Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-07-27

Some japanese Screens ond Pic
tures-Ths Jops Humorous People
The Hot Heather
from our Regular Correspondent
Philadelphhia, July q 1876.
( Of all the exhibits or the Centen-
NAL grounds those Of China and Japan
embrace some Of the most curious and
novel. There are many things in the
Government building and in all the
other buildings Of greater interest and
more Instructive to the majority Of
visitors; bnt when it comes to mere Gu
riousjty and admiration Of odd ingenu-
ity, the Chinese and japanese get the
palm. The displays Of these two nat
ioDalities in the main building are
closely associated in the public mind,
but the resemblance Is more apparent
than real, and the mingling of interest
in the two departments is no more than
& general attraction towaads all things
strange and curious. It has already
been demonstrated that the majority Of
people only go to the Exposition to be
amused, and, taking that ingenious
= view OF the Fair, they DO not bother
themselves about distinctions, but
cody place all the 'barbarians'' on the
sume plane. But the more discrimina-
ting visitor scarcely needs to be told
I that there are in fact not as many
points Of resemblance as Of diferance
between the Japanese and Chinese.
The superiority Of the former race was
never made more clear than in the pre-
sent contrast Of their capacities, and
their points Of divergence are very cds
liou8. The propinqaity Of the depart
ments offers the best of opportunity for
comparative display, and although peo-
pie tor the most part take the whole
thing as an entertainment, there is still
a class-aud 8 constant increasing one
which delights in comparing and
critically estimating those wonderful
demonstrations Of Eastern humanity
These departments are on the main
avenue in the eastern end of the Main
Building. The screens for which the
| Japanese h2v" haan famous time cat
Of mind form a leading feature Of their
| display. These articles serve the dou-
bic purpose OF use and ornament, and
it is easy to understand from looking
at them how important part they
bear in the peculiar in-and ont of-house
life Of the japanese Articles Of fur
niture hold a direct relation to the DO
lnestic needs and habits af people,
and these screens, which we here re
gard mainly as curiosities, are with
the japanese household necessities as
much almost as chairs or tables. They
are all made upon one general plan,
! generally in three divisions connected
by hinges Of metal or webbing, and 0!
uniform size. The frames are of BAN
boo and other light woods, and the
coverings Of silk, cotton or paper
The goods here shown, being designed
to show the best grade Of manufacture,
the groundwork being rich silk Of neu.
tral tInts, and ornamentation Of the
most surprising and lavish character
This ornamentauon is Of threefo!d
sort painting, embroidary. and un-
ique process Of 'peicing'' or "quilting,,
W ich is not to be seen III the decorat-
ing art of any other people. Occasion
ally all three styles may be seen in q
single work, but usually when in con.
junction only the first two or the first
anu last are noticed. Embroidary anc
quitting are rot seen together. The
really finest works are the embroiderie:
, proper. for while the paintings are GU
rions, the japanese do not as yet exec
in this art. In embroidering. however
they equal the world and the work on
these screens will be found as good a.
the best in the Royal School of Ar
Needlawork or elsewhere in the Expo
sition. The colors. contrasts, anC
whole management Of the effects are ex
i traordinary fne. The delineaticn Of
e small birds is exquisite, and a group 0
!, pigeons, for spirit aud natualness. ex
e cites universal admiration Of course
female beauty comes in largely for dis