Gunnison news-champion., 1908-06-19

tasks very lengthy ones. The pro
fession belongs to the Arts. and Is not
reckoned in the commercial output of
the country, like ceramics and lacquer
work In almost all the other callines
whole family can be employed at
the same time. even the little children
helping in the primary processes; but
the carver works alone, and probably
requires much domestic waiting ON
from his family, since he dare not
spoil his delicate touch by any rough
er labor.
Far at the ot her end of the artistic
social scale sits the potter bending
over his work with face of mournful
inientness, his left hand mechanically
spinning his jar in its rounded socket
while the right shapes the brim to a
smooth edge. Here is monotony in
deed. for the white or red or black
earthenware is very friable before
the last baking and only lends itself
to the simplest forms. The pure
white is devoted exclusively to fune-
real and religious uses, and has per
haps been adopted because such YES
sells must be of the most severe
shapes and quite without ornament
The red or black clay is used for
everything else-the red for holding
water and grain, the black for cook
ing utensils. The deep rich glaze of
the black and the soft earthiness of
the red accord well with the brown
house porch where so much OF the
work of life is done and where on
bright days the few humble plants
are brought out to grow in the sun
The potter always seems to be some
thing of philosopher; he will be
poor to the end of his days. for
though everyone needs his wares. the
extreme care with which they are
used makes them last for many years
i never have seen "A shop devoted
solely to them. Yet he Is content to
work on till his back is bent with long
STOPPING and he comes to resemble
one of those squat figures which the
japanese love to twist into vases or
cigar mugs, the back of the neck be
ing scooped out to provide the need
full hollow. Between him and the
painter of delicate china a great gulf
lies. II is, ! think, only of late years,
since the opening of so many indus
trial schools, that women have been
employed on this work. which seems
so appropriate for them. though deli
cacy of touch comes naturally to all
classes of Japanese. the long wrist
training required for their caligraphy
proving of immense value in paint
ing. The brush is held like the writ
ing "fudo,' more in the hand than
in the fingers, and is almost upright.
giving thus a clearness and value TO
the stroke quite unattainsble by our
slanted point For china painting
Imagination and sense of color are
needed, as well as great suppleness
of wrist The more elaborat ely mould
ed pieces give the note where natural
objects are represented. but in the
purely fanciful designs the taste of
the decorator has fun scope Unfor-
tunately, in the department of ceram-
les. as in so many others. much
beauty has been sacrificed to meet the
approval of the foreign market I'm
mense labor is expended on objects
which are clumsy in shape and crude
in color. The European passion for
crowding on ornament is directly con
trary to the japanese canons. just as
our rooms, crammed with costly, but
incongruous, bric-a brac. excite no ad-
miration in people who only bring out
one beautiful thing at a time. carefully
selecting that which is most appropri-
ate to the season and occasion. display
it to the best advantage. and change
it for another before its aspect can
weary the eye with the sense of
sameness.
MRS. HUGH FRASER