The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-28

How the Fans, Screens, Pottery and Brio a.
Brac OF Japan Are Made.

AN IMPORTED JAPANESE VILLAGE
How the Fans, Screens, Pottery and Bric-a-
Brac OF Japan Are Made.
New York Evening Post,
There is much more of real interest in the
JananeSe village now on exhibition in the Madi-
on-square Garden than can be seen in one visit.
1t Is now fully organized in all its departments.
Since the steady importation of Jananese brc-a
brac-fans, umbrellas, cloisopne ware, lacquer
screens, etc.-which began about fifteen years
ago, these prod ucts have become almost neces-
sary in household decoration, and many col
lectors have become expert in estimating the
value OF Japanese art work But, though Japan
csc oric-a brac has come into almost universal
use here, almost nothing is known of the meth
DDS OF its manufacture or of the people who
make 1t. An American firm, engaged for the
last ten years In the manufacture of Japanese
art ware in Yokohama. conceived the idea Of
taking score or two of their best
tools and customary workshop surroundings.
In order to show the people who buy these wares
something OF the processes by which they are
turned out In enormous quantities and at low
prices. Messrs. Deaken Brothers, the firm in
question, have several hundred in their home
factory, and employ the best workmen that
money can command in Japan. Some of the
bronze work done by their men is even too costly
for this Market one enormous piece, five feet
high, a vase with dragons, now on exhibition,
employed two men for nearly two years, and
is valued at s. 800 In August last the company
of sixty eight Japanese, including ten women
and some children, arrived in San Francisco,
where for several months the exhibition was
crowded with visitors. At present the Village"
is inspected by average of 2, 800 persons
daily Along the walls of the hall in which the
exhibition is held are built booths, or japanese
huts, of bamboowood in each OF which
more workmen ply the trade to which they and
their ancestors for many generations have
devoted themselves, the son almost always fol
lowing his fathers business. The workers are
raised upon platforms so that visitors can see
perfectly the details of the work they are en-
gagged upon.
The Japanese artisans sit invariably upon
their platforms, or upon the floor, their legs
crossed under them. All attempts at introduce
ing chairs and tables for Japanese workmen
proved to be useless the men complaining that
it tired them to sit on chairs. They work very
quietly, keeping their tools brushes, ETC., in
beautiful order but accomplishing great deal
with apparently small effort. They regard the
visitors with evident interest, and although but
few of them understand any English, they at
tempt explanations of their work in q bright and
pleasant manner, very different from that of the
stolid Chinese. The appearance of q negro at
the exhibition iS sufficient to create quite a com
motion, O. black man being far more of curl
osity to the Japanese than Japanese is to us.
Americans they are quite familiar with.
The first booth is the carpenters shop, two
men working upon whatever woodwork may be
of Japanese manufacture and of excellent
steel. In planning the men draw the plane toward
them in cutting; when they saw it will also ne ob
served tho cutting is done on the up-stroke, in
stead of on the down stroke as with us, the
teeth OF the saw pointing toward the handle
The saws have teeth on both edges. Next comes
the bronze molder, who designs the wonderful
dragons, gods and monsters in wax. When the
model is perfect, it is coated with clay, which,
when dry, is heated, allowing the wax to melt
and out. Bronze is then poured
in, and when the metal has hardened
the earthenware mold is broken off, leaving
bronze fac-simile Of tho original wax. In this
work at home in everything done by the
Japanese, there is no minute division of labor.
One man makes article complete 80 far as
possible; for the purpose of exhibition there is
certain division of labor, as to show different
processes going on at the same time There are
half dozen men engaged in various kinds of
decoration, some painting cheap earthenware in
gaudy coors, with lightning like daubs; others
painting and gliding kioto ware with exquisite
delicacy, others causing foliage and flowers to
hangings. The man who ornaments little
vases paints Try rapidly, holding the vase
in one hand, brushes containing different
colors in tho other, and third between his
teeth In about minute the little vase. three
or four inches high, is covered with leaves and
flowers How completely the painter has be-
come a mere machine may be judged by the
mathematical exactuess with which one design
is copied from the memory over and over again.
The man who paints paper panels with flowers,
BIRDS and mountains, works with his panel
upside down in order to show his intimate ac-
quaintance with the subject and his facility with
the brush
The tailor does not differ much from our own
tailors in his position or movements. ex-
cept in the movement of his great toe
for winding his thread around. The barber
and hairdresser gets his customers from the cti-
of the village, who are only too glad to have
their hair dressed free of cost. Japanese
women of the better classes have their hair
dressed about twice q week. The long pins
with which they transfix their headgeer sup
posed to indicate by their number and position
whether the wearor is girl of manageable age,
a wife, widow who thinks of marrying again;
or one who is inconsolable. The tea house is
one of the curiosities of the place, containing
some of the very few Japanese women who have
been seen in this country. One of the girls is
quite pretty. and deals out tea in tiny cups with
captivating grace. In the tea-house may usu-
ally be found the chiidren-two babies and two
small boys-over whom an immense fuss is
made by the women visitors.
1t is impossible even to mention half the curl
Gus things to be seen in the booths devoted to
pottery making cloisonne work, silk spinning
and weaving, embroidery, etc. The success of
the exhibition is not at all surprising, and, al
though it is, of course, a show workshop, the
men do actual work with the tools they use at
home, and the processes are those in every day
use III Japan.
Curing Glover Hay.