brushed or cleaned with vacuum at least every six months in an ordinarily clean city and oftener where the air is dust-laden.
Among the most attractive backgrounds, especially for ancient pictures, are the reproductions of the old Italian or French brocades. These reproductions are comparatively inexpensive and may be had from the manufacturers in Italy. If carefully chosen as to pattern and color they are satisfactory, well woven and durable. They may be had in linen, silk and cotton, or pure silk, as desired. Where it is possible, these materials should be bought directly of the Italian manufacturers, as our American buyers usually procure their stock in France, thus necessitating payment of double duty. The beauty and durability of these fabrics is proved by the wall coverings in the Vatican Pinacoteca and the Casino Borghese in Rome. Certain of the German museums have been successful in the use of stencilled wall coverings. In this case an inexpensive Arras cloth in plain color is put on the walls. A pattern is then added by means of a stencil and shaded in such a way as to imitate old brocade. (See Museumskunde, vol. I, p. i, Bode, Das Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin.) At the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin, for instance, some of these imitations are remarkably good. This is, how-
