New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-07
JAPANESE GARDENS.
LANDSCAPE GARDENING IN JAPAN. BY Josiah
Gender. Toxic 1898. Imported by Charles
Scrbner's Sons. New York.

LANDSCAPE GARDENING IN JAPAN. BY josiah
Scribner's Sons. New York.
In the year 1891 Mr.. Gender who is Professor
Of Architecture and Architect to the I'm
perial Japanese Government, prepared
novel and interesting book on the art
Of Floral Arrangement in Japan" with
illustrations by japanese artists. 1t was we'll
known that this art had been cultivated for many
generations in those islands. but never before
had any writer explained it's subtleties and com
pcations and showed how il had developed in
it's various phases TO set forth in emblematc
way the historic. religious. poetic and philosophc
ideas OF the japanese mind In supplementary
volume. which has just appeared. Mr. Gender has
attempted to do for the art of landscape garden
ing in Japan what he has already done we'll
for the art Of arranging flowers; that is. he at
tempted to explain the principles which control
the designs for gardens adapted TO different
purposes lie explains. too. the symbolic mean
ing of the various arrangements and Of the
material selected: for stone or a lantern or "A
dwarf tree Is chosen not simply for It's value
part Of a picture but for some accompanying
idea which every cultivated japanese recognizes.
but which to the uninstructed eye has no mean
Ing whatever. Landscape gardening. then. IS
quite different art in the Mikado's Empire from
any which is known TO Western civilization.
and although Mr.. Gender says that japanese
gardens may be described as "a representation
Of the natural scenery OF the country" the
illustrations he gives rarely show anything like
what we call naturastc effects. but seem to be
collections Of signs and symbols which show
how nature Is looked upon and estimated accord
ing to conventional japanese standards.
We can well understand then. that to us. who
interpret nature in another way. and not through
the medium Of japanese customs and cults these
gardens may appear fanciful and at times pretty
1t is difficult at least for to find in the mlnia-
ture mountains and forests In n tea garden any
thing that Is dignfed or satisfying. But in spite
Of their restless details and the grotesqueness
OF their thic curosities and distorted vegcta-
ton. there Is much Of true art In some OF these
gardens which appeals 10 foreign imagi-
nation. and there Is certain fascination in
studying the matter from a japanese point Of
view that makes the book intensely interesting
We cannot understand, for example. why one
stone Is considered masculine while another used
its complement IS femnine still less can we
understand why third which Is used to stand
alone Is supposed to contain the characteristics
Of both sexes. Still more difficult is It to apply
different religious meanings to different rocks or
to feel that one bowlder in a landscape-garden
a
ate hill only although to a japanese this at
trbuting TO each fictitious altitude which
corresponds TO the heights OF the natural posi-
lions In which these stones found has be-
come a second nature. We become n trihe weary
follow the intricacies OF all the sermons
in stones but 1t gives us a new idea OF japanese
art to read section after section on the proper
assortment Of stones for hills, stones for
rivers stones for cascades stones for ISL
ands. stones for valleys. stones for water
basins and for a hundred more positions each
one Of which must be carefully selected. not only
for real use but in accordance with some imagi-
nary and symbolic adaptation to It's special place
and function. The chapter on stones IS followed
by others on garden lanterns. pagodas. water
basins. garden fences. hedges and screens garden
wells with their appurtenances. bridges. arbors
and ornamental water. In fact. these adiuncts
of a garden seem more important than the vege-
tation or its arrangement; and. PERHAPS the
least satisfactory part Of the book is Mr.. Con-
der's enumeration Of the plants used and the
method Of cultvating massing them, primary
points OF practice with US. and subjects which