The New York herald., 1876-07-14
Beauties and Curiosities Of the
Japanese Department.
SCULPTURE AND PAINTING.
Oriental Tact. Representing Things
as They Are.
JlPANS DELICATE And COSTLY ARRAY or CERAMICS

at being suddenly confronted with utterly
and different way of dealing with familiar topic
revelation threadbare themc All this
charm is kind OF detail that travellers for tho
most part do not write about. anu that only
whom get the life of the people unconsciousy put
before by such extracts from their shop windows
the Exhibition Affords In the Japanese depart
ment there is display not precisely OF dolls. but
that for classification than 10 any other
vcnient term. There images oil Japanese men and
women of various stations IN life, aud Of animals
People most pleased TO note in this place tho
chickens,
ruE CATS, THE MoSKxYs,
the dogs, aud hero is quite much difference be-
tween these animals and our animals Of the same
species there between tho japanese and ourselves
Why should pussy developed the hresides of these
quaint little people, turn oddly different from
familiar tabby or from the gray Maltese or the
whtc Pc rsan or any other Of the species? II might
be easy to put discrepancies of this TO the of
the artist and deny that they exist in naure but tho
Japanese artists are too accurate Tor this theory to
stand. As he reaches this part of the display the
tanned small boy OF Philadelphia shouts TO his COM
radc the distance 'Come and the poppy show"
which is the vernacunr for poupee show, or puppot
show, just as the learned may please
One of the parts Of this poppy show likely to at
tract attention these days s that OF the polo play
well carved ponics and armed with polo sticks are
rushing at bali at desperate pace, and the fidelity
OF the representation is such almost TO inspire the
observers with interest in the game
SCULPTURE IN NARBLx,
favored by Greece and Rome and copied by US 49, no
doubt very fine and classical; yet for real fidelity
there is a great deal to be said in iavor of the
sort Of art that may be supposed to dncr
from art in marble just as tho
drnm
No sane creature would class Nine Tussaud's gallery
with artistic collections yet witness the effect that
queer enterprise has hundreds Of thousands
PIE In fact, this is because OF the clothes In age
when everybody is great deal dressed great part OF
II sculptor presents Horace Greeley ciass,cally,
and caricatnrst puts the Old white hat the
turist has tho best oil tho battle In tho days when
s,a,usry, as cassicay understood grew up every one
was either naked or only envcoped IN toga, which Of
all garments ever worn had the least individuality
Now that humanity has advanced to clothes the sculp
tor should take these INTO account and the of
the success OF the Japanese shop is that is
JAPANESE
they really Phidas could be more success
u to their faces and attitudes, the best tailor
the world happier tho reproduction Of their quaint
garments Half hour in front OF this shop good
as promenade IN the streets OF the Japanese capital
One OF the Japanese cases presents conspcuousy
the words ''Huncho dori" This mcch like the
"hunky dory' OF our local slang AZ TO excite some
curiosity Upon inquiry IL is ca ned that Huncho dori
a queer coincidence that these syIabes should have
come to express with an idea OF satisfactory
or brilliant position. Did tho sailors import this
JAPAN MAKES SPLENDID DISPLAY
OF porcelans scrccns straw work. household furniture
silk goods aud manufactured bronzes but BY all odds
It's finest exhibit its Characteristic feature Is an
lacker work. One piece IN the department cata-
cgued the finest poce lackcr ever done IN Japan
THIS may well be. for 1t gem. IL is of jewel
cabinets set In frame OF beautifully carved tortoise
she'll The four cabinets that ill this frame are made
in the tour main styles OF lacker work, and Of all
beautiful boxes made as reccptacles OF jewels
or other articles Of beauty or value they
tha hpoc
In tho cases OF articles in lackcr arc also seen,
made In the same shapes, articles OF faryke daiuti.
IN ivory and silver, not inferior dclicacy Of
effect or hncuess OF finish to the articles in acker
Some OF the lackcr articles tckcted made 100
years ago. yet their corners are as sharp and the sur
faces fine brilliant cver-a TACT calculated 10
give an IDEA 0f the durability OF this material These
articles very expensive which is perhaps due 10
the fact that they are ornamcnted great deal with
silver and gold.
TOILET ARTICLES,
and little OF drawers that might be useful in
library are priced at from $40 TO 500 Our cabinet
makers wonld furnish them mahogany rose wood
at from $40 to s4o II the Japanese would leave out
the silver and god which scarcely add the beauty
they could supply these articles at price that would
attract thousands OF purchasers, ior one is so lack
ing in fancy that lie would prefer quaint bits OF
this his house the routine articles of furn-
In reference to China wo have noticed tho
influence of the
GRorEsouE IN COLOR AND PORN
Scarcely Chinese effect but Is assisted in some de-
gree by this influence. 1t rs otherwise, however. in
the Japanese department. Here the relation of colors
Is such would be approved our own schools, and
the forms such the art Of civilized people deals
WITH and the effects always admirable cbastc. deli
cate, and such TO uspre the enthusiasm Of the
lovers OF the beautiful This the production Of
real Objects boxes cabinets vases In bronze or porce
lain &c But in graphic the japanese far
from nature their continental ncighbor,
though their conventionalties are not the same They
seem To he in transition stage from the violence Of
Chinese art to the rational conditions OF tho West In
this respect II they make brass sky they seem to
have perception tnat the mountains and the rivers
should sy pathize with u in metallic blaze.
IN REGARD To PERSPECTIVE,
that effect have been los, upon them Because OF the
utter failure OF their In this respect they
mot less monstrously magnificent than those from
China. Exception is be made. however, even
in this particular. There Is in obscure part
of tho japanese department picture
silk in which there is actually sense of pcrspec-
tive This picture is in It's way sort OF japanese
Mldsummer Nights Dream" Doubtless II is an Illus
tra,on OF some japanese poem or fairy story The
subject is procession of grasshoppers whose brilliant
green bodies and angular shanks adapted TO the
Japanese treatment The winding ol the procession Il
II is lost IN the distance involves the gIimmer there
Is OF the perspective. Some grasshoppcrs carry
torches or banners magnificent white flowers All arc
led by great black beetle and thcy bear. IN the
ner of a paanqnin bird cage containing perhaps The
boss grasshopper though the dstnclncss OF the work
At that point leaves the subject in doubt
CERAMICS.
In the difficult subject OF ceramics, two three
hours spent IN the japanese department, with It's ex
trcmcly rich array OF porcelain, and with the ntclli-
gently written Japanese catalogue for guide, MS
good years study less favorable circumstances
None interested In this beautiful study should miss the
opportunity. There Is here which contains
the history Of this art in Jalan with specimens
copies OF specimens OF the pottery made IRON the very
earliest period OF Japanese civilization These spcc-
are almost invaluable for school OF industrial
art but they will not remain with They have
been purchased-thc whole coi!cction-for the South
Kensiugton Museum, London John Bull had his eyes
wide open TOR \ brilliant og portunty.
than Is exhibited IN the Japanese department could
probably not be done by any other people IN the world
In the Agricultural Hail. the japanese have a
for tho exhibition of products of the soil which
interesting az tcashop, but In the grounds, however,
is Japanese bazaar attached to which is exhibit
OF japanese plants set up IN real Japanese garden
This real scrap of japanese landscape with trim
bits OF bamboo border and trees. Most OF the plants
not in the ground, but In gigantic porcelain pots.
and they shaded from the extreme hcat OF the
by means OF straw mats awnings.
THE STORY OF CHARLEY ROSS.