New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-24

TIE INDUSTRIES OF JAPAN Together win oD Sa
Account Of From travels and Under.
tSken ~ the Cost Of the Prussian GovernmCahhs NJ
y Se bonn Pr0i $S
and three maps Imperial svo, PIP. ofo' ~ y
Armstrong son.
Though practically an entirely lnuePenu 'l,O
work. this is the second volume oil Professor mem
japanese researches, the first having peen Issue
q this country under the title Japan" Ihat
,rsatcd Of the physiography, natural history and
topography of the japanese Empire, and 10 was
earlv recognized as the most comprehensive ana
tborough work on the subjects extant In 1ne
tonics dealt with here the author is not SO oiS-
t,nctlv n specialist, but the exhaustive ana care-
ful Gerrnnn methods are not less apparent' au"
there can be no doubt as 10 the pains taken "
obtain axactness OF statement. The hook Is d.
vided into sections, the first being asrlcuiDure
and forestry, and agricultural industries Inns
Covers Japanese agriculture In general 1000
nlants. plants of commerce, cattle-faising anu
silkerowing, forestry, the nature and use OF the
more important forest trees and other useiui 'oP
anese woods, gardening and acchmati%aIoh VI
Japanese ornamental and useful plants In Europe
The second section treats of mining. The third
do.,s with art industry and related occupations
ond embraces Japanese art industry in general
wood industry lacquer work, textiles paper
wood. ivory and bone carving, metals ceramics.
and enamels The rest OF the volume Is oecnpeu
by chapters on trade and commerce, and series
of valuable statistical tables, and 1T concludes
with double index, one in English and Latin ana
the other In japanese.
Naturally the chapters on art industry win
attract the most interested attention, and they
well repay it. Certainly no such careful and
detailed examination of japanese art processes has
been published before. The accounts OF the
lacquer work, of paper manufacture, OF The metal
industries, and of ceramics and enamels, arc es-
peciaIly fun and important, and these chapters
are illustrated by many really beautiful repro
auctions, in colored Autographs and various pro-
cesses, of the finer laequers and OF some lovely
ceramic specimens. The frontislIece is mar
yellously faithful fac-simile of a moonlight land
scape in lacquer specimen Of the lcather-pnper
is given as also several specimens Of the japanese
beEt paper bearing proofs Of Japanese woodcuts
The colored plates representing Arita porcelain,
Satsuma ware, Kaga porcelain, cloisonne and cham
pleve enamels, etc, are enough TO make col
lector's mouth water. The chief lesson OF this
japanese art Is one which cannot be too much
impressed ppn that Western world which, while
arrogantly assuming the capacity to teach and
ciyiiize Japan is notoricusly and palpably decn-
ing in art seriousness and value because Of the
decay of conscientiousness, patience and loyalty
In execution. The characteristics Of japanese
art are devotion infinite patience and conscience.
The marvellous realism and picturesque faithful
ness Of japanese painters IS the result Of incessant
study observation and practice. The secret Of the
beauty and endurance Of japanese lacquer work,
| japanese ceramics and japanese enamels is the
same. All their art treasures represent age-long
1 cultivation of individualism, moreover. In vain
| the mechanics of Europe have sought to rival
or surpass the finest grades Of japanese paper,
| which have now come to be employed for the
reception Of the most delicate proof engravings.
The fact is that the machine cannot cope with
the human hand jmpelled by an instructed human
brain.
/ japanese art developed to its highest point
| under isolation and feudalism. IL was declining
| when the seclusion Of the Empire was violently
broken into by the Western Powers. Since then
it has gone from bad to worse; IL has fallen, In
great measure, to the pot-boiling huckstering
stage. The surprising initiative faculty possessed
| by the japanese artist and mechanic has been
prostituted to the base uses OF competition
with machine processes. Hence the rapid de-
Senoration Of the national artsense, and the In
vasion of the noblest art-school remaining on the
earth by the coarse and greedy commercial spirit
which sacrifices principles, effects, everything, TO
the sordid quest Of profit. The truth is that in
effable twaddle Is talked about japanese "pro-
gress" under the inspiration of Western ideas.
It has hitherto been retrogresson, not progress.
Every change thus far made in the old Empire has
been in the direction Of ugliness, bad taste, q
lower standard OF aesthetics land, perhaps, OF
ethics, tool a senseless and incongruous adapta-
ton TO Western customs which In themselves are
ranlkly barbarous. And for these pseudo-improve-
axxha IL mot a g1,a had nj
industries Of her own which Europe could not
rival Look at her noble bronze work, her
porcelsins OF Arita and ksga, her stone ware, her
wrought iron work, her carvings, her exquisite
paintings, her textile fabrics. her papers, her lac
Quers, her enamelsl Is IL 70 be conceived that
she win ever derive from the West competent sub
gtitutes for the artistic grasp deicacy Of execu-
ton, precision OF outline, feeling for the pct
urcsque sureness Of taste, which characterize bei
pure native art in ell their branchesp Surely
not; for the West itself has ceased to possess
these qualities, and therefore cannot impart them
i Take in illustration, the magnificent eagle in
w4onghtiFsn figured in this volume from tho
!, original in the South Kensngton Museum. II
find peer to this eagle for spirit fidelity 70 nature
nobility Of conception, and perfeesion Of detail
ana execution generally, we would have 70 60 ysry
far back 1t is indeed strange how Greek tone
there. is about this and many other Japanese or
works. What one looks for yainly in them ii
/ the peculiar stia conventional crudites which
are associated with ell our ideas of Oriental art
They resemble in no degree the productions o.
India or China They are Enthusiastically ths
realisation OF free and elastic imagination, crampe
, by no ARTIFICIAL regulations, interfered with b.
no dis6guring theories lied 10 no SUPPLYING con
ventionalss. but aspiring unclsclsed, and reflect
Ing through the ready vehicle Of carefully Trained
manual skin, the phenomena OF nature, the faunI
, and fora Of the country, the groesque caprice
/ Of froncsome fancy, with equal fidelity, spiri
!, and subtility. Nothing shows the depth sns
delieacy Of Japanese art more strildngly thar
!, tho parzimony Of representation In their work
staaa sspsslstx 10 tseirsRaintiag. A 5saenss'