Studio: international art (52.1911)

Japanese Ornamental Basket IVork

character of English it is this latter which can influence our lives
productions, and a so profoundly, and which is coming to be more
great deal of latent and more recognised. As Mr. Joseph McCabe
taste is alsonodoubt once remarked, "A world without art would be an
present, but it is not impossible place to live in"; and modern research
taken as far as it tends to show constantly that expensive outlay is
might be. Thefullre-
sources of the craft
are not utilized, as
regards the range of
substances suitable
for the work, the
range of sizes of the
strips and twigs,

fig. l6.—flower basket

fig. 10.—flower basket

not necessarily the one condition. Basket-work,
consoling thought, is usually very cheap, though not

both large and minute, the always. It needs effective draperies and carpets

alternations and spacings of of pieasing colour and texture t0 display it t0

the members, and lastly in greatest advantage: but with these accompani-

regard to the application of ments many of the forms approach nearer to the

finishing varnishes and lac- poetic details of domestic adornment so cherished

quers either all over or on by the romantic painters like Ford Madox Brown

part, as well as gilding of than almost any other articles of modern use. To

basket work. the craftsman it should be some stimulus to know

But, again, it is quite an (.nat ;t js an art wnicn needs very few tools and no

open question whether the FI(J machinery, so that initial outlay, always such a

range of tricks such as are flower basket serious consideration, is the lowest possible,
practised by the Chinese is

known in this country. The very pretty buttons

these things are works of great art: they are '

not intended to be. Most of them are merely pig ,9._tobacco pouch (actual size slightly

objects of use, but with a qualifying factor; and larger than this)

48