54 
House & Garden 
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[ Charles of London j 
718 FIFTH AVENUE 
NEW Y O R K 
TAPESTRIES 
LONDON—27-29 Brook Street W. 
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Carved and Gilt Eagle Console Table 
OBJECTS OF ART 
ENGLISH PERIOD FURNITURE 
OLD ENGLISH INTERIORS 
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DecoR/mons 
(h) FIFTH/TVe. 
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Tudor Gothic Cabinet “Cellarette 
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Collecting the Netsuke of Nippon 
(Continued from page 52) 
vanity of human wishes. Such examples 
might be multiplied without end.” 
The Esthetic Designs 
While this is true, I think it is a pity 
that Dr. Anderson laid such overstress 
on the netsuke of this genre and did 
not, instead, dwell upon the other sorts 
that seem to me to be almost as nu¬ 
merous, netsuke that embody the es¬ 
thetic expression of Japanese culture. 
Says Blacker, “The netsuke was created 
from almost any object upon which the 
eye of the artist dwelt; the gods and 
the philosophers, scenes of history and 
of the comical side of life, were present 
to the imagination, and therefore treated 
more in accord with acknowledged con¬ 
ventions; but in the flower and plant, 
the bird, insect, and reptile, what the 
eye saw, the willing, skilful fingers trans¬ 
lated and glorified with a patience pass¬ 
ing belief, with no regard for time or 
money, with a success that astonishes 
us still. Six months, a year, what did 
that matter? The work would be fin¬ 
ished in due time, for there was no 
shirking, only a devoted perseverance!” 
The Master Carvers 
And what a perseverance! What a 
perseverance went into the carving of 
the netsuke here illustrated! Some of 
the noted carvers signed their netsuke, 
but many netsuke have no signatures by 
which their artists can definitely be de¬ 
termined. Masatami was noted for his 
rabbits, Deme-Jioman for his mask net¬ 
suke, Tadatoshi for snails, Tomochika 
for figures from Japanese folklore, Ma- 
sanao for his bird netsuke, Ko-kei for 
his frogs, Jugioku for his figure groups, 
and so on. Nonozuchi Ryho, who died 
in 1617, was the first professional net- 
suke-maker. There is no section of 
Japanese art, says Marcus B. Huish in 
his invaluable “Japan and Its Art,” 
which succeeds in “attracting the atten¬ 
tion of everybody who is brought into 
contact with it, so much as that which 
is comprised under the heading of net¬ 
suke carvings.” Here Mr. Huish ex¬ 
plains that in the word netsuke, the 
letter u is silent, and therefore the word 
is pronounced as though spelled “netske.” 
This authority proceeds: “Enthusiasts 
have gone so far as to compare them to 
the Tanagra figures of Greek origin, 
and to the finest sculptures of the 
Gothic age, and to assert that a first- 
rate netsuke has no rivals. This praise 
is not, perhaps, too high if we take 
care to emphasize the word ‘first-rate.’ ” 
Netsuke Prices 
It has been my own experience, even 
within the . past year, that first-rate 
netsuke are still to be had for moderate 
prices and the looking for them. I 
know of no objets d’art that give greater 
pleasure even when a collection is lim¬ 
ited to a dozen pieces, and it seems to 
me any collector of moderate means can 
acquire that number without strain upon 
the purse. These little carvings almost 
invariably have two small holes through 
which the cord passes that they are to 
terminate. Occasionally these holes are 
so cunningly contrived that they are not 
apparent. Besides the carved netsuke of 
the genre types we meet with the flat¬ 
tened globe-shaped ones. Of these, those 
that resemble rice cakes are called 
manju, and those having metal centres 
surrounded by ivory rings are called 
kagami-buta. The ancient city of Nara 
has always been famed for its noted 
netsuke-makers and Osaka and Kyoto 
a.lso boasted superior artists in the 
craft. 
The Red Garden, a Place of Intense Effects 
(Continued from page 39) 
the whole the garden is quiet, as if 
gathering energy for the effect of 
August. 
At that time will appear many reg¬ 
ularly spaced clumps of gypsophila be¬ 
tween the peonies. With their soft 
masses are alternated spiky clumps of 
pure red gladioli, which have been 
planted early among the heuchera in 
spaces left for them. Large masses of 
Montagnard, a phlox of deep glowing 
red, are placed in the upper corners 
against the shrubs; while at the lower 
end are correspondingly large masses of 
rich, red dahlias. 
In the woodsy corner the main effect 
at this time is contributed by the tall, 
late cardinal flower, combined with the 
late meadow rue. All of us who have 
seen its flaming torch illuminating the 
wet woods can appreciate how much 
better it can be when enlarged by culti¬ 
vation. It is one of those wild flowers 
well worth transplanting. 
In early September the outer garden 
is framed by masses of tall white bol- 
tonia which, from their place against 
the hedge, overhang the lower plants 
and differ radically in form and color 
from red gladioli planted in early July 
for the autumn effect. 
Appropriate to the shady end are 
quantities of white Japanese anemones. 
With the coming of the frost the com¬ 
pact, rounded bushes of Japanese bar¬ 
berry flanking the entrance paths and 
the lilacs outside will turn a brilliant 
blood red which will contrast gloriously 
with the tall double chrysanthemums of 
creamy white in the outer garden. In 
the smaller place, for variety are some 
small red button sorts. 
