Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-13
Written for the EVENING STAR
JAPANESE DECORATIONS.
How Eastern Art is Employed in Beau.
tifying our Homes.
AMERICAN ARTISTS WHO HAVE ADOPTED ORIENTAL
IDEAs-BEAUTIFUL EFFECTS OBTAINED At LIT
TIE ExPENsE-NAGNIFIcENr JAPANESE ROOMS
IN THE VANDERBILT AND MARoUANp HOUSES.
Copyright 1881

The most rational of all the manias which
from time to time ravage the community has
been the japanese. The fan and stickless para
! sol contain elements OF decoration which are
| difficult TO abuse and which in the proper hands
are capable of the most pleasing decorative
effects. We saw that at the last exhibition of
the water color society when the National
Academy of Design received an unusual touch
III view of the costume ball. Then the large
south room had frieze of gold japanese cloth
III which dead gold parasols were placed
disks betwes II branches of palm. the gold and
! dull green lninEling in beautiful harmony.
JAPANESE BED ROOM.
| DIR. William Hammond years ago had a jap
anese bed room with frieze of fans that
showed what could be done in this way The
merit of japanese decorations is that il never
looks cheap it managed with any degree of
| skill; and the reason why it is so difiicult to
| offend in using Japanese material is because
! the Japanese are so thoroughly an artistic peo-
! pie that they show it on the commonest paper,
the cheapest Cottons. and the simplest wares.
| Drawing Is with them practically an instinct
| ana their knowledge of natural forms amounts
to omnlscience. The truth to natures fresh
/ ness and sense of spOntaneity that one finds IN
every turn CT dry and broken branch conveys
lively sense of pleasure. The skill and assur-
ance with which they juxtapose colors, defy
laws and harmonile the irreconcilable dis
covers an audaCity which captures us.
THEORY OF DECORATION.
SO far removed as the east is from the west
| Is the japanese theory of decoration from that
OF medieval Europe, the source of that modern
decoration we have received filtered through
/ William Morris and his school, 1t is the
! o!d conflict in modern guise between art
and nature, long ago strengthened Oh the
! one SIDE Uv the third commandment. as in
| Arabia 1t was by the command of the prophet
! SO profoundly influencing the direction of
moorish ornament. The position OF naturalsm
| to-day, both i'll art and literature. has been
strengthened by and reacted in favor of Japan
| csc art.
MIR. John La Fargo was the first man in this
! country, and at least twenty-five years ago. to
! appreciate japanese art At that time il was
not only difficult to carry any one beyond the
! belief that the japanese Didn't know ANYTHING
ABOUT perspective but the demand for artistic
surroundings had not set in.
THE VANDERBILT NURSERY
One of the first and equivalent rules of our
American stained glass were three panels
made by Mr.. La Fargo for the nursery of Mr..
Cornelius Vanderbilt. They were Japanese
3 ehoctS IN which mountain. Eusvama, moon
/ hight, lake and house combined in a beauti-
/ fuI piece OF color, and i'll which Law that sug-
/ gestlYenesS of story and legend that always
/ ma place III japanese art. The most indie
pendent adapter of japanese art has been Mr.
Mr.. robert Blum the artist. His first efforts
were seen i'll a studio occupied bv Mr. Blum
and Mr.. Lungren, and its novelty as well
as beauty captured every one who entered
IT, There was a coarse canvas frieZe on which
were painted branches of cherry and apple,
STUNNING birds; japanese emblems and Japa-
nese stuhs and wares assisted the decoration.
EXTENSIVE DECORATIONS.
| MIR. Blum was then called upon to decorate
| fha Univ ng+ h.
Mr.. George Blanchard, on Washington square,
| which was done on more elaborate scale And
! he Is the decorator of the tower-room in Mr.
| Charles j. OsbOrne's villa at Mamaroneck.
| MIR. Osborne's villa is beautifully situated on
the Sound and this tower-room overlooks the
! prospect of wood and lake. 1t is conical and
| the decoration begins above the matted dado
! This seems to be taken from cloud effects that
are seen on cheap japanese fans 1t consists
| OF waving bands of shaded gray. blue and pink.
| lhelr irregular outlines are further defined on
one side by dull silvered cord about the size
OF a clothes line. The color lightens toward
| the apex of the cone when it suddenly darkens
| by the introduction of browns and hangs above
ike storm cloud, and out of the threatening
mass at the very top three gilded dragons lift
| their heads.
CLEVER ECHO.
| saw this room before it was furnished. and
happening to speak while standing in the center
OF the room was startled by curious response
above: Looking hastily mp l saw for the first
tune these angry beasts. The sound appeared
| 10 come so directly from their mouths that for
| the moment my heart stood still A more
| cIeVerly conceived echo could not be devised
| FANS AND PICTURES
Japanese fans and stuffs and paper of the
| commonest sort turn with motions that he used
as successfully. l have seen a mating dado in
a nursery ornamented with clever COPIES of the
! curious domestic groups that make SO interest
ing and familiar part of japanese decoration
haknnonos, which are the Japanese pictures,
! ana are used to hang on the walls are Infinitely
! better than poor pictures. Some OF these are
very magnificent, and the Japanese have their
old masters who painted kakimOnos as we have
Old masters in oil. They bring high prices
both in Europe and this country. but the
Japanese have this advantage that the cheaper
| kaklmonos are also good art and cheap pictures
with US usually mean bad art
| IN PHILADELPHIA
DIR. E. III. Williams, of PHILADELPHIA, has a
japanese room that carries with it that inter-
esting and fruitful suggestiveness which is AL
ways found in japanese art The principal
! part OF the decoration is the frieze, the room
Delng hung below in japanese stuffs. The
| frleZe Is gllded and painted upon with branches
| OF poisoning cherry and plum. Inserted
| among this decoration and assisting 1t is a
japanese poem celebrating the delights of love
! and spring.
| MR.. yANDERBILT's JAPANESE ROOM
The Japanese room, it is commonly found.
lsa sort show room for japanese objects of art.
| Such is the famous Japanese room of Mrs. w H.
Vanderbilt, which Is "a cabinet of kind for Ian
| anese curlos. The wood is cherry but painted
| to represent red lacquer and occupies a promi-
| nent place above as trusses beneath the ceiling
| OF Interlaced bamboo. The walls are hung in
| Japanese gold brocade and are divided into
| irregular shelves, such as We see in the teak
wood cabinets. These shelves and the little
curtained receptacles hold the precious wares
jade porcelalns and bronZes and here and
there CLEAN brilliant pieces of embroidery.
| THIS USE OF WOOD
| Stimulating red lacquer is art confined to Japan.
ESQ rooms, but is used where certain color
| schemes in red are desired There is a rich
ness in the color of red lacquer. a certain sense
of yellow in the red to which it owes its full
| glowing tone that so readily carries inward
| into yellow, and which can be contrasted With
| certain blues with such admirable results.
MR.. MARoUANDs ROOM.
| The Japanese room of Mr.. Henry Marouano
the new president of the Metropolitan museum,
illustrates the adaptability of Japanese art.
room needs. Its purpose is that of a living
room, a room in which a man NAV find bimsaif
at home surrounded not only by his family
but also by the precious, but ELOQUENT silence
of dear inanimate things The suggestiyeness
| of japanese art, which has been several times
| alluded to, makes it the best of comnanv
Exynr tnrr,N II bad ,