The design interpreted in these pieces is adapted from an architectural motif found in the ceiling panel directly above Samuel Clemens' billiard table, in his Hartford, CT home. Here Clemens (Mark Twain) could escape the clamor of his young family to write and reflect, and enjoy a cigar with the game of billiards. Now a historical landmark, The Mark Twain House was the home of Samuel and Olivia Clemens from 1874 to 1891.