Chapter VI: Miscellaneous

Before closing this little book, it may be as well to present the reader with a few more illustrations, and a brief explanation concerning them.

The following illustration of a piping study is from the original, which was designed at the time that Great Britain was in the thick—or, rather, at the waning point—of the Boer War. It will be too much repetition for me to describe over again the methods to be adopted in piping these figures, but briefly the top left-hand figure was intended to be that of the ever-popular Baden-Powell, watching for the relief column which eventually accomplished its purpose. It is needless to describe the central figure in the top line, as he will be a backward eight-year old schoolboy who does not recognise, or feel a certain thrill of pride at the very utterance of the name of, “Bobs.” The equestrian figure on the right was originally intended for the Earl of Airlie, for he bravely met his death when charging the enemy at the head of his Lancers. The remainder of the design will explain itself.

Our next study is a group of designs illustrating some important episodes in the life of a fox, the central figure showing the poultry-loving and “crafty gentleman” himself in the act of carrying off his prey. “Notice to quit” follows, and so on to the moment of retribution, when his misdeeds are finally expiated under the woodland tree. This group was piped all white on a chocolate ground, and was the forerunner, in a sporting sense, of the more ambitious work which is given on page 66. It was in coloured piping, and was more in the nature of a _bona fide_ picture in glacé Royal.

ON BUTTER AND LARD PIPING.

Except for practice, or, perhaps, with some uneatable speciality for a Christmas show, I would not advise the use of lard for piping. Both of these mediums are prepared in the same way, however. That is slightly warmed (not melted) in a basin, and then beaten up with a three-pronged fork or small whisk, until it becomes of a creamy appearance, and about the same consistency as glacé Royal. In using the lard for practice, any of the foregoing designs might be utilized, and piped on the back of an iron tray or any other dark enamelled surface, as it is then easier to remove it when no longer required. This lard piping practice should always be a forerunner to the butter decoration, which is used for glazed ox tongues, hams, boar’s heads, beef, galantines, &c. Figure piping lends itself readily to this class of work, and as the weight of material is almost nil for the accomplishment of a design, it is just as well to use a little of the best butter you can procure for the purpose, so as to be in keeping with the quality of the viand it assists to embellish. A fairly warm place should be selected for butter piping, as, if it is done in a cold larder, the butter will get fast in the cornet and become unmanageable, and that in the basin will become lumpy through the surface and sides getting set. The piping itself may be done in precisely the same way as with glacé Royal, and I herewith give a few designs which are not only suitable for the purpose named, but have been mostly executed in “grease,” and, as the illustrations will show, have been used on boar’s heads. Piping on glazed ox tongues should always be neatly done, and the designs not too heavy, otherwise they look vulgar and “messy,” while the artistic effort of the piper makes it appear overloaded.

In my experiences I have known a simple piping sketch in butter—which has decorated a piece of pressed beef—to be the cause of bringing out the whole family party, especially when some subject has been hit upon, not altogether accidentally, which has had its bearing on the hobbies or sporting proclivities of one or more members of the family. Indeed, on one occasion, it was the means of getting an order for over 300 menus, illustrated from designs in glacé Royal; and it is, perhaps, only natural that the member of the family who is almost sure to be the pioneer in taking notice of these little efforts, is the artist of the house, generally one of the daughters.

Although I feel I have now got to the end of “Figure Piping,” I by no means wish to convey the impression that the subject itself is unworthy of further comment or effort. But I do think that the young piper who wishes to vary his every-day style by a few figures, may get a few hints from the foregoing pages which will enable him to start on a better footing than if he had not studied them. Figure piping in its broad sense is something like cooking and confectionery—the climax is never reached; but in the first-named it is as well to bear the fact in mind, that he who has the most artistic practice, and the keenest eye for fresh subjects and general effect, will not only accomplish what few things are delineated herein, but will open up a field for himself which may reveal possibilities that he never dreamt of.

THE END.

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

● Fixed typos; non-standard spelling and dialect retained. ● Enclosed italics font in _underscores_. ● Enclosed blackletter font in =equals=.