New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-30
JAPANESE ART
Pictures and Gardens in a Lon.
don Show.
London. Nav .,

Japan-British exhibition. The E,,o,,-Is
sections are duh and prosaic from ma
familiarity, but the Representative :,
Japanese art, industries. Iandscane 90
Gening. history and life is at once MOT.
rescue and unique. IL is the Guai7,
beauty of the scenic pictures Of a.
Four Seasons that fascinates the snec,,
tors eyes as soon as he passes m.
turnstiles- Long rows of dwarf tr.a.
have led him by sudden plunge fnto
winters night in Japan. II Is the Won
derland of Mike, with ice in the riva.
broad sweeps OF snow fields. a grarss,,-
bridge. an ancient temple and a port,r
of the tomb Of Iyeyasu. At the nav.
turn Of the passage there is a s1,dd.,
transition 20 spring. Almond and chsr,,
trees are in blossom; goldfish are nazb-
ing in the lake and birds are sinps,-
in the trees; snow crowned Fugi ia sss-
afar and the harbor Of Nagasaki. Nor.
brilliant than this pink and white vis,,
is summer in Toxic. with Ksms,so.
temple and a wistaria bower. in dazzt,,x
mists of sunlight; and richer, IL rnors
sombre is autumn in Nippon. W.T.,
golden tints. These artistic garden uiet.
ures are produced by combination q,
canvas backgrounds and natural obisct.
rocks, trees, cascades and levels %
grass.
A long way beyond the Four Season,
is the temple gate OF Nara, with red
pillars, antique carving, shimmeriry
bronze ornaments, stone lanterns and
cedars. This points toward the hall
where successive stages Of tventy-avs
centuries Of Japanese civilization ara
represented in a dozen sections with
lifesize figures and costumes, weapons
furniture and vehicles of the various
periods. These pictures of the past are
most ingeniously contrived. A start ia
made at least six hundred wears before
the Christian era and abruptly eon1ss
the Nara period. when Buddhism reached
the islands from the mainland, the
F'ugiwara generation Of domineerinx
Amazons, the age Of ehivalry, when
there were gallant knights. massive
castles and bravery of arms and ban.
ners; the hunting time. when boar and
and other characteristic periods Re-
ngfous rites, dancing, nouSenOld Gus
toms and social recreations are Illus
trated with effective realism until tie
present age is approached through
quaint tea ceremony and cherry bios
som picnic. with DANES and maidens
borne i'm gay palanqHins; and the Toxic
of to-day is seen at last with rickshaTs,
motor cars, soldiers, sailors and tour
lists, Admiral Togo and General Ness
being easily recognized and a British
naval officer suggesting the Angie
Japanese alliance All these histcriG
tableaus disclose vivacity and dramatic
talent
In the art gallery IT is the animal and
bird drawing that reveals characteristic
Japanese talent Mori Sosen set the
style of painting monkeys in the
eighteenth century; Ganku delineatsd
tigers and leopards with less intimate
knowledge, and Okio was the most in
huentiaI Of the realists. The modern
artisss-are- most successful When thsv
are content with being their natural.
unspoiIed selves There are pictures
and screens with monkeys. rabbits.
hares. deer. tigers. pheasantss peacocks
and fish, in which intensity Of life
obtained without reference to accuracy
of proportion. This is the class Of work
in which japanese artists excel. ana
their landscapes are also characterizcd
by softness of hue and delicacy Of saad-
ing. In portraiture and subject pictures
precision of detail is sacrificed TO ruui-
fulness of mass. In the woman u
Ohara-' by Teramaten. there are benos
of light blue and purple, with the CARS
tree trunks; in Mitsuya's -'Masako Pu'-
chasing Dream from a Sister the's
are violent contrasts Of scarets anu
blues. in Taokeuchi's Dancing CIR
the face is hidden behind gold ana iel
fan. and there are pink flowers anu
green leaves embroidered on the 'l'
gown: and in Takahaskis Horse hde'
the spectators are waving 1ahS ar
cheering the jockeys with sparkins
vivacity. Foreign influence IS appa'e
in the portraiture. which lacks ha'ui'
ness of pose and movement
The sculpture includes work in ofO'l-''
ivory. lacquer and wood. and the Sie-s
manship is excellent. The SUBJECTS
simple and unaffected. Among Ihe 40
ures are a wrestler. swordSInai~
wood cutter, a girl leading BIND 'aA'
a poor woman nursing a baoy' eHA~
gathering fruit and a Shiokuml JAM
In metal working there are bronze Eo.-
vases decorated with grapes ana Sq'
reIs. or with new moon ana Si"A's
trees: silver incense burners orhaii'A
with lions, and toilet cases WITH so'u.
pheasants. white herons. pigeons h'0I'
| evs and carp. japanese artticers h"'s
sympathetic feeling for AMIN"
which enables them 20 comhiaDU
cess in sculpture and metal N0'A
The ANTIQUE bowls. carved and laes's
with oldtime patience. are ineoihpa4s
better than the fuSsy, modern NM"
tions. and the embroidered klnono
lacouered paper and brush boxes ieH'
the Mfkado are masterpieces OF ~"
workmanship. The porcelainS anu
teries make a fine display, heth =. i.
art gallery and in the CommefV'a
Enthusiastically the rose
teapots. flower vases and incense
ers. ..,sL
| The Japanese gardens are ga. -.
feature of the exhibition. Smah