The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-19

Japan asa hunting field for art con &noisseurs Is fast coming to rival Italy. Its treasures are fully as .arieleiat tsaa 2 those of, Rofne, but it Is oRlEs s11ytth hin thatlast half century that they have Xconfe to be considered of sufficient arr 3tistic and unusual merit to excite the #cupidity of collectors. The concentra- Htioul of the worlds eyes upon Japan within the last decade, due to her re- znariable exhibition of craft and skill. has enhanced the importance of sketches, paintings, woedcraft ana Bother products, which not so long ago were overlooked in the quest for ar kicies of merit. Productions that Tn reality represented long periods or Sciose application on the part or the #producers one were considered Of no value to the ultra American judge of khinrs artistic. Now similar works &pommand fabulous sums, and those wno
 n the past possessed the discrimination khat caused them to make collections or &kuch offerings find themselves In the &poeition of art plutocrats- :a se. .ls. II Mrs. LuelIa M. Wilson, principal or Int Stevan School for Girls. has just Returned from Japan, where she has spent the summer studying the GUS toms. manners. art and literature or khe country In brief interview, sne speaks enthu siastically of the art or *bapan.
 sThe art oflJapan." she says. "old as &f ia has been recognized as an art zbnly within the last fifty years-ano &n truth 1t has been left to the con noisseurs and artists of other lands No exploit and show the world where- Nh the art of Japan Is of high oroer.
 "The color prints Of Japan nave #bnly been appreciated in the last de cade. A bit of paper, with the picture bf a Geisha girl. of an inspiring actor 5nr a sketch of Japanese life, which Sruarter of a century ago might nave Heen used as an advertising postor |zhnd later to wrap package, tooay
 Bought by connoisseurs to Aoa 10 theIA #coiIecttons of the already scarce mum &,er of original wood cuts. "Sometnlns x,f their present value may be unuer- .toad when one reads that John Stew brt Hopper of New York. sold In Lon 3lon this summer in one afternoon over HT on0 worth of Japanese color prints Rone selling for less than s10O. It IS kaid Mir. Hopper sold only third or 3,is collection and realized $SO,OOO from khe. sale. ,
 .urninr in things commercial have ,ot been slow to perceive the foreign :. ers' increasing desire for the original
 r,o+s and have searched every nook nd corner of Japan for Hokusa's yiaws of the Fuji or Tokaido and the
 landscapes of Heroshige
 'arhere Is still greater mania Tor soIlecting old china, which also Is oe- roming very rare. while the porcelain factorias are working night and day
 "a reproduce the old Imari china. which #s often sold to unwary tourists as the Eaal9 article As for myself, the new s,hina Is so beautiful and artistic I khould not refuse to accept 1t as Work bf art.
 "In, no respect does Japan offer more Interesting material for study than In
 ts educational system. had the kood fortune to visit the Number One |FItgher Female School at Kyoto the hay before it's close for summer vaca- Aion. We were most courteously re- eeiyed and. escorted through the entire Buildings and given the proverbial cup .bf tea at the close of our visit.
 "This school is typical of what Japan
 s doing to educate it's girls. an inno- NHation that twenty-five years ago was lnthought of. The school consists of beveral buildings surrounding court, hnd has accommodations for TOO stu Shents most of whom are day pupils. Enough many come from the smaller Gowns as resident pupils, at low rate bf tuition.
 "There age fifty teachers employed hnd all branches of learning are 9taught, the school offering half high Ikchool and half college work. In the domestic science department instruc-
 ion in both Japanese and foreign is offered.
 Some writer has said: Japan is a and without music; the birds never bings the flowers have no perfume. and Ehe people no songs.' I can discredit