Studio: international art (17.1899)

Mr. Mortimer Menpes' House

only one serious objection to make, and that is
to his chairs. We believe that such chairs are
to be found in the lumber-rooms of certain
temples in Japan, but it would be quite pos-
sible for an intelligent tourist to travel over the
whole length and breadth of the land and never
come across one. They have a certain quaintness
of form and construction, and were they entirely
relegated to the hall and the studio would pass
without unfavourable comment. As a substitute,
however, for the drawing-room lounge and for use
in the dining room nothing could be more inappro-
priate, and it is satisfactory, therefore, to learn that
they are to be replaced by others of more fitting
design. The small square wooden tables in the
drawing-room are of Chinese form and useful for
the reception of ornamental objects. The settees
are of European design, but are in happy harmony

with their Japanese surroundings. The overmantel
in the dining-room, while of simple and inoffensive
structure, is an example of unnecessary pandering
to modern conventionalities. The cabinets of
purely Japanese character in the dining-room, and
especially the one with the numerous drawers in
the studio, are charming in their frank simplicity,
and greatly to be preferred to the over-elaborated
and decorated cabinets with their carved ivory
and pearl inlays which have been made in recent
years by the Japanese for the European market.
It is easy to imagine the highly sensitive Japanese
connoisseur almost expiring from shame at the
sight of these things, and Mr. Menpes has been
well advised to give them a wide berth. The
electric-light fittings are original in idea and most
appropriate. The row of lanterns over the settee in
the hall, and in the studio and drawing-room, each
one of which contains an
incandescent lamp, glow
with an extremely soft
and pleasant light. The
little window-like lantern
high up in the hall is
effectively placed, while
the bronze and paper con-
structions suspended from
brackets affixed to the
walls of all the rooms are
of simple Japanese design
and well adapted to their
purpose. The finely carved
rarnrna in the hall and the
beautiful embroideries and
tapestries framed or used
as coverings to couches
and tables take the place
of pictures, and by the
beauty of their colourings
and workmanship add
greatly to the picturesque
character of the house.
Nor must the examples of
porcelain jars which orna-
ment the rooms be over-
looked. Many of these
have been painted in a
Japanese workshop by Mr.
Menpes himself, and a
group has been specially
photographed in order to
give the reader an idea of
the nature of the details.
The principal charm of