The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-02-21

EuOh onfnoat ondunvura lUwnf1a the
increase of cultivation are taking
such decided measures t0warda tho
PRONUNCIATION ofodrc0tion, and that
They hoyo officially adopted the
English language NJ their Own-nn
undertaking which shows not only
good common sense, but u firm pur.
pose 10 overcome all obstacles that
lay in the way Of their improve
mcnt-givcs The japanese II position
Of importance in tho eyes Of the
whole world, aud we go with feel.
ing ofintercst, rs well 0s ofcuriosity,
into the department occupied by
these far of people, who are trying
to link themselves to us through
business interests and n common
language, and with whom We are
already united through the common
bond ofhumanity, ~ well as through
II sympathetic desire TO aid them in
their worthy efforts at self cultiva.
ton. But the japanese are by no
means savagcs in many works OF
an artistic character they excel, and
we find evidences Of skill, refinement
and taste all about US. In ivory
there are many little trinSets elabo-
rately carved with the most gro
tesque and comical figures. The
Japanese themselves: and their
artistic designs seem quito like
caricatures Of human nature us we
sec it, and whether they look upon
life as a terrible reality, or are
porpetrating grim jokes upon
themselves in their illustrations, we
cannot tell, but the result is a
collection of figures that are
extremely comical. There are
ivory boats with figures therein
IN ivory chest of drawers on
wheels, and adorned with quaint
nude figures, A beautiful Office
desk is covered with elaborate
carvings, tho designs Of which
would be fortune for comic
paper. There are many beautiful
samples of leather, colored in
various patterns and figures, and
leather boxes with BIRDS and flower.
in gilt ~ ornamentalion. In dishes
there are displayed many beautiful
us well as comical things, A dish
shaped like u fish, with n small
opening on top, covered with close
fitting cover that does not destroy
the outline, is decorated internally
with pictures of flowers. A wooden
fish platter is carved to represent
waves, and large wooden fish is
just swimming up on to it. Beautiful
china ware is covered with queer
paintings with no perspective
although beautiful in outline, and
many Of the dishes are covered with
figures of Lizards, scorpions and
frogs, which are anything but appe.
tizing. The lack of IL knowledge OF
perspective is visible in all their
paintings, some of which on silk are
exquisite in workmanship, but the
most distant mountains are as pear
as the nearest, and the figures have
no roundness of contour--all lie
perfectly flat. 1t reminds one Of
the great Queen Elizabeth, who
learned as she was, was so vain
that she desired her portrait painted
without any dark shading, because
there were no plans on her ftce SO
dark as those represented in the
picture, and thus her fair and love-
" complexion was grossly ma
ligned.
The silk industry of Japan is ex-
tensive, and is here illustrated by
models of native looms with the
queer looking natives ut work ut
them. Cocoons, and raw and man.
ufactured silks, many of them OF
exceeding beauty. A purple satin
bed-spread is most exquisite exam.
pie of their skill at embroidery
The center piece is spirited cock
with hen and chickens picking up
golden seeds. The beauty of the
male bird is generally overlooked
because so common, but here tho
varigiatcd plumagc, the graceful
dropping tail, the notified changea
bic tints Of the neck, and the spirit
ed carriage Of the head are most
accurately represented, and we in,
voluntarily cxclaim: eff n rooster
were a rarity, how very pretty he
would be-
The cooking utensils exhibited
do not have II very foreign appear.
ancc, at least not foreign to Europe
ans, though somewhat strange
looking to Americans, being gencr-
ally made of copper, though there
are iron tca-kcttles ornamented with
silver; porcelain sauce-pans with
painted flowers in the bottom
toastcrs made of copper wire and q
handsome little tca-kettle of silver
Inlaid tables and fire bamboo work
attract our attention and receive our
admiration as we pass along; but
we stop longer at the case contain
ing jewcIry of gold and silver, and
beautifully cnamcllcd A little
piece of fancy work represents a
rock, from which beautiful flowers
of silver are springing, among
which silver birds are disporting
Near this case stand
two enormous vases, inlaid with |
mother of pearl, and over head hang
Two immense balloons, covered with
figures of dragons, with an aspect |
terrible enough to alright even the |
valiant St George. A mantlepiece
IF white porcelain is covered with
lying figures of blue birds. The
connection between objects dis.
played is sometimes little ludi-
,rous, as, per example, finely
prepared skeleton and a patent
in close proximity TO