Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1912-01-27
QUAINT ORIENTAL LEGENDS
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Continued from Page 15)
cup and the liquor.loving tortoise fiG.
ure as the motives Of Ornamentation
along with the pink blossom.
For observe that towels afford a
typical example of the national fond.
ness for decorating even the most tri-
vial articles of daily use. A study of
them. as they flutter in the wind I'M
der the caves of the shops devoted to
their sale, would result in aCquain-
lance with the whole gamut of pOpu.
lar art motives and symbolism The
vegetable world. the animal world
both real and mythical. the stage and
the wrestling ring, crests, riddles, Chi
nese ideographs CongratulatiOn or 9th
erwise characteristic,-all these and
various other stores are drawn upon,
the same subject being repeated In
such multiplicity of elaborated and
abbreviated forms that not little in
genuity Is sometimes needed to dis.
cover the artists intention. The latest
source of inspiration has been the Rus
sian war Naval and military feats
of arms may be seen represented or
limited at in every style,-realistic,
picturesque. comic. allegOrical.
Being thus variously useful as well
as ornamental towels make good pro
sents. and thousands must be annual
ly given away In every town. Inns
often. have towels of their own, spe.
cially inscribed or oTnamented. one Of
which In presented to each departing
guest If he has behaved literally in
the matter of "tea-mOncy" to mine
host. Shops sometimes do likewise.
At New Years time. In particular,
there is quite shower of such civi
Titles. When destined as a gift. the
towel Is generally folded in piece OF
paper which itself bears suitable in.
scription, including the donors ad.
dress, with the occasional addition
nowadays of his telephone number:
for even in such details the japanese
of the lower middle class are up to
date. Sometimes instead of the host
giving towels TO his guests. the pro.
cess Is reversed. This happens not |
ably in the case of pilgrim bands or |
clubs who distribute to every inn, at |
which they a!ight towels inscribed |
with the clubs name, and perhaps a |
picture of the sacred mountain which |
is their goal. Towels are even offered |
to temples by the pious appropriately
inscribed"
In his book, "A Glimpse of the Art !
of japan" James Jackson Jarves. |
says:
THE japanese artist has his jokes
with natural objects as with his gods
and heroes" but he does not sys-
tematically perpetrate those horticul-
tural arboreal outrages which the Chi
nese do in trying to help nature adorn
herself. Occasionally some monstrous
grotesque prank. like changing a col.
ossal pine into vessel, with masts,
yards and oars. indicates his love of
the burlesque in this direction. But
he Is more apt to coniine his inge.
nuity to dwarhng trees or rearing
monstrOus flowers. Doubtless the
Dutch borrowed their passion for ira
vestying nature from this Oriental
source. developing It into still greater
uncouthness, and transmitting their
perverted taste TO their neighbors But
like everything else they borrowed
from the japanese. they failed to i'm.
prove on ii, and only succeeded in
making whatever might be inCongru-
Gus or ugly, still more So"
American housewives are of course
chiefly Interested in Japanese toweling
because of It's adaptibility to making
table runners, bedroom curtains. etc,
but knowledge OF its use in japan
enhances its value as an artistic and
practical asset in the furnishing of
the house, Some of the new designs
shown here include several OF the jap
anese pine, which are particularly ar
tistic. number of graceful cherry
blossom sprays and many other floral
patterns Then there are a number
designed with storks and other birds
ana also several Oriental scenes are
stamped upon the fabric scenes. These
viii doubtless be popular for curtains
although many fancy the smaller pat
ems for general use