The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-12-05

them as soon as he could make them The
manufacturer looked not so much aghast as
bored and Indifferent at his crazy customer,
and quietly refused to make any on order.
He said that his wife amused herself by
making them on winter evenings, and all
argument and offers failed to convince the
old hard-head that it was well worth his
while to make speciality of the little toy
lanterns He only sat there and blandly
filled and smoked his pipe while his visitor
discoursed in worldly way, and after SELL
ing him the 300 lanterns that he had on
hand graciously said that he might have
some more for him if he came around next
summer
1t this lack of the real grasping, money
making, business instinct that makes it so
hard for an amateur to buy of these peo-
pie, or to find the things that he wants to
buy. One would think that they had not
the least desire to sell their things the way
the game goes on, and time is certainly not
money in this country. As the best shops
show no outward sign of business, we felt
rather uncertain when our jinrickisha men
dropped the shafts before a solemn-looking
house, whose latticed front was painted
dark brown, and assured us that it was
Nishimura's place. Nishimura is the great
silk merchant and Grape manufacturer OF
Kioto, and it is he who, at Government re-
quest, has exhibited the most wonderful
fabrics and embroideries at the expositions
of Vienna Philadelphia, and Paris, and
brought home the gold and bronze medals.
Stopping, we entered latticed gate and
saw at our right only two large matted
rooms, opening on narrow inner court,
and across the court smaller matted rooms
that seemed plainly to be the living-rooms
of the family. Three men were sitting
before the lacquer boxes that serve as desks
in japanese shops, with the inevitable little
bowl of Goals beside them for their pipes.
There was not thread of silk in sight nor
ANYTHING to suggest that silk or Grape could
be found in the place, nothing but the
smooth mats, the polished wood walls and
the three men in their loose cotton gowns
in sight. We were inclined to apologize
and withdraw until one of the saluting men
pointed to the right and leading us down
the narrow passage Of court and around
bamboo screen introduced us to the lower
floor of the big "godown." The ''godown
is the fre-proof storehouse attached to every
Japanese house or establishment, and Is
built of plaster and tiles, with walls nearly
foot thick, small barred windows, and a
ponderous double door like burglar-proof
safe. As the godown is usually painted
black, the resemblance to big safe is really
strong, and one finds all a mans riches IN
his godown.
On the first floor of Nishimura's godown
were displayed the embroidered screens
that so easily set one wild if he has any
taste for art needlework and japanese de-
signs. There were screens ranging from
$50 to $4,000, the latter a marvellous piece
of embroidery, fine enough to need g lass
to show the wonderful arrangement of
stitches, and effective enough to show as a
brilliant decoration across the largest room.
One peacock, that threw its gorgeous feath-
ers over an entire panel, was reproduced to
the finest detail, and for every feathery tip
on the peacock's breast and tail there were
stitches corresponding on the satin panel.
One most striking bit of embroidery was
screen panel of black satin shOwinga branch
of a pine tree, on which rested huge crow,
his blue-black plumage worked out as finely
and showing as effectively on the dull black
groundwork as if on white On another
screen were some tigers disporting them
selves under messy old tree, each hair
and shadow on. their fine silky coats repro
duced with the needle and floss. Defer
ring to the cruder tastes of foreign tour
lists, Nishimura has scores of narrow-pan-
elled screens embroidered with storks and
impossible flowers in heavy gold thread-a
style of screen and needlework that no ia
panese would give houseroom to. To them
the most beautiful screens are not these
panels of gaudy bullion, or even these real
istic needle pictures in colored silks, and
for their own houses the Japanese prefer
one single design of great simplicity stretch
ing across the whole screen, painted either
in colors on a ground of gold paper, as in
the screens of the old temples and palaces,
or in India-ink on fine tissue or rice-paper.
A native prefers, above all, one well-draWn
skeleton branch of cherry or plum-tree
outlined against a full moon, and wonders
not little at the strange notions of the
foreigners who want their screen-picture
cut up in little pieces and crowded with
beasts, birds, flowers, and trees.
The stairways to the upper floors of a
japanese house are always as steep as those
on shipboard, and ascending to the second
floor of the godown was like climbing a
slippery ladder. The tukusa, or big square
Kioto cushion-coyers, on which so much
beautiful work is lavished, were stacked in
piles on tables up there, and the two bare
footed, bushy-headed young boys who had
us in charge shook them out and held the
embroidered pictures up before us by the
half hour before we tired of the sight.
Such wealth of color and tinsel, such
bearded old men, such birds, turtles, flow
ers, iunks, crests, symbols, and scenes were
embroidered on those squares of satin and
Grape as to make one sigh and feel helpless
at the prospect of choosing from them. As
in everything of japanese workmanship,
there were no two in the least alike, and
the choice was simply between two hundred
and more beautiful square yards, all differ
ing in attractions On ceremonial occa-
sions the japanese use these fuhusa as
covers for the foor-cushions, and one can
picture the effect of these brilliant squares
laid around on the white-straw mats await
ing company to be seated.
A specially of the Nishimura establish
ment is painted velvet Kakemonos, screens
and cushion covers are made of the uncut
velvet, on which designs are painted, and
softly shaded effects then given by cutting
the pile here and there. Wonderfully plu
maged birds, softly tinted lotus blossoms
and dreamy landscapes are done on this
material, and the effect is most beautiful
The velvet is woven on hand loom in a
shabby little building back of the godown
the half-naked weaver casting the shuttles
back and forth and working the treadlei
ten hours day, The fine copper wires
over which the pile is raised are left in
when the velvet is given to the artist tc
paint, and with the strokes of his brush
he uses the knife to give the proper shad
ing with the cut pile. The edges, back