The Penn's Grove record., 1884-04-05
.

Screens, as decorative agents, are In
creasingly popular in our midsts Not
only is a great deal of time besto we'd
upon the elaboration of work for such
a purpose, but the frames themselves
are of great artistic worth. Prices fol-
Screens may vary almost indefinitely,
and a homemade articlecosting perhaps
a couple of dollars, gives as much abso
lutte pleasure as marvels of skill which
cost from $50 to $1,000. Every kind Of
material is used in their manufacture,
from common paper, covered with dec
orative cards or figures, to embossed
feathers, opalescent and painted glass,
painted canvas, or open woodwork
lined with costly materials. Novelties
in designs are constantly met with, and
to-day the set panel is often supple
mented with a.short drapery, or, as il
the case of very wealthy ones, the panel
is entirely superseded by a'curtain OF
expensive material, embroidered iii
raised or applique work, and,suspended
from rings. One of the richest screens
in.this city is in a private house, and
was expressly imported from Japan by
its owner. 1t is of white wateTed silk,
lnclosed in ivory frames, and embroid
cred in many colored silks with a wav
ing border of flowers SO artistically
wrought that it is more like a parterre
of living beauty than a mere represen-
'tation. Japanese screens of every vari'
ETY. may be found in our midst, many OF
which, it is satisfactory to lovers of true
eastern art to know, never knew any
surroundings other than these in which
we find them. An immense trade ir
such so called eastern screens is carried
on, yet it does not require any great
amount of experience to detect them.
With all the increased skill of later
years there is still something both il
needle-work, and'art of eastern origin
that defes copy. Some of the needle.
work, for instance, which is famed fol
screens and is the production of Japan.
ese ladies usually of religious ,orders)
is so perfect in its reproduction of ma
ture that it is scarcely possible to be
lieve that it is only a copy. Birds OF
he wing, flowers which seem literally
o tremble in a breeze, are Sc exquisitely
wrought that a ''spirit'' seems actually
to inspire them which has so far defiet
competition. Chinese screens, too, are
bewildering inthe variety and weirdness
of their design and coloring; indeed,
there is brightness in the tones selected
which is a little out of harmony with
the aesthetic humor of the modern
home. The latest fashion for frames is
for those of Moorish design, and rs
much skill is bestowed upon the elabor.
ate woodwork or metal as upon the
panels themselves; indeed, it often
seems as if screens were in danger Of
becoming somewhat like pictures In that
respect, oYeTshadowed and overborne by
the massive nature of the setting.
Those which are exact fac-similes of old
style screens escape this danger. We
have a fair example of this in one made
by one of the members of the Decora.
tive Art Society, in which the frame is
an exact reproduction of the days OF
Louis XVI. This screen is a very re,
markahle example of ribbon work upon
white satin, and the simple frame is
particularly well suited to the severe
style of the work. The back is lined
with fluted satin, which is also an i'm
provement upon some of the backs
which are chosen for modern work.
The sum at which it is valued, S210
does not seem excessive.