New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-15
A Collection Which 0verShadoWS
the British Exhibits.
CROWDS AT THE OPENING
A Fascinating Pageant Of ORR
entail Life and
History.
IBv Gable to The Tribune

! By Cable to The Tr1bune.I
London. May 1.-THE opening of the
! Japanese-B British exhibition to-day is the
! first CLEAN of brightness in a week of
general gloom. There was no cere-
nonial. but merely headlong rush for
the entrance when the turnstiles began
! to move The great throngs of visitors
found the white walls less glazing and
the minarets softer and more mellow in
/ their creamy tint than they were when
| the paint was fresher at the opening Of
the Franco British exhibition, and when
night came on the white city, with it's
glittering strings of blue and amber
lights, was more beautiful than ever.
While the show was unfinished. and
there were many gaps in the exhibits
and a good many empty kiosks, the
preparations were in an advanced state
and notable interest in the compre-
hensive display of japanese arts and
crafts was apparent The spectacle was
one of unceasing variety and exquisite
charm. The artistic skill Of the East
and the mechanical processes of the
West We're brought together with start
ing eIleCIS OF COulTdSt.
| The visitors. avoiding what was famil-
lar and prosaic began with landscapes Of
the four seasons and samples OF twenty
FIVE centuries of Japanese history. They
were ertranced with the palaces stocked
with 1acquered cabinets, enbroideries,
Jewels and dainty costumes scented with
the fragrance of cedar and camphor,
dens scanned the fauna and flora. OF
Nippon and the models of the principal
towns admired the cherry trees in full
bloom, sauntered through the Formosan
village and the native fair, halted in
the Fine Arts Palace before the art
treasures and the antiquities from the
temples, watched the graceful move
ments of the 1.-THE wrest1ers and acrobats,
and retired after an exhausting walk
with a profound impression Of the dec
orative taste and natchless skill OF the
wonderful Oriental race.
The Art Palace will be the most inter
esting building in the wide circuit of at
fractions and the British section has
been well arranged by competent COM
is the japanese painting of animals and
birds. When the sixteen departments
of japanese exhibits have received their
finishing touches and the gardens with
their dwarf trees and orchids are in
perfect order 1t will be the most fas-
cinating pageant of Oriental life ever
witnessed in gray prosaic London.
TBy The Associated Press
London May 14-Although called Jap
anese-B British the exhibition which opened
to-day depends for its success almost en-
tire1y on the efforts of the Japanese gov
eminent and the great commercial COM
panies of japan, which are making exhibits
showing every phase Of japanese life and
customs The British War and Admiralty
departments have interesting exhibits de-
picting the progress OF the SISTER services, y
and in Machinery Hall there is fine dis
play of textile machinery in operation.
British art is also well represented, the
late King Edward having lent a number of
pictures and other works OF art from the
royal collections
Otherwise the halls and grounds are given
over TO Japan. It is said that nothing like
the japanese collections have heretofore
been seen outside the Emperor's dominion.
It had been planned that the exhibition
should be opened by the then Prince of
Wales but on the death of King Edward
it was decided to dispense with all cere-
mony and merely to open the gates for
public admission
The exhibition is under the auspices Of
the japanese government, which has select
ed many distinguished men to represent it.
The president of the japanese commission
is Prince Sadanaru Fushimi, who has been
recently appointed a special ambassador of
Japan to the funeral of King Edward. The
japanese cruiser Ikoma will be stationed
in the Thames during the exhibition.
The japanese military department was
enthusiastically the fret to have its ex-
hibit completed. Here is seen a series Of
tahleaus representing famous Japanese
fights, down to the battle of Ping Yang, in
the last war with China, with specimens
of arInor of every period In the same
building models of japanese warships, from
the time of Kubla Khan to the days of Ad-
miral Togo, are seen side by side.
The Ro-mon. or gateway of the kasuga
shrine at the ancient capital, Nara, has
been reproduced at the main entrance.
Close by the history of Japan is illustrated
by a NUMBER OF tdDlSduS, anu III
another gallery is an equally attractive
panorama of Japanese scenery.
Great models of cities, gateways, temples
and scenes have been executed with as
| much care il they were the originals.
osaka the manufacturing centre. has sent
a large model of itself. the whole city, with
fifty thousand separate houses, being spread
out in miniature before the spectator.
Two great Japanese gardens, with their
lakes, rookeries and islands, crowned with
quaint temples, pagodas. etc, add to
, the picturesouepess OF the grounds In
one stand are two miniature gardens, con-
tanning dwarf trees century or more old,
though only a foot high.
The japanese art exhibit includes paint
ings, sculpture. architecture and models
and metal work. arms and armor, textile
fabrics, peedlework and that characteristic
art. lacquer.