Japan and the Japanese illustrated . reet children, who laugli at hisgrinning red face. The artizan of Yeddo is a true artist. If we except the conventional style whiclihe retains in his reproductions of the human figure, and excuse the insufficiency ofhis studies in penspective, we shall have nothing but praise to bestow on him. Hisworks are distinguished from those of Kioto by simplicity of form, severity ofline, sobriety of oruanieut, and exquisite feeling for nature in all the subjects ofdecoration which he borrows from the vegetable or animal kingdom. In such sub-jects he delights. Flower
Japan and the Japanese illustrated . reet children, who laugli at hisgrinning red face. The artizan of Yeddo is a true artist. If we except the conventional style whiclihe retains in his reproductions of the human figure, and excuse the insufficiency ofhis studies in penspective, we shall have nothing but praise to bestow on him. Hisworks are distinguished from those of Kioto by simplicity of form, severity ofline, sobriety of oruanieut, and exquisite feeling for nature in all the subjects ofdecoration which he borrows from the vegetable or animal kingdom. In such sub-jects he delights. Flowers and birds inspire him with compositions full of truth, grace, H II 2 236 LIFE IN JAPAN. and harmony; while the execution is equally admirable in the works of the artists ofboth capitals. The Japanese do not understand the fal)rication of panes of glass and of bottles ;but they delight in making all sorts of little objects in glass—pipes, and water-bowls, and long blue stems, little white cups at the bottom of which we see a tinv. >r />o -7^ :^^_^^ A BKONZE AT YEDDO. red crab, which rises to the surface according as the cuji becomes full of liquid; andlittle balls half filled with coloured water, ornaments much used by the womenin thrir liead-dresses. At Yeddo I was shown some attempts at painting on glass, and at enamel-work whichdenoted more goodwill than science. But among a number of native curiosities which ORNAMENTS. 237 are really original, are little balls of stone pierced and cut in facets and cm-iched withenamel arabesques. These are extensively bought by foreigners for necklaces, and usedin Yeddo itself for making rosaries. For the latter purpose they are strung on silk. Mother-of-pearl competes with enamel in certain miniatures which are appliedon metal. The. gilders art consists entirely in the application of their leaves of gold
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidjapanjapanes, bookyear1874
