The times., 1901-03-10
ORIENTAL ARTISTIC WORK
China Far in the Rear of Japan in
It's Production.
Discipline Enforced in Apprentice
ship Under the NikadO's Govern
ment-AnturnI Talent u Pre-rcqui-
site TO Employment as a 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. The ar
tistic character Of the japanese is re
markabie 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
Japan is the apprentice system. No man
can secure place as an apprentice unless
he has some natural talent OF great
contrast are the potteries Of Japan with
those Of our own country; here we find
large unsightly factories; buildings sur
rounded by fields choked 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 tourney
out into the country, copy living things.
stay probably weeks, and return with
ideas and symbols and make the work Cf
decorating the QlIIereNI forms of vessels
one Of the most interesting and artistic
OF labofs. The mOlds used are generally
Of bteswaX.
cone usually taken, the whole is sur
rounded by clay, and hung up t. drv
and then baked. A great deal OF patience
Is required as the process sometimes lasts
for days. Ia the making Of the dccora-
TONS on jars, for instance small pieces
Of brass are bent into the shape of leaves,
mowers, or stems or whatever the deco
Tatlons 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 gum mixed with water
until the moisture has all evapUr- tel
the gum grows gradually darker
I and darker and finally becomes black
The japanese alone have the patience
to wait the long time 1t takes to ac-
The glue used from the deers horn is
| fragile and much like glass. Gold is mix
Cd with il and il is allowed to cool after
which it is broken OF into chunks
ground fine and hot water poured upon it,
aud as the water runs off and cVapOrates
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. A nOticea bic In
stance Of the preservation Of the pottery
thus covered was when vessel laden
with pottery going to the World Fair
WAS wrecked off the coast Of China
4 When divers went down year after and
the articles were grown over with weeds,
the lacquer was preserved safe and sound.
China, though a nation that has existed
for SO many centuries, is practically as
many behind the times Although capable
of making porcelain TO a certain degree,
China cannot compare with Japan The
hunger for knowledge IN China has not
works and schemes $500 wears 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 modifying
their own national peculiartics.