AN, ARTIST'S HOME

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 710, 8 January 1910, Page 13

AN, ARTIST'S HOME

Mr. Mortimer Menpes's .. wonderful Japanese home ill Cadogan Gardens is for sale. , . Tho nowa ' will, suggest to .Mr.; Menpes's Australian relatives and frionda the. possibility of tho iartist once more visitingtho land of his birth. TUo liousii was-built twelve years ago. A vory fow words of description will : suffice to shb\7 that, it must havo. been hard, ; even, for such a traveller as Mr. Mortimer Men : pes,' to leave it for a 6te months' trip to the Southern' Seas. AVhcn tho bricks and mortar:of. 25 Cadogan Gardens were in.. place;. : ; the ■. AnglO-AustTolian .artist '■ won't to" Japan.";. There : ho employed a' hundred nieri l .for .twelve': months, 6omo in carving wood,-somo-in metal-working,'; some ::in. - silk-weaving. , ' Ceilings, doorpanels, "wall-coverings, and' window., de-. corations* were completed, and then ship- , pert in 200'.largo.:cases' to London. .So perfectly had the'work been (lonb that the decorations were fitted.in place without, the aid of nails and glue. The; j-e----suit was- a Japanese' house, from the.'enr, trance .hall .to, .the topmost'..reception" room.. Every room had "its : colour'scheme; ■The .hall was of. an apple-green; . .the dining-room,;. vermilion;. ' the sitting-; rooms, tints of,yellow. A.similar.uniforniity was: preserved in the decorations.' In the ; hall, : the chrysanthemum.:, predominated; in the dinirig-rooma cherry, blossom "design,'in . ebony over . gold, could.be : traced.:'-. The/furniture included somo. line oiainples of red lacquer and some charm-' , iiig'brbnzo screens. At .'night-time, , these screens, were lighted , irom:-.';the .;back, .giving, tho impression of a: lamp with' a» lace covering.:- In reality the design was; 'of,bronze' anil ', the opalescent effect was secured by a '.backing of parchment., ■ The Japanese artists .'who . (lid , "all this wero paid,(At '.the. rate of 7d. a : day.;. Indeed, , only !a : millionaire "could have afforded ,the luxury of 25 .Cadogan Gardens had; it;, been, necessaiy,; to pay...thb; Japanese ar-: •tisarisat London rates of wages,-: ■■:":■:]:;';'■. ■' "Mr.: Mortimer :Menpes's excuse for dis-. posing of his, London.house is the counter' attraction .of his Purley Jiome. For somol time -the'nrtist has;beon dev.oting-.himself .to ;friiit culture. Ho has nine acres .under glass.' at : . Purloy, .and . be}iov;ea that his grapes, ; tomatoes;: and cucumbers. are Vas ■ good as. .BDy:-; sent : to Coyerit Gardbni, Ppubt)eis,'. some -'South-, , African, million-; airb.'will'jump, at, the'chance; of. buying ; •theV Japanese.'^decorations -~-at >;Cadogan .-Gardens.'• Indeed,:.:it. is rumoured • that the'houso iuay. bore-orectei by. the Jap-::, an'osb' ■ Gbvornmorit at the': - Shepherd's Buslii Exhibition/in 1910.;'.'./,-V:; : ; ' ■;-y--: