PROCESSION PASSING FUJIYAMA 
TOYUKUNI 
Japanese Prints in Home Decoration 
EFFECTIVE FACTORS IN LENDING DISTINCTION TO A HALL OR LIVING-ROOM 
—WHAT SORT OF BACKGROUNDS TO USE AND HOW TO FRAME THE PRINTS 
by Sherril Schell 
J APANESE prints are being used more and more in house 
decoration, nowadays, both in England and in the United 
States. In this country, after their first wild popularity, they 
languished for a period, owing to the jaded taste of those who 
had bought, all too eagerly and indiscriminately, large quanti¬ 
ties of them. Of late, they seem to be coming into their own 
again, and if one sees fewer of them, one also observes that 
they are much better chosen. 
Here in the Eastern states, one encounters them more fre¬ 
quently in country than in city houses, for the reason that the 
country home is less likely to possess some scheme of decoration 
antagonistic to their peculiar characteristics. A few good 
prints, in the living rooms of a country house, with no clashing 
wall paper or draperies, give a feeling of charm and simplicity 
that is particularly refreshing. 
Wall paper covering of solid and neutral color makes the best 
background. Certain shades of gray, brown, and 
green are especially effective, though nearly all the 
delicate shades can be used satisfactorily. In one 
country home on Long Island there is a room de¬ 
voted entirely to Japanese prints. Here the owner 
has used on the walls the gold paper that is found 
on tea chests, and it proves exceptionally harmo- 
p 
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nious as a background. This paper can be secured through 
most of the large paper shops, or in shops where Oriental 
wares are sold. 
The beauties of a print can be greatly enhanced by the 
*•7 mat and frame. The frame should be narrow and simple in line 
T, in nearly every case. Though a dull gold frame can often be 
used happily, black, brown, gray and even mahogany will usu¬ 
ally give more satisfaction. Japanese prints should never be 
hung on walls with old French or English prints, especially the 
colored ones; in fact they appear to the best advantage when 
placed alone. Photographs of the better sort, certain etchings, 
and pen-and-ink drawings prove more congenial neighbors. 
The inexperienced collector will probably have no great diffi¬ 
culty in discriminating between the good and the poor prints, 
providing he has an eye for color. The old prints can be readily 
distinguished from the new by the texture of the paper. Old 
paper is singularly vibrant and soft in quality and 
has the slightly mellow appearance of the paper 
of the old European prints. An important point, 
too, is the register, which must be perfect—the 
most valuable prints are those of faultless register. 
These are not only much more beautiful, but, like 
other antiques, they increase in value every year. 
AN IMPRESSION AT KANEIDO TEMMANYU 
HIROSHIGE 
FASHION PLATE KUNISADA 
CHERRY TIME 
HIROSHIGE 
(164) 
