Studio: international art (14.1898)

Some New Decorations

in some respects the finest, seeming to gather up
in a synthesis all the true Favrile beauties, colour,
iridescence, lustre, metallic reflexes that seem more
at home on precious pottery than on glass; orna-
mentation at once consistent, lovely, and full of
mystery; beauty of one kind in reflected light,
of another kind, not less valuable, in transmitted.
Mr. Tiffany never repeats himself; each piece of
Favrile is necessarily unique. One would feel in-
clined to wish that some exceptions might be made
to this rule, did one not feel convinced that even
the beautiful results obtained by no means exhaust
the possibilities of the Favrile.

Cecelia Waern.

Hie “deep sea” window

Designed AND EXECUTED BY LOUIS C. TIFFANY

A NOTE ON SOME NEW DE-
CORATIONS. BY GERALD
MOIRA AND F. LYNN
JENKINS.

The bas-relief decorations at the Trocadero
Restaurant, designed by Mr. Gerald Moira and Mr.
F. Lynn Jenkins, have been so widely appreciated
that another important work of the same class, by
the same hands, has been eagerly awaited. Here,
with several illustrations of the decorations for the
new Passmore Edwards Free Library at Shoreditch,
we have an important successor. It will perhaps
be best to explain the joint share in these decora-
tions by Mr. Moira and Mr. Lynn Jenkins, who
by mutual arrangement and consultations decide
upon the design, for which Mr. Moira then pre-
pares the cartoon. To Mr. Lynn Jenkins is due
the idea of employing bas-relief coloured in this
particular manner. As a sculptor, he recognised
that bas-relief in white stone or marble is not
suited for interior decoration in England, especially
if it has to be seen often by artificial illumination,
which naturally destroys the shadows for which the
work was schemed. Another advantage claimed
rightly for this process of decoration is that it pos-
sesses a brilliancy owing to its free use of metals
on surfaces of different planes, which fresco can
never rival; never, at least, in the smoke-laden
atmosphere of London, where the most brilliant
fresco soon grows difti. These coloured bas-
reliefs remain bright far longer, and can always be
washed without fear of injury. The-method, as we
have said, is that both the artists scheme out the
plan of the work in collaboration, after which Mr.
Lynn Jenkins is solely responsible for the model-
ling, and Mr. Moira for the colour; such assistants
as either one calls in are merely entrusted with
the mechanical parts of the work, which both
in conception and finish must be attributed to
these two alone. Mr. Moira’s cartoons are re-
presented here by four details from the panels
and one of the spandrels ; this latter is also shown
in its original clay before the casting was taken
and before Mr. Moira applied the colours; and
finally the whole finished work is illustrated.
Each piece of the bas-relief is made in several
sections, which are joined together when the
work is finally in its place. The colouring is
practically finished before the panels leave the
studio.

The whole decoration runs as a frieze round
the entrance hall, designed by Mr. H. J. Hare,
an architect who believes it better to place his

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