International studio (81.1925)

inceRnACionAL

gigantic that laws were enacted to put a stop to a fire screen or reja that outlined a delicate tracery

the extravagance, one such law prohibiting the against the tiled background of the fireplace,

manufacture of silver beds! They were so high It is in the Spanish ironwork that one finds the

that one must go up a flight of steps to retire, greatest skill and ingenuity shown, in the adapta-

Draperies were of priceless skins or of satin tion of this ungrateful and decidedly occidental

embroidered with gold and silver, or of brocade, material to graceful, Oriental patterns. Old Spanish

But there is no peculiarly Spanish type of bed keys are amusing things, usually of great size

because, in the average household, the spread and because it is said the Spaniard believed that a huge

hangings were of key offered greater

greater importance. ,--:-—-1 protection than a

Lamps were of iron small one. They were

or brass and were hung ;ls long as eight or

on chains from the ^rfflM^^^Xj^^^^^^^^pKj nine inches and

and by Spanish or I were hung. American

Moorish workmen, typical Spanish "scissors" chair purchasers of these

they were interesting epatera realize that a

in design but as a means of providing heat they modern white-tiled kitchen—a sanitary but

were not very satisfactory. They were placed on scarcely beautiful apartment—is an unworthy

stands of metal or wood, some of which had a shelf background for such exquisite design and so these

near the floor to hold a second brazier. A traveler smoke-grimed, pork-flavored bits of rusty iron

in Spain tells of his experience with the brazier hang on drawing room walls, beauty having at

system of heating: I;lst completely conquered utility.

. . .. There is little space to dwell upon the beautiful

A brasero is a brass pan about twojeel in diameter, , , Tio ■

, 7 7 7 . hn, nr rnlher leather that was one of the glories of old Spam.

set in a wooden stand and heaped with hot or rattier e> ^

warm ashes. You cannot feel the heat three feet away Ul course, when One says Spanish leather one

und the ashes cool rapidly. A brasero is placed under means Cordovan leather. One section of Cordova

the dinner table, the cloth draped over your knees allow- was set apart for the leather workers. A traveler

ing you to warm your shins slightly. Your breath issues ^ g • jn ^ sixteentIl century teHs 0f walking

in white clouds and you quite forget your manners and . °

, >• through this quarter and reflecting that the indus-

wear your hat at dinner. t • t i t • j i

try not only enriched the city s purse but enhanced

Some of the larger houses and palaces had one its beauty because everywhere could be seen the

or more fireplaces and where they existed they racks upon which the decorated leather had been

were beautifully fitted with fire irons and usually stretched and placed in the sun to dry.

april iq25

jifty-nine