Carving in the highest sense is but the faculty of expression. The higher, the richer, the fuller the life given to it, the happier and more harmonious its condition, the higher and more varied and beautiful will be the forms of its expressions in art. We must elevate the standard of our art, because it is deep down in the life of the people; we must dig for a foundation, and out of common thought and common labor and handicraft must be shaped the foundation stones of our architectural art. With such a foundation, and with the cement of fellowship and due recognition of the equality and unity of all interested in the building up of the national character of our art, and their mutual interdependence in erecting the great structure, we shall raise an enduring monument to be a delight to ourselves and a memorial of us to those who come after. All buildings are public, likewise the decorations of them, so also is art, be it monumental, collective or generic; they express the ideas of a community, a united people, not the idea of a class. It is quite evident, therefore, that our carving needs some higher inspiration than producing it for money alone.

It suffers from a lethargy that cannot be cured by money. It suffers from a disease that must be cured, and to effect this cure the architect must be the physician, and the best prescription he can give is to put a stop to the degrading system of sub-contracting it to an inferior class of workmen, and to stop the mechanical and wholesale system of producing it for profit only. This can be best effected by architects reserving and having it done by a reputable firm under their (the architects) own supervision. In this manner skill and beauty will be obtained, for we must bear in mind that when our day is past our work will be looked upon. Our art, as expressed in the public buildings and monuments will possess a kind of immortality. The signs of our times point unmistakably to great changes in the buildings of this country, hence it becomes the duty of architects and carvers to raise the standard of architectural art among our people. Let me call the attention of our readers to the mistakes that are usually made in the attempt to beautify by superadded ornament not related to the object, use, and material, instead of treating it as a natural outgrowth. Unless ornament is organic in this sense, we had much better be without it, and trust to the simple beauty of constructional lines alone.

Besides the motives furnished by organic nature, and the many geometrical forms used in decoration, the carver can avail himself of many artificial objects, either alone or in connection with either geometrical or organic forms, or both, such as fluttering ribbons, decorative shields, weapons, tools, etc. Of the above the shields and ribbons are a popular form of ornamentation in our modern art, particularly in the renaissance. The ribbon is not used alone, but is generally employed in entwining festoons of flowers, fruits, and many other forms, with flowing ends terminating in small balls, and often divided at the ends like a pennon, and sometimes showing a plain surface with a motto or date.

The shield, of which there are many different designs, both simple and elaborate, which the accompanying illustrations show, makes an effective decoration for the center of panels or alone. But how often do we see these two forms of ornament misapplied, ribbons carved on a surface (stuck on as it were), and related to no other part of the decoration, simply put on to cover up space. If this class of work is to be tolerated, then it comes to this that we must make up our minds to two things. (1) Whether we consider our art as an utterly unrelated, individual and accidental matter or (2) Whether we consider it and its beautiful results as the highest outcome of life, and as necessarily dependent upon character ideals and conditions of that life. If the latter then it may be worth while to take such steps as may be within our power and mental vision to coöperate toward the realization of such a life and such an ideal, which strange and round about, as the method may appear, will yet prove the shortest way to our goal, namely, a true revival of design and execution.

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