ed ,finger guards1 #cee ,fire-dogs1 #dg ,fire drills1 #ci ,fireirons1 #ec ,fire-making appliances1 #cf-ci ,fireplace1 the1 #da-dd ,fireploughs1 #ci ,fire screens1 #cef ,flesh hooks1 #ach ,floor candlesticks1 #fg ,fluor spar1 #aeg ,flutes1 #cad ,food-boxes1 #ada ,forks1 #he ,french art1 #bf ,french influence1 #aec ,gallybawk1 #acd ,games1 #cbg-ccj ,garden curios1 #cej1 #cea ,german wall warming stove1 #ej ,glass and enamels1 #age-ahd ,glass beads1 #bce ,glass curios1 #bij-bic ,glass ornaments1 #agh1 #aha ,glass pictures1 #aha ,glass rolling pins1 #bce ,gourd cups1 #ajd ,grandfather clocks1 #cja ,gridirons1 #acg1 #ach ,grills1 #acg1 #ach ,guildhall ,museum exhibits1 #he1 #ii1 #aic ,guns1 #ccc ,hair ornaments1 #aif ,hampton ,court fireplaces1 #dh ,hawk hoods1 #ccb ,home ornaments1 #adi-agj ,horn books1 #aig ,horners1 ,worshipful ,company1 #aig ,horns1 #cac1 #cad ,horn work1 #aif1 #aig ,hull ,museum exhibits1 #aic1 #bbi1 #ccb1 #ccd ,inkstands1 #bfc ,irish curios1 #fg ,ivories1 #aff1 #afi ,jack knives1 #hc ,jade1 #aeh1 #afa ,japanned trays1 #aja ,jewel caskets1 #bbj1 #bba ,kentish ironmasters1 #ej ,kettles and stands1 #ajh1 #acc ,kettles1 miniature1 #afi ,kitchen grates1 #abi-acc ,kitchen1 the1 #abe-ade ,knife-boxes1 #aag ,lace bobbins1 #bcb1 #bcf ,lantern clocks1 #bih ,lanterns1 #gb-ge ,leather and horn1 #ahg-aig ,leather bottles1 #aib-aid ,leather flasks1 #aid ,leather pictures1 #aid ,leather ships1 #aid ,lights of former days1 #fa-ge ,lille enamels1 #bab ,limoges enamels1 #ahb-ahc ,links extinguishers1 #fh ,locks of hair1 #bai ,london ,cutlers' ,company1 #hd ,love spoons1 #bce1 #bdj1 #bhi ,love tokens1 #bhc-bic ,lucky cups1 #aij ,lucky emblems1 #bhc-bic ,mantelpieces1 #da1 #db ,marking of time1 #big-cjg ,marqueterie designs1 #cj ,matches1 early types1 #da ,medicine chests1 #cda ,meissen porcelain1 #ia ,met-soex or eating knives1 #hc ,miniature curios1 #afi ,monochord1 #cab ,mosaics1 #aeg ,mother-o'-pearl1 #ajg ,mounting curios1 #cec ,musical instruments1 #caa-cag ,nailsea glass1 #agg ,national ,museum of ,wales1 #abi1 #ada1 #bhj ,national ,museum of ,naples1 #de ,needles of wood1 #bdj ,needlework1 #bdf ,nutcrackers1 #aac-aag ,oak settles1 #afb ,obsolete names1 #cee1 #cef ,oil lamps1 #ga1 #gb ,old gilt1 #afe1 #aff ,old lacquer1 #cdb ,ormolu1 #aej ,pastrycooks' knives1 #ach ,pastry wheels1 #ach ,patch boxes1 #bjd1 #baa1 #bac ,peg tankards1 #ajj1 #ajc ,pens1 #bfd1 #bfg ,perfume boxes1 #bac ,pianofortes1 #cab ,piggins1 #ada ,pipe racks1 #bgc ,pipes1 #bga1 #bgb ,pistol tinder boxes1 #dj ,pistols1 #ccc ,play and sport1 #cba-ccd ,playing cards1 #ccj ,pomander boxes1 #bad ,pontypool wares1 #ajf ,porridge bowls1 #ada ,porringers1 #ii1 #ajj ,pounce boxes1 #bfc ,priming flasks1 #ccd ,punch bowls1 #ih ,punch ladles1 #ig ,puzzle cups1 #ajj ,queen ,anne style1 #ajj ,roasting cages1 #acj ,roasting jacks1 #abe ,rolling pins1 #agg ,roman influence1 #aec ,rushlights1 #fb-fe ,russian customs1 #ib ,salt cellars1 #ie1 #if ,sand boxes1 #bfc ,saucepans1 #abe1 #abf ,scrap books1 #bee1 #bef ,scratchbacks1 #bae 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