ABSTRACT
The collecting of old Japanese colour-prints, formerly the hobby of a select few, is to-day finding an ever-increasing number of votaries. As their beauty and charm become more widely appreciated, so do more art-lovers desire to possess them. The result is that prices, particularly for prints by the early masters—known as the Primitives—and for rare examples of later artists, have been greatly enhanced within recent years. No art covers so wide a field as that of the Japanese colour-print; nor can any other offer such a varied choice, so that almost any taste and any purse can find material wherewith to form a collection. Many a collection has been improved by throwing out the inferior choices of early days. The better and more valued treasures in a collection, particularly if they are unusually good copies, should be kept out of the light in portfolios or suitable cases.
