* * *
An exhibition of wax flowers, at the residence (in Rathbone-place)
of Mrs. Peachey the artiste, is a perfect curiosity of its kind.
Almost every variety of English flower, exquisitely coloured, is
massed into an enormous bouquet, surprising alike from the largeness
of the conception and the minuteness of the execution. This
beautiful piece of art was prepared for the Great Exhibition, but
withdrawn by Mrs. Peachey in consequence of her dissatisfaction with
the place reserved for her.--_Examiner._
* * * * *
We have inspected, at the private residence of Mrs. Peachey (in
Rathbone-place, Oxford-street), artiste in wax work to Her Majesty,
one of the most remarkable specimens of ingenuity and industry which
London at present contains. This is an immense bouquet of wax
flowers which that lady had prepared for the Crystal Palace, but
were not within its walls, for a reason to which we will presently
advert. Let us first describe this really magnificent work. On four
sturdy stone columns, tastefully designed, and edged with gold, is a
looking-glass platform upwards of four feet square, and representing
water. From the centre of this fairy lake rises a glass column
supporting a golden basket. In this is placed a bouquet some two
feet high, and of proportionate girth, in which are clustered all
the flowers we ever saw, and a great many which we never saw--from
the humble favorites of our _Rigolettes_ and _Fleur de Maries_, up
to the floral aristocracy of the conservatory. There they are
exquisitely reproduced in all their graces of form and colour, and
arranged with the attention to contrast and general effect which
bespeaks the superintending eye of a real artiste. We are afraid to
say how many hundred wax flowers compose this splendid bouquet; but
we can safely say that, after having walked round and round it, and,
as we thought, having completely examined it, the eye continually
insisted on detecting some new variety, and we finally abandoned the
hope of ever becoming acquainted with the whole. From the corners of
the imitative waters rise various superb specimens of water plants,
fresh, cool, opaque-looking productions; and at the foot of the
glass column, as if planted by accident, spring a few of our more
common and very beautiful
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