The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-25
JAPANESE JOSSES.
The Interesting and Diversified Collection
of a Curio Dealer.

The Interesting and Diversified Collection
of a Curio Dealer.
Lafcadio Hearn writes in The Atlantic
OF visit to Japanese curio dealer, who
shows him his collection of josscs. Ho
says:
In the dusk of the great goodwin the
spectacle was moro than weird; it was ap-
paritional. ArhHts and Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas and the shapes of u mythol-
ogy Older than they filled all tho shadowy
space, not ranked by hierarchies, ms In a
temple, but mingled without order, as In
II silent panic. Out of the Wilderness OF
multiple heads and broken aureolcs and
hands upliftcd In menace OF in prayer
shiInmcring confusion of dusty gold half
lighted by cobwcbbcd air holes in the
heavy walls, 1 could at first discern little
Then, as the dimncss cleared, I began to
distinguish personalities 1 saw VIVIAN
non of many forms, Jczo of many names,
Shaka, Yakushi, Amida, the Buddhas and
their disciples. They wcro very old, and
their art was not all of Japan, nor of any
one place or time. There were shapes from
Korea, China, 1ndia--trcasures brought
over sea in tho rich days of the carly Bud
dhist missions. Some were seated upon
lotas flowers, the lotus flowers of tho ap-
paritional birth. Some rode leopards, IT,
gers, lions or monsters mystical, typifying
lightning, typifying death. One, triple
headed and many handed, sinister and
splendid, seemed moving through tho
gloom on throne of gold, untitled by O
phnlanx of elephants Fudo saw, STROUD
ed and shrincd in fire, and Maya Fujin,
riding her celestial peacock, and strangely
mingling with these Buddhist visions, as
In the anachrOnism of q Limbo, armorcd
efiigics of daimio and images of the Chi
nesc sagcs. There were hugo forms of
wrath, grasping thunderbolts and rising
to the roof, the Dcva kings, like imperso-
nations of hurricane power, the Mo,
guardians OF long vanished temple gates.
Also there were forms voluptuously femi-
nine. Tho light grace of the limbs folded
within their lotus cups, the suppleness of
the fingers numbering the numbers of the
good law, were ideals possibly inspired in
some forgotten time by the charm of an
Indian dancing girl. Shelvcd against tho
naked patchwork above, could perceive
multitudes of lesser shapes; demon figures
with eyes that burned through tho dark
like the eyes of II black cat, and figures
half man, half bird, winged and beaked
like eagles-thc Tcngu Of Japanese fancy.
"Well?" Qucricd the curio dealer, with
chuckle of satisfaction Mt my evident
surprise.
1T IS very great collection" re-
sponded.
He clapped his hand on my shoulder and
exclaimed triumphantly In my ear, Cost
me $50, 900"
But the images themselves told me how
much more was their cost to- forgotten
pioty, Notwithstanding the chcapness of
artistic labor in the cast; also they told me
of the dead millions whose pilgrim feet
had worn hollow the steps leading to their
shrincs, of the buried mothers who used TO
L. Il
tars, of the generations Of children taught
to murmur prayers to them, of She count
less sorrows and hopes confided To them.
Ghosts OF the worship of centuries had fol-
lowed them into exile 4 thin, sweet odor
of incense haunted I'LL the dusty place.