The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-08-04
Japanese Pans.

japanese Pans.
Out of the several trades Of Japan that
have been developed since the opening up
Of that empire to the western hemisphere,
few, if any, appear to have extended more
rapidly or largely than that of fans. In
the olden times, it is said, the sale Of these
articles seldom exceeded 200 a year for
the whole country, but the year before last
nearly 3, 200, 900 were exported from Hiogo
and Osaka, besides upwards of 100000
ordered for the Centennial Exhibition at
Philadelphia The value of these fans
was about $4,000. They were all those
known in Japan as "Ogi," or folding fans,
the kind which is almost exclusively ex-
ported, and their destination was, with few
exceptions, the United States, where there
is very much greater demand for them
than in England or any other country.
Osaka is the great depot for the manufac-
ture Of the ogi, all descriptions of the bam-
boo kind being made there; whilst the
figures, hieroglyphics, and such like orna-
mcntation, are executed at kiyoto, where
the superior fans, called "uchiwa," which
are extensively used by the better classes
of japanese, children and others, are man
ufactured. \ short account of the man
ufacture may be interesting. The process
ses of making ogi are distributed amongst
a large number Of people many of whom
work in their own houses. For instance,
the bamboo ribs Of the fans are made by
private persons at home, aud the handles
are afterwards executed by the finishing
workmen, who combine the various notches
cut in the lower parts Of the ribs accord
ing to patterns prepared by an official
styled the designer. This authority is the
most important person in the staff of en-
ployes. He issues to the engravers the
patterns he considers will be most saleable
in the coming season, and it rests with
him, when the blocks have been cut, to
choose the colors that shall be used for
such part Of the design, and the different
sheets to be placed on opposite sides of
the fan. These sheets having been given
over with the ribs to workman, his first
duty is TO fold them so that when the fan
is sformed they will retain the proper crease
For this purpose they are folded up be
tween two creased pieces Of heavily-oiled
paper, aud pressed for a certain time, when
they are taken out and packed up in their
folds for at least twenty-four hours. Next
the ribs are set in their places on one of
the sheets, which has been spread out on
block and pasted dash of paste is
given to the woodwork to make it adhe-
siye, and then the other sheet is laid on.
These parts having been allowed to dry,
the pieces, including the outer covering,
are riyetted together, some varnish is ap.
piled and the fan is finished. The outside
pieces are lacguered, and their preparation
as well as all the fancy work with which
the fans are beautiied, is carried out in
Osaka and Kiyoto, where very artistic de-
signs in gold lacquer on bone are some
times produced But there is not, it seems,
sufficient demand to encourage the manu-.
facture Of any large amount of frst-class
work. Indeed, the fans of this district,
though very good, aud, as the extent to
which they are exported shows, much ap-
prcciated beyond Japan, are neither the
choicest in design, the neatest in style, nor
the most expensive, being surpassed in all
these respects by the Toxic fans. They
are, however, better and more durable than
those made ut Nagoya, which are cheaper,
and on that account, perhaps, are com.
monty used by the Japanese themselves,
cheapness being, no doubt, n consideration
in a country where fan is as necessary
an article Of dress as a pocket handker-
chief is here, and is exposed to no small
amount Of wear and tear. But Toxic,
though mentioned above is producing bet
ter fans than Osaka, also turns out inferior
ones of the "uchiwa" description, and
these are made, too, at Fushimi.
The account given above Of the mode
of making fans shows that there is nothing
very abstruse in the art dexterity and
neatness Of hand seem the principal quail
ifcations for good workman. But it is
wonderful to think of mere paper standing
all the handling, creasing, folding and un.
folding, and pressing, that is involved in
fabricating single fan. Native paper
alone can endure the ordeal; foreign paper
has been tried, and proved unsuitable for
the work, but it has been found possible,
with great care, to make fans with printed
patterns sent from America, Japanese pa
per being invariably used for one of the
faces. 1t is complained that the quality
of the nItiye article has deteriorated with |
the increasing demand, so that the paper
now used is not nearly so good as that of
which the old fans were formed and con
sequently the method Of manufacture has
had to be changed. 1t used to be the
plan to stick the paper faces Of the fan to-
gether, and then run in the ribs, which !
were pointed but now the ribs are square,
and are fastened in their places with paste
in the manner already described. The
prices of fans appear to have gone up since
foreigners have been admitted into Japan,
but even so they are not very expensive
luxuries. Ten and fifteen dollars are spe-
cited as high figures given for fans espe.
cially made to order; but the ordinary
range of prices is much lower. IL may
be imagined that some Of those made for
foreigners were costly, as they are describ-
ed as having been ornamented with flags,
pictures of the Exhibition, advertisements,
and various exeentric devices beyond the
power Of the ordinary native designers,
whose talents were, in such cases, only
exercised in the choice of colors. Thus,
the Office Of the Japanese designer has Of
late been somewhat shorn of its import
ance, but it may be expected that the
native powers Of imitation will in time
assert themselves, and his prestige be re-
established,-LoRdon Post.
II is related that the late General John
G. Breckenridge had son (Cabel) upon
his staff, and at the terrible charge Of the
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