The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-12-14
SEEN AT THE ORIENT.
JAPANESE m THEIR OWN HOMES As
OBSERVED BY AMERICAN EYES.
People who Have 30 >nperiors I'm Many
Of the Arts-Eaquisite Results Of Their
Handiwork In Carving, EnamoIing and
Embroidery.

Especial Cofrespoudence.l
KloTo, Japan, Aug. 29.-While Japar
nesc civilization Is peculiar, IL Possesses
certain qualities that win always make II
attractive to the foreigner. This is es-
/ pecially true of its Development in art AZ
/ represented in painting, sculpture, enamel
ing and lacquer work. Among all the
eastern nations in trip around the world
/ ] have seen nothing that compares with IL.
/ The beginnings as of all things Japanese
+ except cleanliness, may be traced to China
/ through Corea, but the original has been
immer-ely improved upon until Japan
stands alone In the character Of her pro-
ductions and the independence of her
schools. a.,
Pictures are before me while write, the
mere outlines of which I'm their strength
| directness and delicacy OF ofexpression would
attract attention in the Metropolitan
/ Museum of Art. There may be disregard
of the laws of perspective, but so faultlessly
accurate are the natural details that have
/ been patiently worked in that the picture
is apt TO command favorte place on your
wall or in your album. 1t has been tersely
said that japanese art is great IN small
things, but small in great things" The
artists are the Raphaels Of birds and fishes
and insects and flowers, of bamboo stems
swayng in the breeze and fragments Of
idealized scenery. Upon small surfaces
/ their decorations are indescribably beauti-
/ ful.
This sense of beauty is particularly en-
| phasized In their culture OF flowers and
gardens. The whole population turns out
several times in the year for no other pur-
pose than to visit places that are noted for
| certain kinds Of blossoms, and no visitor
has seen Japan at its best until he has at
a /.
| flower festivals around which revolve the
national holiday makings Of the people
Thus the cherry tree is cultivated not for
its fruit, but for its blossom, and it has al
| ways been to Japan what the rose Is to
| western nations The chrysanthemun is
! another favorite flower, and at the proper
season in Toxic one may see it worked into
all sorts Of sLapes-men and gods. boats,
bridges, castles, etc The variety Is amaz-
ing.
Some of the blossoms are immense. larger
| across than the span Of a mans hand. Same
are like large snowballs, the petals all
smooth and turned in, one ON top OF the
| other. Others resemble the tousled head
of "A Scotch terrier or have long fiaments
stretched out like starfish. The stran-
gest thing of all is TO see five or six kinds Of
/ various colOrs and sizes growing together
| ON the same plant--a nosegay with only
one stem, the result of iudicious grating
or the same kind of blossoms ms many as
| COO have been known to be produced on one
! plant In other cases the whole energy OF
plant is made TO concentrate on a single
blossom, and the result Is a marvel Of
beauty, though it is only attained by the
accumulated toll of wears and daily care
during the seven months that precede N.
period of 6lossoming
| Triumphs of another kind are obtained
in the composition of bouquets, which in
.Japan has been made an art. not to saw a
science. in which the philosophy Of color is
closely studied So also is the arrange
ment of the gardens, a given effect being
sought in the transplanting of large trees
or the dwarfing of others. Thus You may
see pine tree or IA maple 100 or $50 years
old not more than six inches or a foot high.
In the matter of embroidery the Japaneee
again show their wonderful taste and akin
in the combination Of colors Their brocades
and painted silks and velvets possess ex-
traordinary beauty, and. strangely enough.
the best pieces are made by men and boys.
The city of Kiuto is one OF the PRINCIPAL
Headquarters of this artistic industry, and
a visit to Japan is incomplete unless one
has gone through the quaint little shops.
In viewing Japanese brio-a-brac in the
large cities of the United States comnara-
lively few examples can be found of the
best specimens produced, for the simple rea-
son that they are either retained at home
or purchased by the tourist. For instance,
the art of cloisonne enameling, which first
became known in Japan some 800 wears
ago, has only been brought to perfection
within the last two decades, and such is
. the quality of the work that much OF IL Is
held at "A value 50 great rs To preclude any
but persons OF wealth from the possession
of the best specimens Nagoya, Kioto and
Toxic are the three great centers of this
. species Of ara, but even here the few ex-
amples are small aud eagerly sought
2 In their architecture the Japanese also
show the genius which touches perfection
In small things. The massive, spacious
and grand with which Europeans are IA
: mliar seem to be beyond their mental at
titude yet no other nation ever understood
I half so well how to twist spray Of flow
ers into artistic line and introduce here and
there delightful little bits of Ornamental,
= tion ON which the eye loves 10 dwell.
The ordinary japanese house Is a light
I framework structure without foundation.
1t stands on the ground, not in 1t, like ouI
own. The side is composed of wooden slid.
? ing doors that are slowed away in boxe.
, during the daytime. Iu summer every.
thing is thus opened to the outside air. In
5 winter the wood Is replaced by half trans
. parent slides. Paper, by the way, answer.
"A thousand purposes, from an umbrella OF
{ rain coat to a broom or n table napkin.
: The rooms are divided from each other b,
4 trrn Several rooms into one ma 49, -
tho living rooms il covered viii, tb,cL ~,
Il made OF split bamboo closely fitted toyashs,
: so ons to leave noiuter.tiees. Asthess ,ns,,
are always of the same size 6 by q f,.s, vo,
measure the area of q room by tbs r,hs
ofitsmats TLu. Won sneak az a ~ ,,,s,