The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-09-08

numbers of little figures of the kind
ly goddess. They make a strange i'm
preston of loneliness here in their
chilly, unsunned, neglected caves
Some modern genius is developing
curious idea in the case of this lime
cliff. At present passageways and
rooms are being excavated in it. There
is main entrance several feet in
width and height, rectangular in
form, and developed to represent the
doorway of a rather imposing edifice
which opens directly into fairly
large room cut in the solid rock. This
room is decorated with urns and vases
left i'll the cutting. Near by, small
er room, also rectangular, has a plat
form, table, jars and vases, all COM
ing from the original rock mass; it
also opens to the outside world but
by a much narrower and less impor-
tant doorway. The two rooms are
connected at their rear by a narrow
passage cut through the living rock
From the large room other Railways
have been begun, and apparently the
plan is to develop in this place a
series of carefully made rooms with
furnishings all from the living rock
So far as we could learn of this room,
the place will be used, and has been
used already, as a social hall or res
taurant
Is it not curious how an old idea
affects all following time? Unques-
tionably the shrine of Kwannon in its
rocky cleft and the groups of Kwan-
non figures in the caves below have
been suggested by the old-time cav
ems. Had they not been, the strange
idea of the religious founders would
scarcely have been given BIRTH and
so it is the fact that some ancient
led some recent financier to under
take this strange, rock-cut restaurant
or refreshment hall.
But we hear the tin horn of the
basha driver. hasten back to the road
side. and crowd our way into the un-
fortunate vehicle. A seventh passen-
ger has to share the seat with the
driver, and we jolt away five miles
to the station, where we arrive with
less than five minutes to spare to
train time.
Japan IS a great country of con-
noisseurs and collectors; it is land
of perennial exhibits Yesterday we
had the pleasure of seeing curious
collection by a well-known connois-
seur, man of wealth, education and
position. 1t was the collection of
toys of Marquis Tokugawa. The
marquis is younger member of the
family of the last of the Shoguns of
Japan. He has a beautiful property
behind the Shiba park. On his prop
erty a large building is devoted to
his private library, one of the best in
all Japan. He is interested in vari-
Gus subjects in ethnography and an
thropology, and among other things
has made a very considerable collec-
ton of toys, not only Japanese, but
from all portions of the world These
have been on exhibition to invited
guests for the past three days. and
it was this exhibition that we had
the pleasure of seeing.
There had been large attendance
of visitors, and printed catalogues
were given to all. Several large halls
were devoted to the display which
was arranged upon a series of tables
and to some degree upon the walls.
A classification had been adopted, and
the specimens arranged with reference
to it. Japan, as everyone knows, is
veritable children's paradise. Nothing
is too good for the little ones. From
the beginning of the year at January
/, with its kites and battledore and
shuttlecock, on to the closing of the
year, the childrens' year is marked
by a succession of toys appropriate
to the season. Lafcadio Hearne never
wearied of mentioning the variety and
daintiness of these devices. Well.
here they were displayed in all va
riety. Notable of course, were the
different kinds of dolls, in which
Japan delights. There are dolls in old
families that have been passed on
from generation to generation through
200 years. In the dolls of such col
lections one may follow something of
the history of hairdressing among
these people. There are dolls OF
every size from little creatures less
than a half-inch in height to dolls as
large as the children for whose amuse-
ment they were fabricated. Most curl
Gus perhaps of all are the dolls with
little heads of peas and clothes OF
ancient damasks and brocades; these
are 200 years or more OF age. Also
notable among the toys OF Japan are
the great variety and range OF wire
puzzles: we have ourselves some OF
these. but in comparison with the
Japanese ours are nothing. In kite
flying perhaps no people reach the
Chinese. but certainly the Japanese
are close second. The walls of
whole hall were occupied with diff
ferent types of kites.
The local variation of toys In Japan
Is rather interesting. The same toy
NAV have characteristic differences in
different areas. A whole room was
devoted. in connection with the ex-
hibit, to a great table-map of the en-
pire. and upon this map were care
fully arranged in geographical posi-
ton the characteristic types OF some
of the more common toys, giving
most suggestive illustration OF the
difference in art ideals and technique.
II will be seen that the marquis has
an educational idea underlying his dis
play. In a handsome lecture hall IN
the library building, during the three
DAVIS of the exhibit, lectures were
given upon the subject of toys IN
their historical, chronological and edu-
cational aspects. When we were
there Yesterday a professor OF the
Women's Normal school was speak
ing to an audience of perhaps zoo
persons upon the subject of the edu-
cational meaning and value OF chill
Gren's toys.
Copyright. 1910. by w. G. Chapman)