The Penn's Grove record., 1886-09-11
outline Principles of Decoration as
seen by a Native.

Dear W btt a bulllAC VI AuClb hllu RIO-
iucers let loose, tackled against walls,
pread over bureaus, hung by posts,
and, in short, scattered all over an
apartment as if they were goods for
ale. Nay to call that ''dainty fan
iecOrationl'
Nor do we pretend to appreciate those
costly fans much admired by the ladies
Of this country. The broad frames of
polished ivory, on which are wrought
l~extravagant carvings, and the shining
Ifrnges that adorn their edges, may be
grand" but, honestly, they look only
awkward to our eyes. When summer
comes the bulk and weight of a fan of
this description necessarily require a GER
tain amount of muscular exertion to
draw any draught; but then it is found
out that the heat generated in the exer-
else will generally be nor than can be
famed away by the drowsy flaps of this
not easily manageable weapon; and
after all the ladies are obliged to relate
the history and the skilful workman
ship of this favorite fan amid fainting
breath and running perspirationl
Now | hasten to mention lanterns
and umbrellas. Well, lanterns have
some charms of their own. For in
stance, take a plain glass-cased lantern
and hang it in the deepening shades of
a green bower on a summer evening,
there you will perceive the very spot
where pearly dews lodge, and in the
stream OF its pale rays, you will even
imagine you were in the presence of cool
ness herself. Or hang out a lot of paper
lanterns in a gay row, over your win
dowsill and along your store fronts.
The burning candles will send out from
every II of your houses the air of JOY
and hilarity to join the prevailing fes-
tiyity of any occasion. But the UNI
brellas are very charmless things, and /
have nothing to say about them. Any
way it was beyond the genius of Japan
ese people to bring either lanterns Dr.
umbrellas into a richly decorated hall,
and to dream the harmony with the
elittering surroundings. If it were in
Japan l should have goad reason to be
offended at my being led as a guest into
a place where lanterns and umbrellas
are lying scattered.
The time and circumstances have led
the japanese to acquire that peculiar
taste of loving simple things with i'm
aginative conceptions; and hence an
aversion to the childish love of mere
showiness and gorgeousness. Thus, the
japanese are totally disguised with
painted picture panels and silk embroid-
cred screens, although they are above
others, well known in the foreign mar
ket as japanese goods. They are
altogether too vulgar for our taste,
though we manufacture them, and we
supply the demands abroad. 1t is true,
the sliding doors, the movable screens
the hanging panels, are all fayorite and
necessary furnltures of the japanese
household decoration, but the point
here is that we would rather have them
framed and finished in a gentle and
tasteful manner than have them debased
with glaring and ~ostentatious colors or
pants, and also that we would rather
have them painted with a serene noun
tain scenery or a poetic cuckoo flying
in a moon than have them covered with
cheap-looking embroidery work.
The same sentiment forbids us to
overload our rooms with mere curios.
For this reason our bronze flower vase,
however unique and rare a thing 1t may
happen to be, we always appreciate II
better with fresh cut branches of trees
planted in it than when it is kept top
side down on a special stand Just 10
satisfy the visitors curiosity.
| condescend to say that our dwell
lings generally lack glaring contrast OF
hues or abundant furnituring of chairs,
sofas, mirrors, stands, ETC., which are
so many sources of western comfort.
Jlnf - y,,,gt ha AVrnn1 th1f If IL moi the
Japanese temper to extort wonder and
admiration under a glance. We are
satisfied, if We find pleasure in looking
into our yard, where a hill rises in per-
feet likeness Of serene nature, and q
cascade ripples down a rugged preci'
pice into a pond below, enjoyed by a
pair or two of happy ducks. fishing
peacefully at the roots of growing
reeds. We feel proud if the landscapes
and birds and flowers upon Il doors
and screens are vivid enough to trans
port our guest into an unconscious re-
citation of a lyric. The shelves, run.
ming not uniformly, but artistically; the
carved figures, not grotesque, Du,
quaint; the exposed posts, neither
shayen nor stained, but polished until
it is shining; the nails, insignificant n
yet ornament headed, n by one, az
they come into perception, will WORK
~immeasurable charm into the MIND oil
an interested observer.
We have sometimes been ridiculed al
the lack of geometrical uniformity ID
our decoration, tut we never look oVei
the harmony. For instance, we viii
hang up our valuable pictures with Q
costly string instead of worthless wires.
and the luxuriant plants we will KEEP
in proportionally beautiful pots, instead
of crude wares of reddish brown earth
Nor do We overlook that important
principle of art of decoration-the
change and refreshing; neither do we
| overcrowd our rooms with the whole
sale exhibition of all beautiful things
we have. We display. panels and pic
lures sparingly at a time in their mum
Der; but we never allow the same onei
to remain hung at the same spot over a
season; they are displaced with TIM re-
served ones from time to time, thus CIV
ing the place the fresh and changed airs
TO suit the season and occasion. In
fact, this system of ''spare and change"
| display a very sensible portion OF Jap,
anese decoration, for our visitors VIII
always find a chance to do homo 10 the
correct taste of the host.
- A.. Cratn