The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-10
ORIENTAL ARTISTIC WORK
China Far in the Rear of Japan in
Its Production.
Discipline Enforced in Apprentice
ship Under the Mikado's Govern
unconstitutional Talent n Prc-rcqui-
site 10 Employment as "a Worker

l.
unconstitutional Talent a Prc-rcqui-
site TO Employment as IA worker.
a recent lecturer on the Industrial arts
| in Japan places the japanese far in ad-
! vance Of the Chinese in this particular
matter. He declares that the japanese
ana Chinese are classified from the Mon
Golian race and divided into northern and
southern classes. from the former the
| Japs. from the latter the Chinese. The
( resemblance between the males and fe-
+ males is particularly marked, especially
in the way Of wearing the hair. Tho ar
I tistic character Of the Japanese is re-
markable, and the great study they have
made Of the Art OF pottery is the greatest
( in the world. The symbols represented by
/ them in characters, such as classifying
different objects is alone in the sole pos
session of their race. The ideas shown
| by them In the instances Of carving, dec
( Grating, and symbols which express emo
( ton, love, justice, hope, and the like are
marvellous.
/ Among the many things of notice in
J Japan is the apprentice system. No man
( can secure a place as an apprentice unless
! he has some natural talent. OF great
7 those Of our own country; here we find
/ large unsightly factories; buildings sur
/ rounded by fields ehoked with weeds and
filled with broken pieces OF pottery. In
{ Japan we see small dwellings enclosed by
gardens filled with beautiful flowers and
] summer houses. The wOrkmen journey
out into the country, copy living things,
I stay probably weeks, and return with
} ideas and symbols and make the work q
. decorating the different forms Of vessels
/ one Of the most interesting and artistic
. OF labors. The molds used are generally
! of beoswax.
After shaping the beeswax about a pine
| cone usually taken, the whole is sur
! rounded by clay, and hung up t. dry
and then baked. A great deal OF patience
IS required as the process sometimes lasts
. for days. In the making of the decora-
/ tons on jars, for instance. small pieces
/ Of brass are bent into the shape of leaves
| flowers, or stems or whatever the deco
! rauons may be, and great ingenuity is
shown in the fact that no two leaves o.
! flowers are exactly the same size.
/ In the making Of the lacquer which
| is collected in a gum mixed with w ter
| until the moisture has all evapor te !
the gum grows gradually darker
! and darker and finally b, comes black
The japanese alone have the patience
to wait the long time it t,.kes to ac-
compiish the change.
The glue used from the deer's horn is
fragile and much like glass Gold Is mix
cd with itand it is allowed to cool. after
| which ii is broken or Into chunks
| ground fine and hot water poured upon it,
aud the water runs off and cvaporatcs
! the particles of gold are found to be ex-
actly the same size. a bowl covered with
the lacquer has been known to be pre-
served for 600 years. = noticeable In
stance OF the preservation Of the pottery
| thus covered was when "A vessel laden
with pottery going to the World s Fair
! was wrecked off the coast of China
| When divers went down a year after and
| the articles We're grown over with weeds
! the lacquer was preserved safe and sound
| China, though nation that has existed
| for so many centuries. is practically as
many behind the times. Although capabl,
! Of making porcelain TO a certain degree
| China cannot compare with Japan. The
hunger for knowledge in China has not
yet appeared and men there are studying
| works and schemes $500 years old But
In Japan great enthusiasm is shown in
everything. and the inhabitants possess
| all the best schemes and policies OF other
| nations, at the same time not modifyinl
| their own national peculiarities