Christmas Cards
FASHIONS change, but the gesture of the. Christmas card seems to continue : there is not even any noticeable change in the type of Christmas cards produced, except that on the whole the standard seems yearly to get higher. Vulgar cats and dogs are fortunately not now so popular as they once were. The British Museum publish each year coloured repro- ductions of illuminated manuscripts at ls. each ' • for instance, a scene illustrating the visit of Alexander the Great to the St. Khizr. The colour scheme is subtle and the technique exquisite. Other medieval illuminations which cannot fail to delight their recipients, are a manuscript from the Roman de la Rose, and a 16th Century Flemish illumination of The Tower of London. From the Accountant of the British Museum, it is also possible to obtain very beautiful selections of Christmas postcards at 2d. each or ls. for the set.
Messrs. Mowbray have sent us an even more varied collection of Christmas cards than usual. It is impossible to describe in detail even outstanding cards among them, but we can safely recommend' our readers to take their choice of this very good collection, the prices of which range from 9d. downwards. The same publishers have also sent us an assortment of calendars, chiefly with pictures of religioui subjects.
Of the ehristmas cards printed by the Medici Society, we feel that the old favourite " Shoeing Bay Mare" will perhaps find the greatest popularity. Robins," a water-colour drawing by Mary Foster Knight, is gay and charming, as also Jennie Oliver Dick's " Dalliance.? It is perhaps remark- able that we have not received a single Christmas card which we should call modern, either in subject or in treatment of
an old subject. We should like to see how artists, such as McKnight Kauffer would depict the great Christmas idea.
There is a sentimental atmosphere about the calendars which Messrs. Falkner (79, Golden Lane, E.C.1) send us. Bluebell weocli, orange rising moons—or are they- suns ?—fiery, storm-rent seas, a colourful pot of tulips, seem to be -the favourite motifs. They have also produced this year some useful blotters with engagement - calendars and attached pencils,
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