International studio (25.1905)

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Our pages closed too early to enable us to include
some simple but interesting examples of the work-
manship of the Volkmar Kilns, of Metuchen, N. J.
Just as with the early Dutch tile designers, sim-
plicity of design was aimed at, so the Volkmars
avoid all florid or realistic effects, maintaining a
conventionalism which, while formal, is graceful
and decorative. The three illustrations which we
give of their latest single tiles show a conventional
leaf, a medieval ship, and a. duck. Particularly in
the last mentioned, we have tccommend the clever-
ness with which the artist has adapted his subject
to the area which he had to fill. The designers
were Charles Volkmar and J. Hoagland.

AMONG the fine book-bindings at St. Louis, of
which there was a rich display from all over the
world, were a number exhibited by S. C. Toof &
Co., of Memphis, Tenn. Herewith we show two
illustrations selected from the St. Louis specimens


DESIGN BY OTTO ZAHN, FOR THE MS. OF DICKENS' "THE
BEST AUTHORITY"
BOUND BY S. C. TOOF & SON, MEMPHIS, TENN.

of that 6rm, whose whole collection carried off the
Grand Prize. The designer in both cases is Mr.
Otto Zahn. The one represents an inner doublure
to a volume, "Mrs. Thrale," bound in Jansenist
style, in old gold crushed levant with the mono-
gram " W. F. L." inlaid in red and blue, and richly
tooled in gold. The other shows the binding of the
original manuscript of Charles Dickens' "The Best
Authority," bound in green levant, delicately hand-
tooled.

THE PENDLETON COLLECTION of eighteenth
century furniture and porcelains which has been
presented to the Rhode Island School of Design,
and which we have already had occasion to mention,
is the subject of a descriptive volume which is
announced for publication by the school. Mr.
Charles L. Pendleton, in making his oiler of this


HAND-TOOLED DOUBLURE IN CRUSHED LEVANT
DESIGNED BY OTTO ZAHN. BOUND BY S. C. TOOF & CO.,
MEMPHIS, TENN.

XI