The Washington herald., 1914-01-18
MARVELLOUS WEAVES
OFFINELUSTER


one Of the most remarkable specimens Of
weaving every displayed in America. 1t
comes to us named "Chinois," which, as
everybody knows, is merely French for
Chinese. and as 1t could never be mis-
taken for anything else one wonders at
the name until one gets its history.
To examine 1t IL to come by the impress
sion that it halls straight from the fow-
cry kingdom. and also that 1t - one Of
the most perfect pieces of textile weav-
ing for the reason that it most marvel
ously reproduces in fabric the world-fa-
nous red lacquer work Of China-one of
the wonders of the art world from the
Georgian period to the present time. Dur
ing the early Georgian times. and all
through the Georgian period. the craze
for Chinese art amounted almost to a
universal passion and the cultured Of all
civilization began collecting Chinese
specimens OF art. and the Chinese influ-
ence was soon after manifested in the
products of all the leading decorators.
Chippendale produced the best specimens
of furniture showing such influence; but
the one thing that defied the imitators of
the Chinese was the marvellous lacquers,
especially the red lacquers. These could
not be initiated. Yet from that time on
they have served as an inspiration for
all decorators. Imagine, then, just what
the success of the textilist is who
achieves in silk a perfect facsimile of
those wonderful red laquers!
Halls from France.
And this has been done. It halls from
France. Upon a crimson background that
perfectly matches In coloring the rare red
lacquers that made the Chinese empire
famous are woven in golden and brown
threads the figures that decorated the
same marvellous lacquers. There are
shadings there that seem to have been
placed by an artists brush, and from
the sheen of the satin background there
radiates a luster that heretofore lacquer
only could have claimed. When a piece
Of this fabric is pasted upon a solid sur
face it so closely resembles lacquer that
inspection is necessary to detect its true
quality. Another wonderful characters
tic about this fabric Is that the gold em-
ployed in 1t has the effect of the true tone
of gold employed in lacquer work. and
that 1t is most exqusiteIy and accurately
shaded. Needless to say, the subjects de-
pict the life in China-that is part of the
success of Chinese art, for they under
stand well that art needs always to be
related to the activities of life. Conse-
quently We see the Chinese folk engaged
in some interesting pastimes, moving
over a gorgeously beautiful surface of
crimson, gold, and brown, engaged in oc-
cupations that stir the ina agination with
romantic fancies. There is a side to this
sort of work that the connoisseur or
artist alone can appreciate-that is, the
achievement revealed in the effect. in de-
veloping in silk a rare facsimile of what
was originally a painting.
Noticeable Tendency.
Have you noticed the tendency to pastel
shades in decorating? Fifteen years ago
pastel shades were all the rage; then.
gradually. We got to deeper colorings.
until the Futuristic and Post-Impression-
istic struck us with blunt. harsh tones of
at times brutally contrasted colorings
A revolt takes place naturally under such
conditions, and We are surely, though
gradually. sweeping toward the most del
icate of pastel tones. Is there anything
lovelier than these? The note of sooth-
ing grays, for instance-what an endless
lot of decorative schemes they lend them
selves to. and with such varied effective
ness. One piece OF silk, intended for a
curtain that is to hang in soft folds, had
the gold of pale sunlight melting into a
grayish. cerulean blue of the sky. One
felt the impulse to take 1t into the hands
just TO see that it wasn't a strip OF di-
vinely panied cloud, after all.
In your spring furnishing remember
that plain tones are the thing-the sun
fast materials, such as mercerized cot
tons and reps and other patented cloths,
and the cretonnes that come to us in new
patterns. Most of the new mercerized
materials have a lovely silky finish, and
in the cheaper fabrics the colored scrims
often with borders-have their place in
favor.