The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-08-26
ART AND =
ARTISTS

from members of the Boston Athleti
Club as models. Although very littl
of Mr. Parker's work has been see
in bronze or plaster east, he has still
shown his wonderful versatility in
bronze statuette of Napoleon, a beau
tiful sun-dial done for a recent com
petition, and a statuette of a hors
which is a spirited and virile piece
of work. Among his late portrait
is one of Ebert Hubbard which i
said to be wonderfully treated.
The following enlightening clip
ping from a Kobe (Japan) letter goe:
to confirm statements made in this
column previously as to the bogus
character of much cart work" from
Japan seen in this country:
"The esthetic tourist lands in
Japan and asks at the first curio shop
| for Hokusai s "ware.' or cred Sun
set Full for Outamaro's "Shell
Diver,' "Face Without a Line, -
"River Fete,' "Festival Boat OF
Monsnie's Procession" quite as he
would call for No. gloves at a hab-
erdashers'
'F1ve or seven years ago the deal
ers used to gasp at such requests, and
tell the casual one that one of those
prints had not been seen for many
seasons in any condition whatever.
Now, the purveyor Of autographs feels
his way, sounds the course, and finds
out how much the customer knows,
what chance of enlightenment he
islands to make during his stay in the
country.
eff it seems a proper pigeon for
plucking, prints roll up hill to meet
him, in compact bundles Of dozens,
many of them worn and stained and
torn, with the trail of the bookworm
over them, if any further proof of
genuineness We're needed. The tour
list, having heard of, although never
seen, a collector paying $40O United
States gold for one of Hiroshige s
"Typhoon on the Tokaido,' does not
demur at the prices greatly, and, abat-
ing a little, buys. Sometimes guile
less tourists. who have made great
collections of old prints, get their
eyes open before they leave Japan.
'The first connoisseur in Japan
long ago said that he could not tell
the old prints from the new ones any
more, so clever had the counterfeits
become in using old paper, or treat
ing the paper; in making the old inks,
and in fading them The print factor
les are said to stain the paper with
tea and with tobacco juice, to ex-
pose the prints ia rain, sun. and dust.
day and night for month, while a
brush and a pad of old cloth supply
the wear and bloom of time.''
The collection of old prints shown
by the Sketch Club at the Morrison
Reeves library last October is one of
the finest in the West, having been
made many years since by conno-
isseur who knew what he was col
lecting. This display was one of the
most interesting and comprehensive
to be seen, in general way, in this
country, the examples of the work
of some of the most celebrated art
lists, who are less known than Hokusai
and Hiroshige, in instance, being spe-
cially good.
If YOU want to learn how certain
genuine objects of japanese art are
made, go to Kipling. In his "From
Sea to Sea-" there are minute de-
scriptions of the processes of the man-
ufacture of porcelain, cloissonne and
one or two other forms of art. De-
scribingo the latter he says: @
"The owner lived in a
blackwood cabinet-it was profana-
ton to call it house. He
was a very quiet and cat-like man
and spoke in a Whisper Kipling
then describes the first room in which
the enamel powders were arranged in
jars Of scrupulous cleanliness with a
few blank copper vases ready to be
used. and a case of gaily painted
butterflies for reference as pat
terms. "1n the next rooms at the man.
ufactory-three men, five women and
two boys-all as silent as sleep. 1t
is one thing to read of cloissonne
making. but quite another to watch