The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1878-11-13
No. 46.

of the moon. The exhibits OF
both countries are large and at
tractive, the greatest excellence
being attained in articles of no
earthly use to any one, and
which for exquisite ugliness and
unique deformity could scarcely be
beaten if the devil himself were the
architect; horrible heads, mon
strous looking monsters, gaping
dragons, grifins and ichthusau-
riams, grin and jibber at you in al.
most every department. Occasional
ly some Chinese artist with soul
above buttons gives US screen or
q picture with some exquisite
touches of art, but the great ma
jority Of their work is of the horrible
and monstrous kind. Near the
central aisle is q bedstead com
posed of bamboo and sandal wood,
which is a marvel of laborious cary
ing. It looks as though long years
of labor might have been ex-
hausted on it and whole lives have
been worn out in it's construction.
Yet nothing can be conceived more
repulsive than the style of it's orns-
mentation; huge lizards climb up
the bed posts, fierce looking croco-
dies glance down upon you from
the roof, pot bellied men and lewd
looking-women seem to find infinite
amusement in pulling each others
hair, and in picking out each others
eyes. Red and gold. gold and red
are the darling colors of a China
man, while japanese taste finds
it's most exquisite qualification in
the darker shades of brown and
grey and those sweet mauve colors
which have been regarded as the
highest standards whenever high
er civilization has prevailed. In
the department of silk, however,
the Chinese are scarcely surpassed
by Italy or France, while it is true
that the Chinese silks lack the body
and finish which recommend them
so highly to the markets of Europe,
yet they have a finish and quality
peculiarly their own. There is one
case OF Chinese silks which is un-
surpassed by any thst T have ever
seen. If I am not very much mis-,
taken, the goods are the same
which were exhibited at Philadel-
phia two years ago. AS simple
display of color, it is a marvellous
revelation. The brightest of yel.
lows, the most emerald of greens,
the most brilliant of blues, the in
tensest of reds mingled with all the
wonderful shades that lie between
the grand divisions of color bar
barous and extravagant in every
thing else, in silk weaving and dye
ing and ivory carving, they have
displayed a taste and ability which
entitle them to the highest con-
sideraticn. In every department
the thing that impresses itself on
you most is the utter uselessness Of
the great majority of their work,
huge jars that never did hold any
thing cost hundreds and hundreds Of
Of dollars, rnonstrous carvings, the
very sight of which would drive the
baby into fits, are valued at Kings
ransom; yet, strange to say, these
hidious things are eagerly sought
after by ladies from Colorado and
Washington Territory who are
anxious to carry back some little
souvenirs of the Paris Exhibition
of 1878. In the matter of sales
Japan has distanced every other
nation. They are the Yankees Of
the Orient and what they can't sell
is really not worth buying. They
are so uniformly polite and gen.
tlemanly that it is a genuine pleas
ure to be swindled by them. The
leading article with the Japanese in
the present Exhibition is bronze,
and in the fabrication of wonderful
vases they are certainly unsurpassed.
L