The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-04-05

SlOdollSlJ pOpuldl III Jul hiluoO. Not
only is 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 homemade article costing perhaps
a couple of dollars, gives as much abso
lutte pleasure as marvels of skill which
cost from $50 to 1000. 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is entirely superseded by curtain OF
expensive material, embroidered in
raised or applique work, and suspended
from rings. One of the richest screens
in'this city is in private house, and
was expressly imported from Japan by
its owner. 1t is of white wate7ed silk,
lnclosed in ivory frames, and embroid.
cred in many colored silks with wav.
ing border of flowers so artistically
wrought that it is more like a parterre
of living beauty than 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 those in whicl
we find them. An immense trade ir
such so called eastern screens is carried
on, yet it does not require any greal
amount Of experience to detect them
With all the increased skill of latel
years there is still something both in
needle-work, and art of eastern origin
that deiies 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 copy. Birds or
he wing, flowers which seem literally
o tremble in breeze, are so exquisitely
wrought that "spirit" seems actually
to inspire them which has so far defet
competition. Chinese screens, too, are
bewildering in the variety and weirdnes:
of their design and coloring; indeed
there is brightness in the tones selected
which is little out of harmony witt
the aesthetic humor Of the moderr
home. The latest fashion for frames il
for those Of Moorish design, and az
much skill is bestowed upon the elabor
ate woodwork or metal as upon thu
panels themselves; indeed, it Otter
seems as if screens were in danger o.
becoming somewhat like pictures In tina
respect, oyershadowed and overborne by
the massive nature Of the setting
Those which are exact fac-similes of old
style screens escape this danger. VIZ
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 oi
Louis XVI. This screen is very re
markable example of ribbon work upor
white satin, and the simple frame il
particularly well suited to the sever,
style of the work. The back is line(
with fluted satin, which is also an i'm
provement upon some of the back
which are chosen for modern work,
The sum at which it is valued, $210
does not seem excessive.