Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-03-14
JAPAN ESsI FANS,
something Of Interest about the Pop
uinr Articles.

Twenty wears ago these fans which
now abound in every house, and which
may be bought by the dozen Mt nomin-
nj price, were regarded as genuine cur
iosltics. Now, from the very reasou that
they are cheap and common, they are
rarely examined, although their utility rs
n protection against fire heat, or ms fill
ing up blank corner and their ornament
al qualities when dexterously bound in
worked satin, are generally acknowledged.
Yet each of these fans is i'll reality cur
iosity, and there is far more food for study
in them than in half the blue smudged
china which fetches fabulous prices in tbs
market. ,
The fan painters of Japan are an especial
separate guild, rs distinct from artists IN
other branches rs with us the scene paint
er is from the portrait painter. The un-
knowing Englishman looking at Japan
ese fan sees nothing in it but upon one
side grotesque representation OF the
"penny plain and twopence colored" or
der, and upon tho other few crude
splashes of ink. But to the citizen OF
Toxic or Osaka each fan carries special
signification-a story, or part OF story
an allusion, satire or suggestive idea
To certain degree the fan is to the Jap
anese citizen what Punch or the window
of the Stereoscopic Company is to the
Londoner. If political event OF some
Importance takes place. it is sure to be
followed by q flood of new fans upon the
market, and the Japanese, who have the
keenest sense Of humor and ridicule, finds
that to libel or criticise or carlcature by
means of fan is safer and cheaper than
by means Of tho press. When Japan was
first thrown open to certain extent to
foreigners and even for some time after,
until tho natives grew accustomed to
their new guests, it was difficult to take
up fan without being confronted by
some hideous caricature of Western per-
sonal appearance, manners and customs.
But now that every town-bred native tries
to look rs much as possible like Europe
an, and that the common crowd have be-
come familiar with cigars and breeches,
the fountain head of fan ridicule is the
powers that be. Fan-libel is cheaper
and safer mode of procedure than pen
libel, because the public censors are
thoroughly acquainted with the editors
and proprietors of the few public journ
ais, while the number of fan artists and
merchants is legion. Not always does the
ancse fan bear well-known allusion
Sometimes it is simple caricature, anc
an examination OF one of these caricatures
reveals that, however Grade and sketchy
the execution, the most genuine vein o
humor lies beneath it, especially ii IL bt
what is deemed the forte OF japanese carl
caturists-thc delineation of grotesquC
animals. Sometimes We get a bit of land
scapes, the inevitable Fuiiynma, or tei
house by q torrent, or few apparently
random dashes, of which each, however
tells its tale-or we get one of those weirt
moonlight effects OF which the Japanes,
are SO fond. The great characteristic
of all these is truth to Nature. The rnb
bits nibbling at a bale of rice may hav,
clothes on, but they are rabbits for al
that foxes especially are delineated in al
conceivable attitudes and costumes, bu
they are perfect foxes; SO with wild birds
frogs, monkeys, fish and storks.
The gaudy side of the japanese fan i
invariably a serious piece of work, and tn
scenes depicted are generally either bit
from popular drama or from one o
those countless legends and stories whicl
have delighted japanese of all classes ant
ages from time immemorial, and in man
cases bear so strong family likeness t
the stories familiar to English childhood
The popular actor in japan shares wit
the popular wrestler the privilege of basl
ing IN the sunshine of the best circles c
society he has always been very muc
what the English popular actor promise
to become-Jhe darling of the masses an
the favorite Of the court. Consequent
his portrait appears on the fans, an
although to us the faces on japanese fan
appear as like one another rs are the face
} of Sir Peter Lely's beauties in Hampto
Court palace, the japanese citizen pr'
tends to discover likeness by the acceI
sOries