Studio: international art (9.1897)

The Arts

and Crafts

PLASTER PANEL L'V HARRY FOSKEY

showed a good grasp of the material and grace
of line.

A little panel in coloured plaster by Harry
Foskey, which is here illustrated, is a very pleasant
piece of decoration. The planes are well observed
and the ornament, which is full of vigour, is rightly
subordinated to its place as a frame.

One of the most deservedly popular items in
the whole show was the harpsichord, designed
and constructed by Arnold Dolmetsch, assisted by
W. Nearn. At certain times—when its maker or
Miss Dolmetsch played some old world sinfonia
or suite—it was impossible to get near enough
to hear, much less to see it. For the dainty music
of the plucked string is only remotely allied to the
struck tri-chord of its descendant, the modern
grand pianoforte. But here, although one might
fairly claim that by his enthusiasm in old-time
music Mr. Dolmetsch has annexed a new field of
art to the Arts and Crafts, it is the design of the
instrument that most concerns us. Of stained
green wood, with charming decorations painted by

Helen Coombe, it was a singularly beautiful and
graceful object. For complete re-infusion of
an older spirit into modern work, this delightful
instrument is absolutely perfect of its class. Refine-
ment of design is fitly mated with refinement of
sound. It has caught the fragrance of a simpler age
when art was not so much sought after, because it
was unconsciously present the while; and it is this
rare gift of reproducing an obsolete thing, un-
affectedly and sincerely, which ranks Mr. Dol-
metsch's work quite above many other items,
which have found the source of their inspiration
in not dissimilar fashion.

Miss Adele Hay showed some very gracefully
modelled reliefs for door-plates and handles ; two
of the six are here illustrated, but the scale
is too small to do full justice to the admirable

DOOR-PLATE AND HANDLE BY ADELE HAY

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