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/\
KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN
Keramic Art
OF

Japan,

BY

GEORGE A. AUDSLEY
AND

JAMES L. BOWES.

LONDON :

HENRY SOTHERAN & CO.,

36, PICCADILLY ; 136, STRAND ; 77 & 78, QUEEN STREET, CITY.
MANCHESTER : 49, CROSS STREET.
MDCCCLXXXI.
 LIVERPOOL :

PRINTED BY D. MARPLES & CO., LIMITED.

[ All rights reserved.}

 In compliance with current
copyright law,
U. C. Library Bindery produced this
replacement volume on
paper that meets the ANSI Standard Z39.48-1984 to replace
the irreparably deteriorated original.

1994
 DEDICATED

BY SPECIAL PERMISSION

TO

THE MOST DISTINGUISHED COLLECTOR AND PATRON

OF

JAPANESE ART

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH

K.G., K.T..

WITH EVERY FEELING OF RESPECT

BY

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS'

OBEDIENT SERVANTS

The Authors

229670
INTRODUCTORY ESSAY
ON

JAPANESE ART.
 PREFACE.

is probably no subject more interesting

THERE
more
to the student of art, nor one which it is

difficult to describe in adequate terms, than that

which embraces the art-works and art-thoughts of the

Japanese. We have therefore to crave the indulgence

of our readers for all the shortcomings in the present
attempt to lay before them a brief outline of Japanese
art generally, and a sketch of the Keramic art of

Japan in particular.

It is unnecessary for us to say anything more

with reference to our Introductory Essay, than to

solicit the indulgence of our readers ; the subject is

one which might be enlarged upon to almost any

extent, for materials of interest are so numerous as
to be embarrassing, but the limit and chief aim of
our Work required that it should be condensed into
the smallest space consistent with utility.
In writing the chapters devoted to the considera-

tion of the Japanese Keramic manufactures, and in

carrying out a work not hitherto attempted, namely,
the classification of Japanese pottery, great difficulties
viii PREFACE.

have been experienced. Every available stream of

information had to be traced to its source ; collections

had to be and examined, both at home and

reached
abroad ; Japanese authorities had to be catechetically
examined, and the salient points of their ofttimes con-
flicting statements picked out and noted ; and lastly,

an extensive collection, with all the links as complete

as possible, had formed for reference and study.
to be

In the pages of the IVork we have acknowledged

the sources from which special information has been
derived. It is rather remarkable that modern writers
on fapan, including those who have visited and
resided there, have taught us absolutely nothing
relative to the Keramic industry of the country;
indeed, in comparison with the labours of Kcempfer
and Siebold, modern exertions in a similar direction
are painfully insignificant. It is a question if, had
those indefatigable men not existed, we should at the
present time have known half what we do about the
natural history of the Japanese islands, and the
manners, customs, and indtistries of the inhabitants.
Putting aside the results of our own studies, we
have to acknowledge the special assistance we have
derived from the Reports issued by the Japanese
Commissioners, at the Exhibitions held at Philadelphia
in 1876, and Paris in 1878 ; and that written, by
the direction of the Japanese Government, for the

Department of Science and Art, at South Kensington

 PREFACE. IX

Museum. From these we have been enabled to give

information and dates in connexion with the minor

factories which othenvise could not have been furnished.
IVe have great pleasure in recognising the kind assist-
ance of our numerous Japanese friends, from whom
much valuable information about their interesting
country, its manners and customs, has been obtained.
Among we must thank Mr. Sanjo, Mr. Minami,
these

Mr. Yoshiyama, Mr. Tsubouchi, Mr. Ota, Mr.

Fukagava ;
and our special thanks are due to Mr.
Yamanobe for having translated the collection of
marks and monograms. Here we gratefully acknow-
ledge the services of M. Racinet, under whose careful
personal supervision the coloured plates have been

produced in the art-printing establishment of MM.

Firmin-Didot et Cie, of Paris.
To all who write on Japanese matters, the

difficulty and uncertainty which at present beset the

orthography Japanese language must prove
of the

extremely embarrassing. IVe freely acknowledge that

we have been unable to surmount the difficulty ; and
reference to authors who have had more intimate
relations with the language and people has in no

way assisted us. IVe have set tip no theories of our

own, but have simply adopted the modes of spelling

found in the works and maps we have referred
to for information. Students of the language have
taken exception to this simple mode of procedure on
 PREFACE.

our part, and although we had hoped, in the present

edition, to revise the orthography upon some settled
plan, we think it desirable to delay doing so until a

definitescheme has been formed by those engaged in

the study of the language. That much doubt exists
is proved by the difficulty which modern writers
have found in deciding upon the correct mode of

spelling the word Shdgun ; in the Japanese

single
Government Reports we find it written Shogun ; Mr.
F. Ottiwell Adams, in his " History of Japan,"

writes it, as we have spelt it, Shdgun, and also

Tycoon, which is another name for the same individ-

ual ; Mr. Dickson, Shiogoon; Mr. Mossman, Siogoon ;
Mr. Mitford, Shogun ; Dr. Siebold, Sjogun ; and
Mr. Satow, like Mr. Adams, uses Shdgun and
Tycoon. Sir Rutherford Alcock, in his JVork on
Japan, does not introduce the word at all, invariably
preferring the term Tycoon. As a further evidence
of the difference of opinion which prevails as to the
correct rendering of
Japanese words into our language,
we may point out that the last-named author,
throughout his work, "The Capital of the Tycoon,"
spells the name of the capital itself Yeddo,
although
Mr. Adams, of the British Legation, writes
emphati-
cally that "there can be only one (
d' in Yedo."

Liverpool, Christmas, 1880.

 CONTENTS.

Introductory Essay on Japanese Art ... PAGE

T

Keramic Art of Japan m

Hizen -
j„
Satsuma -----.... jgj

Ka ga l8l

KlOTO -
197

Owari
223

Minor Provinces —
Awagi 23«5

BlZEN .... .... 23^

Chikuzen -
237

Harima ----.-.. 2^7

Higo - ... - -
238

Idzumi ----..._ 2?Q

IDZUMO -----.. 2^Q

x ji CONTENTS.

Minor Provinces —continued.

- - 24
IGA-

Ise ------- - 2 4°

Iwaki -------- 2 43

- " " _ 2 43
IWASHIRO -

- -
Kn - - - - - -
244

- - - • 2 44
Mino - -

-----"'
- -

2 45
Musashi

2 47
Mutsu - - -
--

Nagato - .... -
248

- - 2 48
Omi - - - -

Setsu -
- - 2 49

Tamba ------- 250

Tosa
-
2 5°

Totomi - - - 2 5°

Yamashiro 25 x

Yamato - - - - - •• 25 I

2 ^i
Marks and Monograms -

Index -------- 289

 INTRODUCTORT ESSJT
ON

JAPANESE ART.

comparatively speaking, knew but little of the

subject of Japanese Art prior to the Paris Exhibition
EUROPE, of 1867. Interesting and instructive as were all the
sections embraced in that immense Palace of Art and Indus-
try, few, if any, were more fascinating and suggestive to the
art student than that which was devoted to the exhibition
of productions of the Empire of Japan.
the varied The
collection of exhibits was made by the Japanese Commissioners,
under the direction of the late Shogun, with the view of

fully illustrating the natural and artificial productions of their

country. With one remarkable exception * every link was
perfect, and every branch industry of with which we are
acquainted was fully represented. No such collection has
been brought together before or since, and it is much to be
regretted that it could not have been kept intact in some
National Museum for the study of all lovers of Oriental Art.
The objects sent were and have, therefore, passed
for sale,
into the hands of numerous Collectors, and have been dis-
tributed all over Europe, a considerable proportion of the
valuable collection having found its way to this country.
*
The department alluded to is that of Cloisonne Enamel, which was deficient in repre-
sentative works; nothing being exhibited at all equal to what has been sent to Europe
since the deposition of the Shogun.
2 JAPANESE ART.

Several pieces of the most representative character furnish

the subjects for the illustrations of our present work.

Previous to this Exhibition our knowledge of Japanese Art

was chiefly derived from the objects imported into Europe by
the Dutch traders, from the presents given to the several Em-
bassies that have visited Japan, and from the articles collected

and described by such travellers in the country as Kaempfer

and Siebold. The importations of the Dutch consisted
almost entirely, so far as art work is concerned, of Porcelain
of two descriptions one decorated with designs in red, blue,
:

" Old
and gold, and commonly known as Japan Ware," and
the other decorated with devices in blue only, or in rare
instances with blue and applied ornamentation raised, coloured,
and gilded. The finest collection of these wares is to be
found in the Japanese Palace at Dresden. The articles pre-

sented to the members of the different Embassies consisted

of rich dresses, silk fabrics, and objects of lacquer. Where
these specimens are at the except in a
present time it is,

few cases, impossible to say. The objects collected by the

early travellers were few in number, although of great beauty
and interest, but unfortunately they have of necessity been
distributed with their over the globe, and remain
owners all

therefore quite beyond the reach of the ordinary student.

Siebold has certainly done more than any other traveller
in giving us information on the natural and artificial produc-
tions of Japan, but the least valuable portion of his labours
are those in the direction of Art. His Museum, at Leyden,
does notsupply much food
artist,for the
being chiefly
devoted to the display of the natural products and manu-
facturing appliances of the country in which he spent so
many profitable years of his life. It will be readily seen from
the above facts that very great difficulties surrounded the
student who desired to investigate the art thoughts and
labours of a country with which so little free intercourse
until the first truly
existed, representative collection of its
productions was displayed at Paris. It will always remain
a matter for regret that no
descriptive catalogue was pre-
 JAPANESE ART. 3

pared of this superb collection, which, commencing with life-

sized mounted warriors in all the glory of their inlaid steel,

gold lacquer, and wrought silk armour and horse trappings,
embraced all the artistic productions of the country down to
the toy porcelain sake cup and the commonest sheet of
paper, valuable only for the few but truly artistic strokes of
the brush it contained. No
written information of any kind
exists ;
and indeed the collection appears to be remembered
only by some few artistic minds, who were startled out of
their apathy by so much that was beautiful, novel, and
deeply suggestive in
every object it comprised.
No treatise specially devoted to the subject of Japanese
Art has been written by any of the travellers in Japan, and,
indeed if, from the numerous works on the country and the
manners and customs of its interesting people, all the remarks
were collected which have a bearing on art, they would
produce but a fragmentary and sketchy essay on the subject.
No one appears to have visited the country for the set

purpose of investigating the arts and art thoughts of its

inhabitants ;
and this fact is much to be regretted, for so
great are the changes which modern civilisation and com-
mercial intercourse have lately made and are making every
day, that at a very early date but little will be found remain-
ing of the national art works or art thoughts to enrich our
present imperfect knowledge.
The task of fully investigating and recording information
regarding the arts of such an exceptionally gifted and ingeni-
ous people as the Japanese, is one sufficiently important and
dignified forany Government to take up. Had England or
France realised this, when awakened to the subject by the
collection sent to the Paris
Exposition, such insignificant
labours as ours would have been uncalled for, and European
art literature would have been most materially enriched.
What have the authorities at the South Kensington Museum
been doing to permit such pass ?
golden opportunities to

Perhaps they will essay to do something when Japan is Art

Japan no longer. And further, we may be excused for
4 JAPANESE ART.

in letting many of the

asking what they were thinking about
finest objects from the Paris collection be sold in London,

by public auction, without acquiring them for their important

Art Museum. The two mounted warriors, which we have
already alluded to, were sold at the sale to
one of our

leading curiosity dealers, for a sum about equivalent

to the

value of one of their swords or one of their stirrups. These

superb pieces of work have, we understand, since gone to
enrich a collection in Vienna.
Ourpresent essay is an attempt to furnish, in a concise
form, the information we have been able to glean of Japanese
Art, from intercourse with natives who have visited Europe,
from the labours of others, and from several years of personal
study of the works which we have had access to. It will

of necessity be imperfect.
Japanese Art, viewed from any stand-point, will be found
to present characteristics peculiarly its own, which distinguish
it from the arts of all other nations of the East.
On examining a Eastern hemisphere, and
map of the

observing the close proximity of the two countries, Japan

and China, one would naturally expect to find great simi-
larity in their manners and customs, and hence, of necessity,
in their arts. Such, however, is not the case, for few, if

any, bonds of sympathy exist, and indeed very few outward

marks of resemblance are observable in their respective
works. manipulation of their art works, even when
In the
the materials used are almost identical, there are in every
instance so many and such important differences, that one

might suppose that intercourse had never existed between

the countries and indeed that they were separated geo-
;

graphically by wide oceans or untravelled wastes.

There can be little doubt that intercourse existed, in
some form, between China and Japan, long before the
Western traders attempted to open communication with the
latter country but we have no proof that the intercourse
;

was ever of long duration, or of a very friendly nature. Let

the communication between the two countries have been
 JAPANESE ART. 5

what it
may, it evidently failed to affect their respective
arts, for a careful survey of the works of both nations fails
to prove a systematic copyism on one side or the other.
The want of artistic sympathy, and the absence of evi-
dences of copyism, may reasonably be accounted for when
we bear mind that the Chinese have always been too
in
conservative and self-opinionated to learn from others, believ-

ing all the world to be wrong, and right only to be found

in their own empire and that the Japanese, although ever
;

ready (as recent events have proved) to benefit from the

superior knowledge and attainments of those they were
brought in contact with, found little in the Chinese from
which they could gain practical or artistic instruction. Their
own ornamental arts and manufactures were equal, and in
most instances superior, to those of the Chinese and their ;

taste, cultivated by their keen appreciation and earnest

observation of the beauties of nature, was more correct and
refined than that displayed by the more conceited artists of
the Celestial Empire.
There are several objects frequently introduced in Japan-
ese decorative art which are common also to Chinese, and

may have been at a very early period derived from China,

but beyond the original ideas no copyism can be found ;

indeed, so marked is the respective treatment of similar

objects by the artists of the two countries that there is
seldom the slightest difficulty in pronouncing their nationality.
One cannot even glance over the wide field of
hastily
Japanese Art without being struck by the loving appreciation
of the works of nature it displays. The Japanese artist is
indeed an ardent student of nature ;
he watches her silent

operations with keen perception, and notes her changes of

mood and costume with loving eyes, until each detail of her
marvellous handiwork, and each expression of her changeful
face, becomes imprinted on his mind, to be transferred to

every work he sets his hands to do.

In the animal and vegetable worlds he is ever watching
for expressive action, or seeking for lovely forms and com-
6 JAPANESE ART.

binations of colour; and when satisfied with his research,

how boldly and truthfully he depicts that which has pleased
his artistic taste.
Another remarkable trait in the character of the Japanese
artist is his keen appreciation of, and intense love for, the

humorous and grotesque. Nearly all departments of his work

bear evidence of this, and one occasionally finds that his
humour has led him into broad caricature, and through its
many phases into the representation of indecent subjects.
Besides the wonderful skill the Japanese artist displays
in the rendering of animate and inanimate natural forms for
decorative purposes, he evinces great ingenuity in designing

geometrical and other conventional devices, and in the appli-

cation of them to the ornamentation of surfaces of all

shapes. This brings us to the consideration of that depart-

ment of art which, on account of its being the most
primitive, may be accepted as the appropriate starting point
in our resume of the subject of Japanese Art.
The first attempts made by any
nation in the shape of
ornamentation would unquestionably be of the greatest sim-
plicity, and would naturally partake of an angular rather
than a curvilinear outline, such as might be suggested by
the accidental throwing together of pieces of wood, or in
basket making, or wattling for the construction of huts and ;

this may reasonably account for the appearance of ornaments

of the fret or zigzag character in the art productions of

nearly all ancient nations. Fret patterns are frequently

introduced in Japanese Art, both in the shape of borders
and diapers, and with
good effect. A critical
unvarying
examination of a large number of works tends to prove that
the Japanese artist is unerring in his judgment regarding
the fitness of things and his disposition of such hard forms
;

as frets and diapers, in combination with floral and other

free and flowing designs, is always pleasing, and invariably
tends to impart a steadiness and firmness to his otherwise
erratic fancies. The artistic combination of the straight, the
inclined, and the curved is
evidently carefully studied by the
t-'y
U^ISI^HMflls ill

G]
u^iiimw 1=3 ii=iii=] i [

El
1 '
 JAPANESE ART. J

Japanese artist ;
and while this is done, his love for irregu-

larity gets its full scope in the disposition of his varied

devices. We shall have more to say regarding this love for
irregularity later on in our essay, so may confine ourselves
at present to the subject of the fret, and its derivatives.
There are not so many varieties of frets in Japanese
work as are to be met with in the Greek ;
and the con-
tinuous square form so common in the latter is, to the best
of our knowledge, never found in the works of the former.

Figure i, Plate I, is the nearest approach to the ordinary

Greek fret we have seen in Japanese Art it is taken ;

from a Porcelain dish, decorated with blue. It will be seen,

on comparing it with the accompanying woodcut, that the
love of variety has induced the
artist to depart from the
severe and uniform square division found in the Greek, and
to adopt an alternating division of upright and oblong parts.
The line forming the pattern is continuous, as in the Greek

15I5M5151!
GREEK FRET.

fret, and on this account the example is interesting, for

continuous frets rarely are met with

Japanese Art. in

Figure commonest forms, and may,

2 represents one of the
for the sake of distinction, be termed the oblong discon-

nected fret, each part being perfectly distinct. Frets of this

description are frequently formed of parts varying in length,
which are extended or reduced to suit the peculiarities of
the objects to which they are applied. Figures 3 and 4
are two other varieties of disconnected frets ;
the former
taken from the rim of a Kioto vase, and the latter from
the margin of a large Imari dish.
8 JAPANESE ART.

Numerous simple devices derived from the fret are used

by the Japanese artist, in almost every department of his

work. These do not call for special comment in our essay,
but the few illustrations on Plate I, Figures 5 to 8, may
prove interesting to the student.

Up to this point we have been considering the class of

fret ornaments which are narrow spaces, such
confined to
as borders and bands ;
we have now to draw attention to
their modification,and application to larger surfaces, in the
shape of diapers. Figure 9 is a drawing of what may be
called the fret diaper par excellence of the Japanese it is ;

more commonly used, perhaps, than any other surface enrich-

ment, and is constantly met with in every branch of their
art manufactures ;
it is used alike in their common toy
straw boxes, and on the rich silk and gold brocades of
their emperor and highest nobles. The drawing is taken
from a lacquer cabinet, where the diaper appears on all the
external surfaces disposed in the most erratic manner.
.The number of diapers derived from the fret, or
into
which the fret enters as a component part, is considerable ;

and the remaining figures on Plate I are representations of

the most characteristic, and those most frequently used.
The Japanese artist delights in diaper work of all

descriptions, and his invention never seems to fail

him,
however much he may indulge his love for variety. In
covering a surface entirely with diaper work, he seldom
adheres to one design, but generally adopts several, dis-

tributing them in irregularly shaped compartments fitting

in to each other. A remarkable instance of this exists in
a large plaque of Porcelain, decorated with blue. This is

entirely covered, with no fewer than eleven different designs.

The woodcut on the next page represents a portion of this
interesting piece in fac-simile.
Another instance is before us as we write, namely, a
drawer of a
lacquer cabinet, which has its sunk panel
decorated with six different diapers, each of which
occupies
an irregularly shaped division of the field.
 JAPANESE ART. g

This method of dividing a surface into unsymmetrical

angular spaces and filling them with different designs appears
to be peculiar to the of Japan, and has, no doubt,
artists
arisen out of their dislike to diametrical division, and their

PLAQUE OF IMARI PORCELAIN DECORATED WITH DIAPER WORK (BOWES COLLECTION.)

restless love of variety. They follow the same practice in

their inlaid or veneered wood work, where the pieces of
differently grained and coloured woods produce a very
peculiar and pleasing effect. Frets and diapers, in black
and light tinted woods, are cut up into triangular and other
unequal-sided figures, and frequently introduced along with
the plain grained woods in this veneered work.

Leaving the fret diapers, we have next to consider to

what extent geometrical forms are used by Japanese artists
in their ornamentation. These, as might be expected, most
commonly appear form of diapers, constructed by the
in the
intersection of straight or curved lines, or by combinations
of the triangle, the square, or the circle. Both hexagonal
IO JAPANESE ART.

and octagonal forms are of course frequently met with.

In the woodcut of the porcelain plaque, it will be observed
that the diaper of the main division on the left hand is
formed by intersecting circles, while that in the right hand
main division is in manner produced by intersecting
like

hexagons. Two simple hexagonal or honey-comb diapers

occur in the upper half of the plaque ;
four varieties of

square and lozenge form, produced by the intersection of

straight lines, are shown ;
and one, in the right hand lower
corner, commonly termed the fish-scale diaper, is produced
by overlapping circles.
Various combinations of the above types are introduced
by the Japanese together with many forms produced by
artist,
the intersection of wavy or curved lines. The accompanying
woodcuts represent three diapers, the outlines of which are
produced by these means.

FROM A BOWL OF ISE BANKO WARE (BOWES COLLECTION).

The cuts are interesting on another ground, for they

illustrate an additional method of
dividing a surface for
ornamentation. In this case, the object
being round in form,
the artist has broken
up the surface with curved lines before
/o
J.AlieTniar. Photo'ntb Luadot

PLATE II.
Alierras- Photo '..th ^..oHoc

PLATE II.
 JAPANESE ART. II

filling in his diapers. One lozenge

pattern has been fret

introduced to give value and steadiness to the numerous and

conflicting curved lines. It may be interesting to the reader

to know that the bowlquestion is only about two-thirds

in
covered by the four diapers, the remaining portion being
decorated with a freely drawn spray of flowers in rich colours.
On Plate II are given the more important varieties of geo-
metrical diapers which are met with in Japanese Art; they are
derived from works in porcelain, lacquer, and other materials.
It is not an unusual thing to find diaper work,
ornamenting a considerable flat surface, disturbed or broken
up into fragments the plain spaces between being left
;

without further treatment, being relieved with some

or
delicate scroll or floral enrichment directly contrasting with
the set forms of the diaper. An instance of this latter
treatment is a lacquer box, decorated with
before us : it is

detached irregularly shaped masses of geometrical diaper,

associated with most delicate fronds of fern.
The woodcut below is a simple illustration from a

FROM A JAPANESE BOOK.

Japanese block book, showing the manner in which diapers

are broken up, doubtless for the sake of securing a free
and artistic effect when used in certain positions or for
certain purposes, according to the fancy of the artist.
12 JAPANESE ART.

We
have reason to believe that the Japanese have, from
the earliest period of their art, been fond of simple geo-
metrical forms; this may be illustrated from their heraldry,
in which are to be found numerous geometrical figures,

adopted as the crests or badges of Princes or

Daimios. A
few of these are here given.

ai7>
o
o
i. SATSUMA. 2. CHIKUGO. 3. KUWANA. 4. NAN15U.

5. OWADZIMA. 6. HICONE. 7. ASIU. 8. AKITA.

The heraldic badges, generally, are very commonly used

as ornaments for furniture, textile fabrics, wall-papers, and
the like ;
and are invariably satisfactory in their disposition,
alone in the shape of powderings, or in conjuction with other
ornamental forms. Even the unpromising figure No. 8 in the
above woodcuts, associated with elegant floral sprays, becomes
a tasteful decoration in the hands of the Japanese artist.

Designs of the greatest possible severity, probably copies

from ancient work, are frequently met with in Japanese Art.
Sometimes the details are wrought out with all the delicacy
and truth of Greek ornament, and at others they are so
archaic as to remind one of Egyptian decoration. A remark-
able example of the latter treatment is to be seen in a fine
Satsuma vase, in the possession of Val. C. Prinsep, Esq.,
which was illustrated in the folio edition of this Work. The
neck and bell mouth are very suggestive of Egyptian ornament.
hi

ft,
 JAPANESE ART. 13

Of all the methods adopted for the ornamentation of

the surface, perhaps those in which flowers and foliage
flat

enter are the most beautiful and characteristic in those ;

the Japanese artist has no rival. It would indeed be im-

possible, in a brief essay like the present, to give the reader

even a slight idea of the endless variety of designs one
meets with in departments of Japanese Art.
all

It will be understood that we are now confining our

remarks to the methods used for the all-over decoration of
surfaces ;
we shall shortly come to those adopted for their
free or partial ornamentation.
In designing floral diapers the Japanese do not, as a rule,
follow the uniform or accurate spacing and repetition aimed at

by European artists, but rather strive to disguise the "repeat,"

and to impart the greatest amount of irregularity possible.
On Plate III are three interesting designs used for the
ornamentation of the fine deer-skin leather made at Tokio.
The illustrations taken by photography direct from the
are
stencils used by the leather workers. The designs are all
of a floral nature, and, with one exception, are of the most
free description and, although the complete stencils measure
;

2 feet 3 inches long by i foot 5 inches wide, there are no

attempts to make any portion of the patterns repeat. Figure

2 is strictly a diaper, and while freely designed, repeats with
the same precision as an ordinary diaper, such as Figure 12,
Plate I. It will be on examining the two designs,
seen,
Figures 1 and 3, that the whole ground-work is composed
of minute over -lapping leaves, with the introduction, at

irregular intervals, of small flowers and animals in various

attitudes. These designs are quaint in style, and faithfully
illustrate the freedom by the Japanese artists in
exercised
their ornamentation. It is not unusual to find the flowers

of the chrysanthemum adopted as a surface decoration, and

for this purpose they are densely massed, the flowers shown

overlapping each other, and variously coloured, those in front

being more richly tinted than those behind.
Free, flowing, or scrollwork designs of a floral character,
14 JAPANESE ART.

which more closely approximate to European ideas, are fre-

quently met with in the textile fabrics, embossed papers in
imitation of leathers, and wall-papers produced in Japan.
Indeed, we have seen many patterns in the common paper
leathers which strongly resemble those of fine old Italian
brocades.
Hitherto we have
confined our remarks to the Japanese
treatment of diaper work, that is to say, of geometrical or
free designs which are more or less of an accurately repeating

nature, and which, like our own

and wall-papers,
carpets
may be carried over any extent of surface. And we have
pointed out, in connection with these patterns, that the love
of irregularity and variety prevents the Japanese artist from

uniformly adopting any one design for any one object, as

—
is the usual custom in European art, where perfect repetition

and diametrical division are accepted as essential rules, but —

rather inclines him towards extreme freedom, and in many
instances to inordinate conceits in their disposition.
The various methods commonly adopted in the decoration
of a surface by diaper work may be briefly summed up as
follows. The illustrations on Plate IV are intended to

represent the side of a lacquer box or cabinet.

i. The uniform distribution of one pattern over the
entire field.
2. The application of a single pattern to an undiametrical
division of the field.

3. The application of two or more designs to unsym-

metrical divisions of the field.

4. The ornamentation of the surface by disturbed or

broken-up masses of diaper.
5. The application of straight or curved bands of different
designs, vertically, horizontally, or diagonally,
across
the field.
6. The application of masses of diaper in medallions
of various shapes, placed at irregular intervals on
the field.

Next in order to diaper work comes that class of orna-

hi

ft,
 fcj

Wm
•

^/&j&j&j^/&j&jB
j:

mmmm.
 el^ila ^
J L

PLATE V.
wsm^wM®

PLATE V.
 JAPANESE ART. '5

ments commonly termed powderings, that is, ornaments

powdered or distributed at regular or irregular intervals over
a field or surface. In Western art, the system of regular
distribution may be said to be universally adopted, although
during the last six or seven years, owing to acquaintance
with Japanese Art, considerable license has been taken by
our designers in this direction. Contrary to our European
notions, the Japanese artist almost invariably practises
irregular distribution with
regard to the designs which fall
under the class of powderings. In these his fancy may be
said to run wild but with what unerring judgment and
;

unvarying success does he dispose his forms. In the ac-

• • •
Ir • • 1

• • •

• • •
POWDERINGS OF EUROPEAN DESIGN.

companying woodcuts are shown two of our commonest pow-

derings, one expressing upward growth, and the other regular
radiation, and both indicative of extreme propriety, and a
lavish use of square and compass. On Plate V are given
six examples, photo-lithographed direct from Japanese wall-
papers, which clearly show the different principles on which
their designers work, if indeed they can be said to work
on any defined principles. We are
strongly inclined to
think that they depend entirely upon that inborn taste and

accuracy of eye which appear to serve them at every turn,

far better indeed than all the teaching of the schools assists
us on similar occasions.
16 JAPANESE ART.

In decorating surfaces of limited dimensions by hand,

the Japanese artist invariably endeavours to avoid repetition
of the forms or the regular disposition of his powderings ;

of course, in such things as wall-papers, and stamped or

stencilled leathers, a certain repeat, more or less remote,
must of necessity exist. The wall-papers which are repre-
sented on Plate V are taken from the full-sized sheets
of paper, as printed in Japan, which measure about 18
inches by 13 inches, and while none of the designs are

accurately repeated or disposed on these sheets, as groups

they will with every sheet used to cover the wall.
repeat
A careful inspection of these designs will prove how studiously
the artists have endeavoured to avoid any feeling of stiffness,
and to cover any demonstrative expression of unlimited
repetition.
works entirely ornamented by hand, repetition and
In
measured division are systematically avoided. Exception
must, of course, be made in the case of such devices as
heraldic badges and religious symbols, which admit of no
modification without impairing their true significance. But
when such devices are used, as they very frequently are,
in the shape of powderings, they are invariably disposed
irregularly, and sometimes in what at first glance may
appear to be careless confusion. They are used singly, or
in groups, placed side by side, orconnected by being made
to overlap each other. We do not remember ever to have
seen a specimen of Japanese powdering at all resembling
European examples in the matter of regular disposition of
their details.

Japanese fond of introducing into their works a

artists are

system of decoration which may be said to be peculiar to

themselves. This is known as the medallion system, and
although it strictly belongs to powdering, of which it is
an extended form, yet it produces very different results.
A medallion is a definite form, usually geometrical in
its outline, separated from the general field of the object
decorated by difference cu colour, material, or by a boldly
 JAPANESE ART. 1
7

defined margin or border, and filled in with some special

decoration. For instance, Figure 6 on Plate IV represents
the side of a cabinet ornamented with medallions of diaper
work. In the same manner as powderings, the medallions
are disposed irregularly, singly, or in
groups, overlapping
in the most eccentric manner. All varieties of treatment
are followed in filling in the medallions
landscapes, foliage, ;

animals, and figure subjects being most frequently met with.

Flowers and foliage, animals and birds are frequently so
coiled, or otherwise disposed, as to form in themselves
circular medallions ; being depicted for sake of distinctness
upon a ground-work to that of the object decorated.
different
Several methods of combining and decorating medallions
are shown on Plate VI.
The treatment of medallion decoration illustrates,

perhaps more clearly than any other class of surface

enrichment, the positive dislike of the Japanese artist for
uniformity and diametrical division. When two or more
medallions are introduced, they are almost always of
different outlines, and invariably contain different designs ;

and when combined, by overlapping, the

opposite most
forms are selected for the purpose, unless the artist has
chosen to use circles only, when, for the sake of variety,
he adopts those of different sizes for combination.
Medallions are frequently associated with free floral

designs, or with such arrangements of diaper-work as are

indicated in Plate IV; and in illustration of the latter treat-
ment, we may describe the decoration of a lacquer-work
cabinet, which is in itself an epitome of this school of
ornamentation. back, and two sides are flat
The top,
surfaces, the front being furnished with double doors, sliding
panels, and a long drawer underneath the doors. On these
several portions disposed twelve medallions of
are six

different shapes, eight out of the total number being com-

plete and four broken medallions, the latter being

on the
front of the cabinet, and cut into by the panels of the
doors and lower drawer. The back, top and sides have
I8 JAPANESE ART.

each two medallions of forms, one being placed

different
on the plain black ground, and the other breaking into an
angular mass of fret diaper which occupies about one-third
of the surface. The artist has here contrived, by coupling
differently-shaped medallions, by disposing them in different
positions, and by cutting up the ground in a different way
with the diaper-work, to make every surface of the cabinet
a distinct and independent design, yet, when all is combined,
a pleasing and artistic whole. This cabinet, which we have
used as an illustration, because it happens to be at hand,
must not be taken as an exaggerated specimen of Japanese
Art treatment, for there are many other examples which
might be mentioned, which present still greater departure
from our usually accepted ideas regarding the correct disposi-
tion of ornament. See the two covers of Kaga Ware- on
Plate XXIII, which are apt illustrations of the Japanese
method of disposing medallions.
Wecould enlarge considerably upon this branch of our
subject, but feel that enough has been said, aided by the
numerous illustrations, to carry our readers on with us to
this point in our hasty where our subject widens
review,
very considerably, becoming more generally interesting and
more difficult to treat connectedly.
At a previous portion of our essay, we stated that one
could not glance over the wide field of Japanese Art, without

being impressed by the loving appreciation of the works of

nature which it displays and this is strictly true, for the
;

Japanese artist is a most faithful and discerning student of

Natural History, so far at least as the office of delineator
extends. In representations of such objects as flowers, foliage,
and birds, for ornamental purposes, the Japanese artist has
no rival. So true in form, so tender in feeling, and yet so
bold and graphic are his drawings, that one can simply
—
admire and wonder attempt to imitate, and fail.
To so accurate and clever a craftsman one would
naturally surmise that the most beautiful objects and the
bright side of nature would alone recommend themselves ;
 JAPANESE ART. 19

such, however, is far from being the case, for one finds

every phase and mood, and all classes of objects, furnishing

him materials for his art. From
magnificent flowers, which
the skill and patience of his native gardeners have increased
to gigantean proportions, down to the modest daisy in the

grass,
—
from the lofty fir, down to the dwarf oak tree, which
can be covered by a man's hand, — from
the mythical Ho-ho,
with its superb tail of waving plumes, down to the tiniest
feathered inhabitant of his island home, everything comes
—
in for an equal share of his careful study, and receives an
equally truthful rendering at his hands. The flowers are
shown in the bud, in full bloom, and in decay the trees ;

waving in the summer breeze, in autumn's stripping blasts,

and with barren branches weighted down with winter's snows;
and the birds in all their varied movements and graceful
positions.
The flowers most commonly met with in Japanese Art
are the chrysanthemum, peony, wistaria, iris, lily, hydrangea,
carnation, convolvulus and nearly all the
water lily ;
but
varieties of flowers common to the country are used for

ornamentation, in combination with the above.

The trees most frequently met with are the paulownia
imperialis, plum, fir and palm. Reeds, creeping plants and
grasses of all descriptions are favourites with the Japanese
artist ; and, in the first class, the stately bamboo holds the
most prominent position, on account of its almost universal
utility and the symbolic value attached to it.
It is evident that vegetation of all kinds, and in all

seasons, forms a special source of delight to the natives

of Japan, and particularly to those residing in the large
towns. Doubtless, the natural richness of the country and
the profusion and beauty of its vegetation, cultivate the love
of and taste for trees and flowers and we are quite safe in
;

and
saying that in no other country in the world is this taste
love so general and so widely spread amongst all classes of
the community.

During the long summer evenings, and the various

holi-
20 JAPANESE ART.

days, the people resort to the temples and suburban places

of amusement, which are invariably situated in romantic spots,
and planted and cultivated with the greatest skill. Here,
from earliest infancy, the dwellers in towns learn their love
and taste for the beauties of nature and so strong do these
;

become that on all possible occasions they endeavour to

surround themselves with objects which tend to recall to
their imaginations those beautiful scenes which they so

keenly enjoy.
Gardening is carried to great perfection in Japan, and
immense ingenuity is expended in the formation of what may
be called miniature pleasure grounds. These are commonly
attached to the better class houses in the towns and are so ;

designed as to represent considerable tracts of natural scenery,

embracing hills, rocks, lakes, waterfalls and trees, combined
with such human devices as bridges, winding roads, water-
wheels, and the like. To carry out this pretty idea properly,
miniature trees were necessary, not simply young or small
saplings, but perfectly developed trees, with all the twisted
and knarled limbs of the forest giants the art of dwarfing, of
;

necessity, became a study, and took its place as one of the

industrial arts of the
country. So successful did the experts
become in cramping the exertions of nature, that prodigies
have frequently been seen and recorded. Siebold states that
a Japanese dealer in plants offered him, in the year 1826, a
Ume in full bloom, scarcely three inches high. This master-
piece of gardening was in a small varnished box, having
three rows like those used for medicines. In the highest
was the Ume tree, in the middle one an equally small fir
tree, and in the lowest a bamboo, hardly an inch and a half

high. Judging from photographs and descriptions of the

miniature pleasure grounds, the height of the dwarf trees
commonly used is about three or four feet. From the same
sources one learns that in dwarfing everything approaching
symmetrical growth of the branches is avoided, and the
greatest possible wildness, freedom, and indeed distortion,
are aimed at.
 JAPANESE ART. 21

The Japanese gardeners

are, however, not content with

dwarfing such objects as naturally develop to great size, but

are likewise fond of unnaturally developing objects which, in
a wild state, are insignificant. Flowers of several descriptions
are cultivated until they attain immense proportions, and the
blossoms of some fruit-bearing trees are subjected to this
magnifying they attain the size of cabbages.
process until
It is unnecessary to add that little heed is taken of the fruit

of such trees, but we may point out the fact that this

practice proves how much more the Japanese delight in what

is beautiful to the eye than in what is
pleasant to the palate.
Perhaps the most interesting use to which the dwarf trees
and gigantic flowers are put, is in the formation of the
ceremonial bouquets, with which the people delight to orna-
ment the interiors of their simply-ordered apartments on all
festive occasions. These bouquets, or portable gardens as
they may sometimes
be termed, are formed in a most ingenious
way of dwarf trees, flowers, and straggling branches cut from
the fir, plum, or other favourite tree. All these apparently

incongruous elements are associated together in what, at first

sight, appears to the most
charmingly free and easy
be
disorder but, on further acquaintance, one finds that these
;

ceremonial bouquets have each its prescribed constituents

and arrangements. In a work on the " Manners and
Customs of the Japanese in the Nineteenth Century,"* the
following remarks occur, relative to these bouquets.
11
Tea made in the ordinary way, or boiled in the tea
kettle, is drunk at all meals, and indeed all day long, by all
classes. But there is another mode of preparing tea, which,
on account of expense, through the various utensils and
its

implements employed in its concoction, all of which Japanese

etiquette requires to be ornamental and costly, is wholly con-
fined higher ranks, and by them given only upon
to the

grand occasions and in great ceremony. The expense must

consist wholly in the splendour of the lacquered bowls, silken

Apparently a compilation from Siebold, and more recent writings of Dutch visitors
*

to Japan. (No author's name.) London, 1841. John Murray.

22 JAPANESE ART.

napkins, &c, without which this tea cannot be offered, since

the materials and process, as described, convey no idea of

extravagance. The finest kinds of tea are ground to powder ;

a teaspoonful of this powder is put into a bowl, boiling water

is poured upon it, and the whole is whipped with split
bamboo till it creams. The tea thus made is said to be
a very agreeable, but a very heating, beverage.
" When
company are invited to such a tea-drinking, the
room in which they are must be adorned with a
received
picture of the philosopher and bonze Darma, its inventor,

probably, as he appears to be esteemed patron kami or

its

saint. The
adaptation of the decorations of a reception
room, to this and other occasions, is, in Japan, a science
not to be easily acquired. In a handsome Japanese drawing-
room there must be a toko — that is to say, a sort of recess,
with shelves, expensively wrought of the very finest woods.
In this toko must be exhibited a single picture, no more, — —
beneath which must stand a vase, with flowers. Now, not
only must the picture be suited to the particular occasion,
and therefore constantly changed, but a similar congruity in
the flowers is indispensable the kinds, the intermixture, the
;

number, and even the proportion between the green leaves

and the gay blossoms, must all be
regulated according to
the especial occasion. The laws that govern these variations
are formed into a system, and a book treating of this com-

plicated affair is one of those studied by young ladies at

school."
Two rolls are in our possession, each of which is of
considerable length, and entirely filled with representations of
these bouquets, all different in arrangement and design, and

having descriptions attached to them. The rolls are hand-drawn

and coloured, and doubtless form illustrations to some such
treatiseas that which is alluded to in the above quotation.
As representations of these ceremonial bouquets frequently
occur in Japanese Art, a few outline drawings are given on
Plate VII. In the formation of the bouquets, dwarf trees
and clusters of giant flowers are associated together without
 JAPANESE ART. 23

the slightest attempt at symmetrical arrangement indeed, ;

anything like uniformity or balance of parts appears to be

studiously avoided in these
groupings. A piece of bamboo
sometimes rises vertically from the vase, amidst the flowers,
with a stray leaf or two of its own a delicate creeper twining
;

around it, or a slender branch of some choice plant, stuck

through a hole in its side, and deriving moisture from water
or soil contained within or, when the bamboo is of consider-
;

able dimensions, a perfect miniature fir or oak tree

with
planted in soil contained in the top joint, and flourishing as
luxuriantly in its vase as its more favoured friends on the
mountain side. So far, we have
a picture of the mild type
of Japanese bouquets ;
but there is another which may be
termed the wild type, far more artistic and full of character.
This consists of dwarf trees, gigantic flowers, and bamboos,
as before, with the startling addition of the most contorted
and gnarled branches which badly brought up trees might be
expected to supply. These branches are sometimes dead, or
at least devoid of foliage, and at other times carry quaint
tufts of leaves at their extremities, and, being so fantastically

twisted, they wander about the bouquet in the most erratic

manner, or, when of an independent turn, strike off, tufts and

all, yards from the vase in which they are planted.

Nothing can exceed the taste and skill displayed by the

Japanese in the arrangement of bouquets of this class and, ;

bearing in mind their powers of dwarfing and enlarging, it

is our impression that these are not always cut bouquets, but
rather skilfully arranged and cultivated miniature gardens,
with every flower, tree, and branch having a substantial
interest in the soil filling the vessels from which they spring.
We have ventured to say this much on the subject of bouquets,
because we feel that it affords satisfactory proof of the innate
taste of the Japanese for irregularity in art, and graceful
freedom as displayed by natural objects. The Japanese would
as soon think of clipping box or holly bushes into the forms
of chairs, bee hives, truncated cones, or peacocks, as was the
custom with our Elizabethan ancestors, as they would of trying
24 JAPANESE ART.

to turn those articles into the form of a natural shrub; and

one cannot help feeling that it is a very good thing for their
arts that such is the case.
But to return tothe subject of flowers as met with
in Japanese Art works. Of all the flowers introduced in
ornamentation the unquestionably the
chrysanthemum is

favourite it is cultivated largely throughout the country, and

;

is much used for floral decorations on certain occasions.

The Japanese name for the chrysanthemum is kiku ; and

the ninth of the year, during which it is in full bloom,
month
is called Kiku-dzuki. On the ninth day one of the principal
festivals of the country is held —the
Festival of Happiness —
and the chrysanthemum enters largely, as the Japanese em-
blem of happiness, into all the ceremonies of the day. This
festival a period of
is great mirth and feasting, happiness
being strictly the order of the day. Pleasure parties pic-nic
on pleasant spots on the adjoining hill sides,where beautiful
views can be had, and spend the day in eating and drinking,
in lively and in strolling about, admiring the
conversation,
ever-changing views and various effects of the light through
the passing hours of the day, winding up with a magnificent
sunset, after which they return to their homes to complete
the slow process of intoxication by drinking sake. The drinking
of sake, which is a fermented liquor brewed from rice, is

turned into one of the ceremonies of the festival, by placing

in the vessels kiku flowers, or more probably detached petals
of the flowers, which are drunk with the sake. In the large
towns expend considerable time and ingenuity in
people
forming figures of men, models of interesting objects of
natural scenery, such as the beautiful mountain Fusiyama,
and the like, entirely of kiku flowers. Last, but not least,
the chrysanthemum has furnished one of the Imperial crests,
termed the Kiku-mon.
In works the kiku figures very largely, and is
of art
treated in a great variety of ways, sometimes conventionally,
and at others naturally. In decorating a flat surface, such
as the lid of a lacquer box, the artist frequently covers it with
 JAPANESE ART. 25

flowers in two or three layers, the upper or outer one being

carefully detailed and most highly finished and coloured, each

succeeding layer underneath, seen through the interstices of

the others, being less and less manipulated and powerful in
tone. Some specimens of this mode of ornamentation are of
great beauty and refinement. Continuing the star treatment
of the flower, we find the chrysanthemum commonly disposed
as a powdering in all departments of art work and in high
;

class objects, made for the palace of the Tenno, the crest
form of the kiku is almost invariably adopted as the orna-
mentation, and is usually disposed as a powdering.

KIKU-MON OR KIKU CREST.

Of the free or natural treatments of the chrysanthemum

in Japanese decorative art impossible for us to speak ;
it is

their name is legion, ever varying with the caprice or inventive

power of the artist, and the form or use of the object decorated.
Although our intention to avoid in this essay any-
it is

thing of the nature of a dissertation on technical or formative

processes, it may not be out of place to allude briefly to the
several methods adopted by the Japanese artist in developing
or accentuating his floral designs for decorative purposes. In

lacquer work we frequently find the flowers richly raised in

the material, or delicately carved out of ivory, white and
purple mother-of-pearl, coral, lapis lazuli, gold, silver and
bronze, and applied or inlaid on the surface while the stems ;

and foliage remain in raised gold or coloured lacquer, or are,

after the fashion of the flowers, applied in carved wood and
variegated green stones. In works of ivory a similar practice
obtains, and is carried to the greatest point of delicacy and
D
26 JAPANESE ART.

accuracy. In metal work, the floral designs are frequently

applied in variously coloured alloys, relieved by inlays of the
precious metals. In all the processes of coloured ornamen-
tation above alluded to, the Japanese artists are remarkably
skilful. In porcelain manufacture, the necessary employment
of extreme heat renders impossible to apply any of the
it

above materials consistently the floral decorations are

;

therefore, at the most, raised in the clay, and richly

enamelled. Lacquer however, is frequently
ornamentation,
applied to finished articles of porcelain and stoneware.
Associated with the kiku in decorative works is very
commonly found the botan or peony, which, with its luxuriant
crimson coloured and fully opened flowers, gives great
richness to the compositions into which it enters. are We
not aware to what extent the Japanese gardeners cultivate
the peony, but, if we may judge from the representations
met with in works of art, would suppose it to be
one
developed to great perfection and immense size. It is

seldom used alone as a decorative medium, and in this

respect evidently held in less esteem than the chrysan-
it is

themum. The most beautiful representations of the botan

are to be found on the celebrated Satsuma faience, where
it is cleverly treated as a decorative object by being
sufficiently conventionalised to render it harmonious and unob-
trusive. A favourable example of this treatment is to be
seen on the exquisite Tray illustrated on Plate XV.
Our readers will observe, notwithstanding the natural
freedom infused into the general floral decoration on this

tray, how deftly the demands imposed by decorative art, in

the ornamentation of a surface, have been recognised
flat —
in the total absence of cast shadows, and in the conventional
feeling given throughout by the employment of the gold
outline in the botan and other important flowers. There
are lessons in this one example, as well as throughout

every plate of this Work, which our decorative artists would

do well to study carefully.
Another plant, almost as frequently met with in works
 JAPANESE ART. 2J

of as the botan, and quite as highly esteemed by the

art

Japanese, is the wistaria, or, as it is called by them, fuji.

Siebold speaks very highly of the beauty of this plant as
it
grows in Japan, and he also gives some interesting
particulars regarding it. The fuji is a creeping plant which
grows to a great size, and is of such a
spreading habit
that the Japanese train it so as to form arbours and covered
walks in their gardens and temple grounds. Its roots extend
a considerable distance, producing several stems, which reach
the size of from three to four inches in diameter, and,

climbing like our honeysuckle, frequently attain the height

of eighteen feet, where, supported by a trellis-work, they
spread out into foliage covering a space of twenty to thirty
feet square. Below this the graceful racemes hang in
luxuriant three feet long
masses, often and, waving in the ;

spring air, produce a most beautiful effect. It is usually

in this drooping position that the flowers of the fuji are

represented in art.
The wistaria is in full bloom in the months of April
and May, and during that time all classes of people resort
to the gardens, strolling along the covered paths, or con-

gregating in the arbours to amuse themselves in drinking

their favourite rice spirit, and in dancing and singing to
the sounds of musical instruments. It is here they im-

provise pieces of poetry in honour of the plant or in praise

of the sweet spring-time, and, writing them on slips of paper,
attach them to the most beautiful bunches of flowers. These
are sources amusement, both to the authors them-
of great
selves and who follow and read them. Japanese
to those
literature is rich in witty and amusing stanzas written in
honour of the fuji, in which it is alluded to as the emblem
of youth and spring.
Pictures of the plant are on certain festivals and holi-
days placed in the principal reception rooms of the Japanese
houses, and generally adorn the places of honour.
Siebold mentions a curious custom in connection with
the fuji. a to Yedo, he noticed in the
During journey
28 JAPANESE ART.

court of a temple, on the bunches of flowers not yet in

full bloom, small notes of all colours ; and was informed
that young persons fastened them there,
ultimately accepting
the more or vigorous development of their respective
less
bunches as presage of their fate in their future married lives.
The iris is a very general favourite with the Japanese
artist, doubtless on account of its stately yet graceful habit,
which forms a pleasing variety of lines with those of other
and freer-growing plants. It is evidently introduced in the

Satsuma already mentioned, for the purpose of reliev-

tray,
ing the foreground, and imparting solidity to that portion
of the composition which, consisting of stems only, would

appear weak and unsatisfactory.

In works of lacquer, ivory and metal, the iris (kosai)
frequently appears, and is generally accentuated by having
its flowers, and sometimes both flowers and leaves, applied
in different materials. The most favourite material for the
flowers is mother-of-pearl, the purple and white varieties
beautifully representing, when carefully carved, the purple
and white iris. In bronze work the flowers are commonly
gold and silver.

Although lilies of many varieties grow to the greatest

possible perfection in Japan, and are met with almost every-
where, even in profusion by the roadsides, they are not so
frequently represented on works of art as are the previously
mentioned flowers. This is not readily accounted for, objects
far more common and of less beauty being more
intrinsic
used for decorative purposes. Japanese lilies have long been
greatly esteemed by our florists, and immense quantities of
bulbs are annually imported into Europe. The Japanese
name for the lily is yuri.
The hydrangea (otaksa), convolvulus (asagao), and water-
lily (hasu), are very often depicted on works of lacquer and
porcelain; the convolvulus, from its creeping habit, being
an especial favourite in free designs. The water-lily flowers
and leaves supply many suggestions to the watchful artist,
which we see carried out in his articles of porcelain and
 JAPANESE ART. 20,

bronze. From the plant alone, with its leaves, flowers, and
buds, he
designs teapots, cups, plates, and such like, in
porcelain and perfume burners, candlesticks, and other
;

articles of everyday use, in bronze.

The water-lily has for centuries been held both in India
and China in a sort of
veneration, being accepted as the
special symbol of fertility and reproduction and, doubtless, ;

a similar idea obtains in Japan. The figures of Buddha,

and numerous other deities and saints, appear in all these
countries, seated or standing on the flowers or leaves of the
water-lily.
Much more could be said in connection with the artistic
treatment of flowers we must recognise the limits im-
;
but
posed upon us in our essay, which, embracing all branches
of art, must of necessity leave imperfectly described.
all

Trees next claim our attention, and, as they appear to

be more esteemed than flowers, and enter very largely into
the ceremonial observances of the Japanese, they deserve to
be rather more fully treated.
First in rank, as the grandest of all the trees of Japan,
comes the kiri, to which Siebold gave the name by which
it is best known to botanists, paulownia imperialis. Speaking
of this tree, the learned Doctor says
— * " We have given
the name
of paulownia to the new species formed by the
kiriy which up to the present time wrongly passed for a

bignonia, in order to pay our homage to the name of Her

Imperial and Royal Highness the hereditary Princess of the
Netherlands. It is not merely the beauty of the plant
which induced us to distinguish it, but rather because the leaf
of the kiri, ornamented with three stems of flowers, was used
as armorial bearings by the celebrated hero Taikosama, and,
for this held in honour in Japan.
reason, is still
"
The kiri is one of the most magnificent vegetable pro-
ductions of Japan. Its stem, with a diameter of two to

three feet, rises to a height of thirty to forty feet. It

*
Translated from the Flora Japonica, by Dr. Ph. Fr. de Siebold. 1835.
30 JAPANESE ART.

branches into limbs, not numerous but strong, at right angles,

forming a vast crown. The broad leaves are opposed,
have
stalks, are notched at the base in the shape of a heart,
oval and perfectly unbroken, or else cut into three unequal
lobes (the middle one of which is the longest), pointed and
covered with a whitish down. The beautiful and odoriferous
flowers grow from the beginning of the month of April, after
the leaves are developed. They are disposed in large double

bunches, and thereby resemble our horse-chestnut blossoms,

as they also resemble, by their form, size, and colour, the
flowers of the purple foxglove (digitalis purpurea). The cap-
sules which spring from them ripen in autumn, towards the
fall of the leaves, and contain a large number of small
seeds furnished with a membraneous and transparent wing."
While Siebold notices that, from the fact of the
favourite and renowned hero Taikosama having adopted the
leaves and flowers of the kiri as his armorial insignia, the
tree is held in high estimation in Japan, he does not men-
tion thata similar crest forms one of the two used by the
Emperors of Japan. It was very probably adopted by them

KIRI-MON OR KIRI CREST.

after Taikosama's death. The woodcut which appears here

represents the Imperial crest in the form now commonly used.
The appears in art works, both naturally
kiri frequently

and conventionally rendered. In the former method, it is

usually in conjunction with the mythical bird the ho-ho, of
which we shall have to speak later on. When conven-
tionally rendered, it is either in the shape of the Kiri-mon
or in a somewhat similar form, or a free modification of
the same.
 JAPANESE ART. 3 I

The Kiri-mon, when used as

disposed a decoration, is
as a
powdering, but
seldom alone, being generally asso-
ciated with the other The
Imperial crest, the Kiku-mon.
latter, as already pointed out, is usually found alone, and
is much more frequently used than the Kiri-mon in art
works. When the kiri enters into the construction of all-
over patterns or diapers it is invariably freely treated; a
beautiful instance of this may be seen on a
piece of Japanese
silk and gold brocade
(Bowes Collection), where the diaper
is entirely composed of sprigs of the kiri with the flying
ho-ho.
There
is no tree so
frequently represented in works of
Japanese Art as the plum (time), and its flowers (ume no
hana) are special favourites in ornamentation. This tree
grows throughout Japan, but to the greatest perfection in
the northern districts of the empire, where it attains the

height of fifteen to twenty feet. In its wild state it seldom

grows above twelve feet, while in hedges and such like its
height is
commonly about eight or nine feet. The ume is

largely cultivated by the Japanese gardeners, both on ac-

count of the beauty of its flowers and the use of its fruit.
The flowers are, however, the most highly esteemed, and
are represented on works of art.
alone We have not met
with a single instance where the fruit was portrayed in any
form. The tree is covered with blossoms in the beginning
of February; and Siebold informs us that, at that time, all

the altars of the temples and the private

idols in the

dwellings of the Japanese are decked with branches of ume

in bloom, as the symbols and heralds of the spring. He
also informs us that the flowers vary much in colour; those
of the wild trees being white, while the cultivated varieties
yield flowers of all shades between white and red, and
sometimes of green and yellow tints. The choicest varieties
are those which have double flowers; and these are usually

planted as shrubs in the private gardens of dwelling houses,

and in the precincts of the temples. The Japanese appear
to be fond of collecting varieties of the ume, and Siebold
32 JAPANESE ART.

mentions that (in the richest collection, numbering

his time)
several hundred varieties, belonged to the Prince of Chikuzen.
In Japanese literature the ume tree is very frequently
mentioned, being connected with the legends of the saints,
and the historical records of great moralists and poets.
Such being the case, it is not to be wondered at that the
tree has gradually come to be looked upon as sacred.
In certain places in Japan, where pilgrimages are instituted,
persons are shown the trunks of ancient ume trees, under
whose pleasant shades deified princes reposed, celebrated
lawgivers revised their moral codes, and where priests and
inspired poets composed their sublime psalms and poems.
Cuttings secured by the devotees from these sacred stems
have always been held in great esteem by the people.
In art, the ume is usually represented as a tree of a

peculiarly angular and spiky habit, so much so that when

represented, as in winter, with neither leaves nor flowers,
it is distinguished from all others.
easily The ume is
beautifully shown on the upper portion of the Satsuma tray,
Plate XV, where, from its deep red flowers, it evidently

represents some choice variety. The wild ume is, however,

the most art, and when it appears on
commonly used in
blue and white porcelain it forms a most exquisite decora-
tion. The so-called "hawthorn pattern," which of late years
has been so valued and sought after by collectors of " blue
and white," is simply decorated with the white ume flowers
on a blue ground.
The ume is found in all departments of Japanese Art ;

when applied to porcelain it is generally painted, although

sometimes it is
wrought in relief. In blue and white porce-
lain appears either in white on a blue ground, or outlined
it

and shaded with blue on a white ground. In lacquer work

it is treated, like the chrysanthemum, in variously tinted
raised lacquers, or in applied metal, mother-of-pearl, ivory, &c.
In bronze work the ume flowers are commonly wrought in
silver.

Next in importance comes the fir tree (matsu), appear-

 JAPANESE ART. 33

ing on works of art almost as frequently as the time. The

fir tree is grown all over
Japan; where it does not grow
wild it is acclimatised by careful cultivation; it is held
in the highest estimation by the
people, and has wound
round it a mantle woven
of pretty fables and miraculous
tales and legends, which secures it great consideration from
both young and old. It is
popularly believed to have an
almost supernatural longevity, and to exercise a beneficial
influence on mankind. It is said to be quite
indispensable
to the happiness and comfort of the true Japanese, and is
therefore to be found wherever he lives. Firs surround the
temples of the gods and shade the chapels of saints and
patrons. During festivals its branches adorn the entrance
gate and place of honour in the reception hall
and, along ;

with other symbolical trees and flowers, it adds beauty to the

last resting place of the dead. The fir tree is one of the
favourite symbols of long life and prosperity, and in that idea
it planted along with the ume before the palace of the
is

Emperor. Siebold, our greatest authority on all matters relat-

ing to the flora of Japan, says that the art of the Japanese
gardeners has been exhausted on the cultivation of these firs:
they prune and cut them in every way; they extend their
branches fan-like as wall-trees, or give to the branches so
disposed the shape of a flat plate. In that artificial cultiva-
tion extremes meet,and one is as much astonished at finding
specimens of enormous proportions as at seeing the tree reduced
to the smallest possible size, easily covered by one's hand.

During Siebold's stay at Osaka, he went to see the cele-

brated tree before the " Theehaus Naniwaja," the branches
of which, extended to a circumference of
artificially trained,
one hundred and thirty-five paces. He also informs us that
on the high roads fir trees form avenues of a hundred
leagues in length and that single trees, planted
; upon
hillocks, serve throughout the empire as distance marks
along the roads.
The fir appearsJapanese Art in its natural habit of
in

growing ;
sometimes whole trees being depicted, and at others
E
34 JAPANESE ART.

branches only. It not so frequently found on works of

is

Keramic Art as in bronzes and lacquer work. Nothing can well

surpass the masterly manner in which the fir trees are rendered
in the fine cast and highly relieved bronzes of Japan, except,

perhaps, the superb and life-like modelling of the falcons or

eagles, which very commonly appear perched on their branches,
in these same bronzes. In almost all cases the fir is intro-
duced by the Japanese artist as the emblem of long life

and prosperity and as such ;

it is frequently associated with
the bamboo, and tortoise,
crane, all of which are accepted

emblems of longevity and happiness, in the pictured wall-

screens in dwellings, and, indeed, throughout every depart-
ment of their ornamental arts. The tree is sometimes
depicted laden with snow, a fitting emblem of the blessings
of long life, even when the snows of its winter have fallen.
It is a strange thing that whole range of Japanese
the
artistic symbolism alludes to temporal blessings and may ;

be summed up in a happy spring-time, a prosperous man-

hood, and a long life. Much of this, no doubt, arises
from the simple mode of living, common to all classes of
the people, and their intense love for the beautiful in nature,
a love which in all seasons and places is fully satisfied in
their picturesque and fertile land.
Asymbolical composition is sometimes met with in

Japanese art, the full meaning of which our unenlightened

minds are totally unable to grasp. This consists of a
fir tree growing upon the back of a tailed tortoise. A
highly interesting illustration of this treatment of the em-
blems of longevity is preserved in the Bowes Collection :

it consists of a tailed tortoise in the act of walking, carved

in a hard dark coloured wood, with tail of metal wires ;

from the centre of the back rises a fir tree, beautifully

carved in the same
wood, and amidst its branches
hard
is a nest
containing three young birds and two standing
cranes, all of which are of ivory. Surmounting the whole
composition, and resting on the topmost branches, is one
of those rock
crystal balls for which the Japanese lapidaries
 JAPANESE ART. 35

are so famous. The tortoise, fir tree, and cranes are all

accepted emblems of long life, but the meaning intended to

be conveyed by the crystal globe is somewhat obscure. We
have met with another representation of the combined tor-
toise and fir tree in a small
Kioto faience, but screen of
in this case the cranes and ball were not depicted.
The bamboo (take), one of the most useful of the
vegetable productions of Japan, is much used by artists for
ornamental purposes. Its
straight ascending habit, totally
unlike that of any other object they depict, no doubt com-
mends it to their attention and, relieved by its frequent
;

jointings and graceful crown of foliage, it becomes in their

skilful hands a beautiful and effective ornamentation. For
narrow upright spaces nothing can be more appropriate ;

and a few jointed stems, with an occasional leaf or two,

and a deftly drawn little bird in flight, make one of those
compositions which the mind will ever associate with the
nature-loving and painstaking artists of Japan. Bamboo is
much used by the natives in the construction of their houses
and household articles ;
and many beautiful ornamental
objects are fashioned from its wood, carved, inlaid, or lac-

quered. Like the fir tree, the bamboo is accepted as the

symbol of longevity, on account, Kaempfer says, of its

generally supposed long existence. He also adds, that he

was informed that the common bamboo will grow for several
hundreds of years, and in support of that statement he was
shown specimens in various parts of Japan which had reached
extraordinary dimensions.
The Japanese fashion flower pots of the quaintest possible
description from short lengths of bamboo, by cutting open-
ings of various shapes between the natural joints, through
which the plants grow in a very manner
prettybut ;

perhaps the most ingenious and astonishing work they do

with bamboo is the delicate and faultless basket-work with
which they enclose the small porcelain cups of Hizen and
Mino.
Simplicity of taste is a distinct characteristic of the
36 JAPANESE ART.

Japanese artist, and perhaps the most eloquent proof of this

is to be found in his tender little sketches of blades of grass.

These trifles, as they may be called in comparison with his

grand essays of decorative art, are not, however, tender
only they are almost invariably expressive of something
;

beyond themselves. Here is a little medallion, with a few

bent strokes in black against a half-displayed disc of white ;

the grass-blades say, How pleasant it is to bend to the

night-wind in the bright moonlight Here is another rich !

;

in growth are its grasses, laden with seeds, and bending in

beautiful fern-curves ;
each blade seems to sing, How delight-
ful are the breezes as they sweep over the meadows
summer !

And here is yet another, with all its blades crushed and
broken, which tells that autumn has dried them, and that
the cruel blasts of winter have swept over them like des-

troying angels How easy it

! is to detect, in even such
insignificant sketches as these, the deep-seated love for
Nature which inborn in the Japanese mind, and also the
is

refinedsimplicity of that love, which is content to select

such humble elements as grass-blades wherewith to express
itself. It will be observed, from the few foregoing remarks
relativeto vegetation generally, that the artists of Japan
are not content with producing artistic combinations in their
ornamental works, but that they aim at expressing some
poetical some power in Nature, which in itself has
idea, or
no physical form and we have ample proof that such are
;

their ideas by the names they frequently give to their

graphic drawings. We shall have something to say on this
interesting subject when we come to speak particularly of
graphic delineation, as displayed in the art works of the

Japanese.
Flowers, trees, and ornamental
grasses are used for

purposes in all the varied productions of the Japanese art work-

shops, down to the humblest article of everyday use. We
have beside us, as we write, a few of the commonest
cotton towels, sold in
Japan at about the value of our
penny, each one of which is decorated with devices of
 JAPANESE ART. 37

flowers, bamboos and such-like objects, sufficiently artistic

to repay an ornamentist for days of study; and several

sheets of the note paper used by the ladies of Japan, which
are ornamented with graceful sprays of flowers in delicate
tints, assisted by embossing in the petals of the flowers.
These are ordinary instances of the taste of the Japanese,
and distinctly illustrate how thoroughly the love of the
beautiful pervades all classes of the community, and how
completely artistic thought surrounds them in their
every-
day life. Perhaps, of all their artists, the porcelain painters
are the most skilful in adapting vegetable forms for the
purposes of ornamentation and for illustrations of this fact
;

we have only to refer our readers to the Plates of the

present Work.
Next to vegetation, the artists of Japan are most skilled
in the representation of birds ;
and they appear to have
an equal love for depicting them, either alone or in con-
junction with vegetation. The natural habits of birds supply
an inexhaustible page of and one
Nature for their study,
can observe everywhere in their works how painstaking and
enthusiastic they are in its prosecution, by the care and

accuracy with which every action and favourite position of

their birds are rendered. It is chiefly in their pottery,
lacquer, illustrated books and original drawings that one
finds the best specimens of their skill in this department,
although some remarkably choice specimens are to be met
with in metal work and in ivory carvings. Let the
material, however, be what it may, wherever there is a
bird depicted there is food for our study and cause for our
admiration.
The most frequently represented, and consequently
birds
the most carefully studied by the Japanese artists, are the
crane, tame and wild ducks, wild goose, peacock, pheasant,
raven, hawk, falcon, ordinary domestic fowls, and several of
the small birds common to the country.
The crane (tsuru) is held in a sort of semi-veneration

by all classes of the community in Japan, and is, on account

38 JAPANESE ART.

of its supposed very generally accepted as an

long life,

emblem of longevity. For these reasons, it is one of the

greatest favourites with the artists of the country, and
is

introduced in ornamentation throughout the entire range of

their arts. It countless ways
is treated in
and, indeed, ;

it is impossible to imagine any position the living bird could

assume which is not depicted by the Japanese artist and ;

it is imagine anything more artistic, from a

difficult to
decorative point of view, than their manner of treating it
in these varied positions. There is one rather remarkable fact
in connection with the crane, which is, that the Japanese
avoid representing it as dead. During many study
years'
of their art works, we do not remember once having seen
a representation of a dead crane. This may satisfactorily
be accounted for by the symbolic value attached to the
bird — a dead crane would scarcely be an expressive emblem
of longevity.*
In works of Keramic art, the crane is very frequently
represented
— in some cases singly, either resting or in flight ;

and in others in great numbers, in all kinds of positions.

A fineinstance of the latter exists in a large dish of Hizen

porcelain, in the possession of Enoch Harvey, Esq., of

Liverpool, which is entirely covered with a flight of white
cranes upon a blue ground. In some specimens of faience,
the cranes are cleverly painted in relief by using thick

opaque white and black enamels for the body and the tail
feathers.
In lacquer work, cranes are very often introduced in the
ornamentation, and are exquisitely manipulated in gold and
*
"The the chief of the wild birds of the country, and hath this
Tsuru, or Crane, is

peculiar Imperial nobody may shoot him without an express order from the
Privilege, that
Emperor, and only for the Emperor's own pleasure or use. The Cranes and Tortoises are
recon'd very happy animals in themselves, and thought to portend good luck to others,
and this by reason of their pretended long and fabulous life, of which there are several
remarkable instances recorded in their Historical Writings. For this reason, the Imperial
Apartments, walls of Temples, and other happy places, are commonly adorn'd with Figures
of them, as also with figures of Firs and Bamboos, for the like reason. I never heard
the Country-people and Carriers call this Bird otherwise than Tsuritsama, that is, My
(rreat Lord Crane. There are two different kinds of them, one white as snow, the other
grey or ash-coloured.''
— Kicmpfer.
 JAPANESE ART. 39

coloured lacquers, or carved in ivory or mother-of-pearl and

attached to the surface.
As Kaempfer mentions, the screens and wall decorations
of Japanese dwellings and temples are commonly painted
with representations of cranes; and for these purposes they
are frequently depicted life-size, with other symbols of lon-
gevity and happiness, such as the fir, bamboo, and plum.
When the birds are drawn in upward flight, they are usually
surrounded with conventional clouds, giving the idea of
space ;
when they are shown in a downward flight, a few
tops of trees appear at the bottom of the picture, graphically
indicating their near approach to earth.
Cranes are favourite objects with the skilful embroiderers
of Japan and, executed in fine twisted silk, with every
;

important feather accurately wrought, very beautiful objects

they are.
In metal work, the bird is frequently met with, either
cast in bronze or wrought in the precious metals, relieved
in coloured portions with other metals or alloys. The
the

Japanese are fond of having representations of the crane,

in bronze, placed in their miniature landscape
gardens; and
for this purpose they are cast in all sizes and in the most
life-like attitudes.
In original sketches, on fans, and in woodcuts, the
Japanese artist draws the crane in absolutely countless posi-

tions, expressing every habit and motion of the bird but ;

of all these, those which show his skill in

foreshortening
are the most interesting. This remark, however, applies
with equal force to the whole range of his bird drawing.
A law existed
Japan, and is no doubt still practically
in

observed, that no firearms should be used within a radius

of thirty miles from the Imperial palace, and this
encouraged,
to a great extent, the sport of falconry, and consequently
the taste for depicting its scenes. The screens which the
Japanese use so commonly in their dwellings as temporary
partitions, and their indispensable fans, are frequently painted
with sporting scenes and many books, entirely devoted to
;
40 JAPANESE ART.

falconry, are printed, inwhich charming woodcuts are to be

found. Both in hand paintings and woodcuts, we find re-
peated evidences of their skill in bird drawing, and every
conceivable position and action of the falcon and its quarry
delineated.
Falcons (taka) and eagles (washi) do not appear upon
works of Keramic art or lacquer so frequently as cranes
and some other birds, but when they are represented they
quite sustain the credit of the Japanese artist. Pheasants
(kiji) are great favourites, and are very often introduced in
ornamentation. There is one variety of great beauty which
Kaempfer took particular notice of during his residence in
Japan, and in speaking of which he says
" One
kind, par-
—
ticularly, is remarkable for the various colours and lustre

of its feathers, and forthe beauty of its tail, which equals

half a man's length, and in a curious variety and mixture
of the finest colours, and gold, is no ways
chiefly blue
inferior to that of a peacock." This beautiful bird is a
favourite object with the painters of Satsuma and Tokio,
and is usually accompanied by its hen, which is much in-
ferior in shape and plumage.
Ducks of several varieties are portrayed, but one species
in particular this, called by the Japanese oshi kamo, is
;
a
favourite study, chiefly on account of the beauty of its

colours. Kaempfer takes notice of the oshi kamo, in his

History of Japan,* the following words

in One kind, par- :
—
ticularly, I cannot forbear mentioning, because of the sur-
prising beauty of its male, which is so great, that being
showed its picture in colour, I could hardly believe my own
eyes, till I saw the bird very common
itself, it being a
one. Its feathers are wonderfully diversified with the finest

colours imaginable, about the neck and breast chiefly they

are red. The head is crowned with a most magnificent
topping. The tail rises obliquely, and the wings standing
up over the back in a very singular manner, afford to the
eye a sight as curious as uncommon."
*
Kaempfer gives the name of this bird as Kinmodsui.
 JAPANESE ART. 4 I

Itgenerally understood that the beautiful drake and

is

duck, when represented together, are accepted by the Japan-

ese as the emblems of conjugal felicity. The drake is
sometimes represented alone, however, no doubt on account
of its great beauty an instance of this occurs in a flower
:

stand of Satsuma faience, in the possession of W. J.

Audsley, Esq., where it is carefully modelled and placed upon

rock-work rising from the centre of the water basin.
The peacock (kujaku) frequently receives
study careful
from the Japanese artist, being represented as a decoration in
all materials. It is common
all branches of pottery and
in

porcelain painting, being drawn in blue by the Hizen artists,

and in brilliant colours by those of Satsuma. The peacock
is not a native of the Japanese islands, having been introduced
there about two centuries ago. A story is told connected with
its arrival in the country which runs somewhat as follows :
—
On the New Year's day festival a Prince of Hizen entertained
at a banquet numerous distinguished guests, who had come to
his court to pay their respects, and to compliment him in the
manner usual on that day. The guests, after the entertainment,
were asked to inspect the numerous presents made to the
Prince, and expressed extreme admiration at two foreign birds
which they had never seen before these happened to be :

a peacock and hen. The Prince took occasion, while they

were discoursing on the beauty of one bird in particular,
to ask which of the two was the cock and which the hen.
The gentlemen turning to the gaily dressed ladies, and
desiring to compliment them, unanimously decided that the
most beautiful must be the hen bird, while the ladies very
modestly apprehended that the finest plumaged bird was
the cock. "You are right," said the Prince, bowing to
the ladies; "Nature herself will have the male best clad;
and it seems to me incomprehensible that the wife should
have more pride and desire to go more richly dressed than
her husband, who must he at the expense of maintaining
her." An excellent New Year's sermon, as Ksempfer says,
for a heathen Prince.
42 JAPANESE ART.

The wild goose (gan) receives very skilful treatment at

the hands of the of Japan and is, like the crane,
artists ;

delineated in every conceivable attitude. In the folio edition

of this Work we illustrated a large dish of Kioto faience,
from the Bowes Collection, which was most artistically
decorated with a group of wild geese.
The ordinary domestic fowls are often depicted by the
Japanese artist, the cocks (ondori) being the greatest favour-
ites. It is stated that cocks are commonly kept in temple

grounds, and are carefully attended to by the priests and

others because they foretel changes of the weather, and,

by the regularity of their crowing, mark the passage of

time. These reasonably account for the frequent
facts may
representation of the cock perched on the top of a temple
drum. The Japanese draw the cock in a most spirited
manner, and never fail to represent its proud and pompous
carriage.
We have thus briefly alluded to the more important
birds introduced in Japanese artists' work. It is not at all

necessary for us to enlarge upon the subject of the lesser

birds which are so frequently represented in their charming

drawings, further than to say that they are invariably drawn

with studious care and strict truthfulness to nature. In
short, wherever there is a bird depicted in Japanese Art,
there one finds the result of careful study, and an object
worthy of earnest attention.
Kaempfer remarks: "Considering
— the largeness and
extent of the but sparingly supplied
Japanese Empire, it is

with four-footed Beasts, wild or tame. The former find but

few desert places, where they could increase and multiply,
and follow their usual shy way of life. The latter are
bred only for carriage and agriculture.
up Pythagoras's
doctrine of the transmigration of the soul being received
almost universally, the natives eat no flesh-meat and living, ;

as they do, chiefly upon vegetables, they know how to

improve the ground to much better advantage, than by

turning it into meadows and pastures for breeding of cattle."
 JAPANESE ART. 43

Such being the case, we cannot be surprised that quad-

rupeds are comparatively seldom depicted by the Japanese
artist. The horse is certainly often met with in works of
art, sometimes alone, but more frequently with its rider.

Japan almost entirely devoid of wild beasts of prey, the

is

lion, tiger, leopard, and such like animals being unknown

in the country. Poor attempts are occasionally made by
artists to depict these animals, from descriptions or crude
representations which may have reached them from neigh-
bouring countries; but the absence of personal examination and
study from the life are clearly manifest in all these attempts.
Ofquadrupeds the horse {tuna) is most frequently drawn
all

by the Japanese artists, and it is often delineated with great

skill and
knowledge of foreshortening. The votive pictures
hung in the Shinto temples, called by the natives yema,
most usually represent the horse, and are amongst the
most skilful efforts of the Japanese artists. The dexterity
and rapidity with which he draws these yema are altogether
remarkable and the methods resorted to in some cases
;

are amusing. It would appear to be a favourite test of

skill amongst painters to delineate the horse in these votive
pictures in the shortest space of time, with the fewest brush
strokes, and under the most difficult conditions. One instance

may be —
given that of an artist painting a yema with two
brushes, heldat an angle and wide apart in one hand,
and both brushes continuously used together in drawing a
horse, which, to increase the difficulty, the artist has chosen
to upside down.
depict In the ordinary block books of the
country the horse is a common illustration, and, in some
instances, pages are devoted to numerous small studies of
the animal in every conceivable position and action, with
and without a rider.
The fox (kitsune) is believed by the Japanese to be
closely allied to the devil ;
in fact, to be possessed of some
spirit more or less mischievous in habits and disposition ;

and the literature of the country contains frequent allusions

to peculiar events in which the fox-demons take no insig-
44 JAPANESE ART.

nificant part. The Japanese also believe that foxes have

the power to assume the human form at will, and, indeed,
to take the semblance of individuals living at the time.
Of course, in the popular stories, the appearance of a friend
is assumed for the purpose of deceiving the individual with
whom that friend is on familiar terms and this would
:

indicate that the fox is believed to be endowed with more

subtle powers than even that of transformation, powers
closely approaching omniscience and omnipresence, or if such
powers are denied, that the fox has communication with
some all-knowing being who directs its vagaries, mischievous
or otherwise. At the risk of being considered discursive, we
here a story of a fox given in Kaempfer's interesting
quote
and instructive work. In speaking of the Japanese table
of unlucky or unfortunate days, he says
—
" To
give more weight and authority to this table, the
Japanese say that it was invented by the wise and experienced
Astrologer Abino Seimei, a man of great quality and very
eminent in his art. He was born a Prince. King Abino
Jassima was his father and a fox his mother. Abino Jassiwa
was married to this fox upon the following occasion.
" He once with servant of
happened a his to be in
the temple who is the God and Protector of the
of Inari,
foxes, meanwhile some courtiers were hunting the fox with-
out doors, in order to make use of the lungs* for the
preparation of a certain medicine. It happened on this that
a young fox, pursued by the hunters, fled into the temple,
which stood open, and the very bosom of
took shelter in

Jassima. The King, unwilling to deliver up the poor creature

to the unmerciful hunters, was forced to defend himself and
his fox, and to repel force by force, wherein he behaved
himself with much
bravery and success, that having
so
defeated the hunters, he could set the fox at liberty. The
hunters, ashamed, and highly offended at the courageous

*
It appears
that, in early times, the Japanese physicians believed in the efficacy of certain
internal parts of the fox, such as the liver and
lungs, as a medicine for some complaints.
The parts had to be extracted from the animal before life was extinct.
 JAPANESE ART. 45

behaviour of the King, seized in the height of their resent-

ment an opportunity which offered to kill his royal father.

Jassima mustered up all his courage and prudence to revenge

his father's death, and with so much success, that he killed
the traitors with his own hands. The fox, to show her
gratitude to her deliverer, appeared to him, after the victory
which he obtained over the murderers of his father, in the
shape of a lady of incomparable beauty, and so fired his
breast with love, that he made her his wife. 'Twas by her
he had this son, who was endowed with divine wisdom,
and the precious gift of prognosticating and foretelling things
to come. Nor did he know that his wife had been that
very fox, whose life he saved with so much courage in the
temple of Inari, till soon after, her tail and other parts
beginning to grow, she resumed by degrees her former
shape." Kaempfer finishes by adding
— " This is not one
of the least considerable of the histories of their Gods."
It is absolutely necessary, for a proper understanding
and study of the art of such a thoughtful people as the

Japanese, that some knowledge should be obtained of the

popular literature of the country. We have given the fore-

going curious specimen of its legends or mythological tales,

because it forms a key to the whole subject of the popular
superstitionpromulgated by the priests amongst the more
ignorant and wonder-loving sections of the community.
There are numerous other tales common in the country,
in which foxes take very prominent parts in playing wicked
pranks and unkind jokes upon unwary human beings and ;

many of the stories are of the most mirth-creating character,

while they are not devoid of wisdom in their hidden moral.
There can be little doubt that at no very remote period
there existed, and even to some extent there still exists, in

Japan a firm belief that foxes and certain other animals

were endowed with the power of assuming human and other
forms at will, or at the bidding of some ruling being there- ;

fore, we can scarcely be surprised at any vagaries or fanciful

conceits we meet with in the art works of the country.
46 JAPANESE ART.

these at present out of our

Unfortunately the key to all is

reach. We are imperfectly acquainted with the

only very
vast mass of Japanese literature, and the popular beliefs and
fallacies of past and present ages but, in the future, as ;

Japan becomes more connected with the West, and Europeans

more learned in its languages, we shall doubtless have ample
opportunity of investigating these interesting subjects.
Of all the other animals which are supposed to be
endowed with these supernatural powers, the badger (tanuki)
appears to be the one most frequently mentioned in the
popular tales ;
but as its imaginary pranks resemble those
of the fox, it is unnecessary to allude to them further.
In the grotesque and humorous
ivory carvings of the
Japanese, no animal is so frequently met with as the monkey
or ape (saru), and the greatest skill is displayed in its

representation its natural propensities to mimic human

;

actions are carefully noted and turned to good account in

these curiosities of art. On works of porcelain and pottery,
the monkey is sometimes introduced in the form of a gro-
tesque; good are given on Plate XXVII,
illustrations of this
where two flower jars are represented, upon which are two
monkeys, modelled in relief, and grotesquely rendered with
unnaturally long arms.
The other animals which are constantly found in works
of Japanese Art, such as oxen, deer, bears, dogs, cats,
rabbits, rats and frogs, scarcely call for particular comment,
being fairly well represented in drawings, and generally with
great artistic power in carvings, metal work, and the like.
A careful survey of Japanese Art clearly shows that of all

natural objects quadrupeds are the least frequently depicted.

It is rather difficult to account for this except upon the

ground of there comparatively few in the country,

being
and, as we said before, the absence of favourable oppor-
tunities for personal examination and study from the life.
But apart from this, we suspect that the disinclination to

depictfour-footed animals proceeds from the fact that they

do not readily lend themselves to the capricious and fanciful
 JAPANESE ART. 47

tastes and mannerisms of the light-hearted artists of Japan.

The monkey forms an exception to the list of quadrupeds,
being practically a biped, and is generally depicted in that
capacity in Japanese Art works. It is the monkey's power
and impulse to mimic man which makes him such a favour-
ite, and any extravagance or exaggeration in
justifies
delineation that the most fertile brain can realise. We
may mention that the elephant, sometimes seen in Japanese
work, is a Buddhist emblem, and is copied from Indian
Art.
The Japanese of the present day hold with considerable

respect the belief of their forefathers, that in the early ages

of their race they were a nation of fishermen. It is not

a common thing for nations or individuals, who have become

great and powerful, to strive to remember, and to remind
or inform others
regarding, their humble origin. In Japan,
where so much private power and arrogance existed for

many centuries, combined with a nobility of soul and an

altogether unique code of honour; where self-immolation
has ever been preferred to personal and family disgrace, or
indeed to the taint of suspicion we have an instance ot
;

this uncommonhumility. We
endeavour, say the Japanese,
to keep before our minds the fact that we have ever been
a nation of fishermen, and have been fed from the trea-
sures of the sea ;
it therefore behoves us to be humble-
minded and not given to enervating luxury whatever our ;

wealth may be, and whatsoever we give or receive, let us

remember our humble origin, and strive, with the simplicity
and thrift of our forefathers, to be as great as they were.
To keep up and express this sentiment, the natives of Japan,
from the highest to the lowest, invariably accompany their

presents with a piece of dried fish. will not go so We

far as to say that the practice in modern times is one of
habit rather than of genuine sentiment, but we gravely sus-

pect that, in high quarters, it has a taint of the "pride that

apes humility." Be this as it may, it is certain that the

practice is of very ancient origin, doubtless dating from a

48 JAPANESE ART.

time when the presents of fish were substantial ones and

of intrinsic value as articles of food. It has been continued
ever since, the gradual introduction of more costly gifts,

usually in the
shape reducing the accom-
of works of art,

panying presents of fish until the slender strip of dried fish

alone remained, —
a symbol only of past ages, a remembrance
of the occupations of the founders of " Great Japan."
With the above facts in view, it cannot be wondered
at and other productions of the sea are so fre-
that fishes

quently introduced into Japanese Art, and always rendered

with the greatest truthfulness and skill. Of all animated
objects, birds are certainly the greatest favourites with the
Japanese artist, no doubt on account of their beautiful

plumage, the gracefulness of their actions, and the propriety

with which they may be introduced, alone or with flowers
and foliage, in all classes of ornamental art ;
but fishes and
shell-fishes rank next in his appreciation, and certainly at
times receive in their representation some of the most re-

fined and choice manipulations.

An instance be given at this point. The
of this may
woodcut opposite represents a button, probably once attached
to a Japanese smoking apparatus, in the form of a fish with
a portion of one side cut away, executed in the most perfect
and beautiful manner in inlaid and incrusted lacquer. There
is a custom, apparently peculiar to the Japanese, which is
followed at certain ceremonial banquets; namely, that of

bringing fish alive in water vessels to the table, afterwards

cutting them up and eating them while in a quivering state.
A description of custom given by a native of Japan
the

may be briefly detailed as follows :

—
There are certain fish
caught in an inland lake, situated amongst the mountains,
which are highly prized as a delicacy by the epicures of the
country. These fish are caught alive, placed in vessels of
the lake water, and conveyed to the cities with great care,
so that they may appear at table in a perfectly healthy
condition. Placed in portable cisterns of porcelain, lacquer
or bronze, they are in view of the guests during the banquet,
 JAPANESE ART. 49

and when the proper moment arrives to eat them, one is

taken from the cistern, and a piece of moist paper is laid
over its eyes, on the application of
which the blindfolded fish lies per-
fectly still. A sharp knife is then
taken, and, two dexterous cuts,
with
about one-half of one side of the fish
is removed and immediately handed to

the principal guest, who proceeds to

eat the delicate morsel with certain

condiments, while the fish, still alive,

is replaced in the water.
The object depicted in the wood-
cut is evidently intended to represent
the fish at this latter stage, for it is

modelled with a portion of one side

removed. This interesting specimen of
Japanese Art is executed in various
materials : the skin on the front is

rendered in a minute mosaic work,

apparently composed of fish
spines
imbedded in
lacquer ;
the teeth seem
to be those of the natural fish ;
and
the fins, tail, and other parts are in
gold lacquer. The cut portion, towards »^
the tail, is most ingeniously represented

by tinted mother-of-pearl, manipulated

in the skilful manner which seems to

belong to works of Japanese Art.

This is simply a button or pipe- case
holder, and is modelled from a small
fish, but it
clearly proves that its artist
considered the fish a worthy and digni-
FISH IN INCRUSTED LACQUER
fied study,and that too much care and
(BOWES COLLECTION).
labour could not be expended on its

faithful representation. The button is in itself a simple object

of everyday use, so to speak, but the art and loving care
G
50 JAPANESE ART.

bestowed upon it elevates it to the dignity and value of a

choice piece high art jewellery, and carries us back in
of

imagination to the time when the great

masters of art were
content to spend months of toil, and lavish the wealth of
their minds, upon a lady's fan or the handle of a dagger.
A Birmingham stamping press does all such work for us
now, and stamping presses will doubtless be sent to Japan,
and will thus aid in stamping out all traces of its truthful
and beautiful national Art.
But to return to our subject. In Japanese work, fishes
are everywhere met with, depicted with the greatest freedom
of hand in Indian ink, a few shaded dashes of the brush

sufficing to represent them in the stiffness of death or in

the most lissom action of life. Laboriously drawn, with
the greatest accuracy of detail, and in their natural colours,

they sport amidst the curling waves, or dart up a waterfall.

Carved in ivory, they form a cosmetic box for a lady's toilet;
they are cast in bronze for a water vessel, or sculped in
steel and gold for a warrior's sword hilt, or modelled in

porcelain for a flower vase, or for dishes for the table ;

wrought in wood and lacquer they form ornaments for cabi-

nets, and all manner of beautiful household articles and, ;

lastly, they are formed of oiled paper, expanded with air,

and elevated on tall poles to indicate some occasion of

great festivity.
Judging by native drawings, the seas around the Japanese
islands appear to yield a great variety of fishes, crustaceans,
and other marine animals, many being remarkable for their
uncommon forms and the brilliancy of their colouring. A little

later on we give a series of reproductions from an interest-

ing book of coloured drawings on silk, in which the leading

varieties of Japanese fish are graphically portrayed.
The Japanese artistfrequently indulges in caricatures,
in which fishes are prominently introduced an instance of ;

this, although it cannot

properly termed a caricature, be
may be seen upon a Kioto basin, figured on Plate XXIV.
The subject is legendary, and represents a marine battle,
 JAPANESE ART. 51

in which all the denizens of the deep are engaged. In

the hands of an ordinary artist such a scene would
be
ridiculous, but the painter of this basin has succeeded in
producing a piece of decorative art full of character and
expression every fish seems to burn with martial glory,
;

while the mighty dragon lashes the waves with his scaly
tail, and the eight-limbed devil-fish, the very impersonation
of an inhabitant of some infernal cave or bottomless pit,
brandishes his deadly weapon in the fray.
A carp (koi), drawn in the act of ascending a water-
fall, is a subject very frequently met with in all branches
of Japanese Art. It is also drawn in various other
situations, and, indeed, it is more commonly represented
than any other fish, being an especial favourite with the
native artists.
The octopus, or devil-fish (tako), is also frequently
depicted, especially in the quaint ivory netsuke or humorous
carvings of the Japanese ;
and one sometimes finds that
the artist has indulged in very broad humour indeed, not
altogether free from indecency but it is unnecessary for
;

us to dwell upon this questionable phase of Oriental art-

thought.
Shells are great favourites in ornamentation, and particu-

larly in that of lacquer work, where, executed in richly raised

gold and tinted lacs, they present very pleasing effects.
Coral and seaweed are likewise introduced, sometimes along
with shells,and at other times alone, but invariably in a
successful manner.
Both reptiles and insects are pressed into the service
of the ornamentist, and are truthfully represented wherever

they are introduced. We have had the opportunity of

examining some rolls of silk fabric, painted with repre-
sentations of snakes, lizards, frogs, land-crabs, and all the
varieties of insects common to Japan. Executed in thin body-
colour, these paintings combine with the greatest delicacy
and beauty of detail the soft effect of the natural colours,
indicating the most accurate observation and careful study
52 JAPANESE ART.

on the part of the artist. Several important specimens of

lacquer-work, in the form of large saucer-dishes, have been

brought to Europe, upon which magnificent

coiled serpents

are depicted, in raised metallic work and coloured lacs, with

eyes of crystal and teeth of ivory. Snakes are favourite

objects for netsuke, where they are usually found associated
with a human skull, decayed fruit, or some such emblem
of death.
Insects are almost as frequently introduced into their works
as birds and fishes; they are wrought in coloured materials

upon such objects as ivory boxes, fan handles, buttons, and

the like; carved with the utmost fidelity in netsuke; sculp-
tured and inlaid in bronzes; painted on fans, screens, and
all articles of porcelain, faience, and lacquer.

The immense variety of treatment of natural objects

met with in Japanese Art renders the subject almost inex-
haustible; and we feel, conscientious labourers as we desire
to be, that we cannot do justice to it within the limits

necessarily imposed upon us. There is, perhaps, nothing

which astonishes the student of Japanese Art so much as
the endless variety it presents; this is accounted for by the
fact that each work is the result of individual genius.
Manufactories, our sense of the word, may be said to
in
have been unknown in the best days of the Empire; each
and every artist worked out his own inspirations,
or artizan

according to own ideas, and in his own way; hence it

his
is that we find so much
variety and originality in almost
everything which has come from Japan. Much of this is
altered now,and constant changes are going on in the
footprints of Western civilisation and, alas in writing a
;
!

dissertation on the Art of Japan, the essayist must look

almost exclusively to its works in the past, and shut his
eyes to its modern phase.
Having thus briefly mentioned the natural animals or
living creatures most commonly introduced by the Japanese

leaving the human form for the pre-

in their works of art, and

sent, we come to the subject which next presents itself for our
 JAPANESE ART. 53

consideration, namely, that of fabulous or chimerical creatures.

It is to be regretted that the slight acquaintance with

Japanese literature which at present exists leaves this inter-

esting subject in considerable obscurity, and surrounded with

difficulties to the student. One readily learns the externals,
or what Japanese Art presents to the eye, but it is extremely
difficult to obtain a true or even moderately satisfactory
knowledge of the symbolic, religious, or poetic significance
of the several chimerical creatures which are so constantly
limned on all descriptions of native work.
Our personal and repeated questioning of some of the
most Japanese who have visited England and the
intelligent
Continent, has not resulted in the acquisition of much know-

ledge with reference to the more subtile points of the sub-

ject. It is therefore fortunate that we have here to treat
rather of the external, or art phase, than of the theological
and mystical.
First in rank of all fabulous creatures comes the

dragon (riyo), which was doubtless derived in very early

times from Chinese Art. In all essentials the dragons of
China and Japan are only practical difference
alike, the

being in their imperial rendering, where the former has five

claws and the latter three.
The dragon is invariably depicted in Japanese Art with
great force and spirit, and in every conceivable attitude.
Its body long, snake-like in its proportions, covered with
is

scales, and furnished with rows of prominent pointed spikes

along its back; the legs, four in number, are likewise scaled,
and armed with spikes on the outside of the joints the ;

feet, divided into three members, terminating in curved claws,

are represented as very muscular and supple. The most
characteristic and fearful looking part of this monstrous
creation of the Eastern mind is its head : derived in the
firstinstance from the most angry type of serpent head, it has
been added to and elaborated into an object altogether fear-
ful. Around both upper and lower jaws, the corners of the
capacious mouth, and the eye-brows, are rows of formidable
54 JAPANESE ART.

spikes; from the base of the skull double-pronged horns

extend backwards ; long flexible horns, or gigantic antennae,

grow from the sides of the nose; the mouth armed with
is

pointed teeth and wild-looking tusks; about the head and

the junctions of the legs with the body are flame-like forms,
which appear to coil burning round those portions. From
such a description one would imagine that the dragon was
intended to personate the devil to be the incarnation of
—
every evil principle but such does not appear to be the
;

Japanese view ;
and here the difficulty commences, for while

we are assured thus far, we cannot arrive at the definite

ideas Japanese hold with reference to the monster. So
the
far as we can learn, the dragon is believed to exert a

potent influence over all important and national events con-

nected with emperors and heroes.
Kaempfer says :
— " The
chronicles and histories of their gods and heroes are full of
fabulous stories of this animal. They believe that it dwells
at- the bottom of the sea, as in its proper element. They
represent it in their books as a huge, long, four-footed
snake, scaly all over the body, like a crocodile, with sharp
pricklesalong its back but the head is, beyond the rest,
;

monstrous and terrible.Japanese Emperor's Some of the

cloth, his arms, and the like, as also the
scimitars, knives,
furniture and hangings of the Imperial Palace, are adorned
with figures of this dragon, holding a round jewel or pearl
in the right fore-claw." be regretted that Kaemp-
It is to
fer has not given us some good specimens of these chron-

icles and histories, to guide us in understanding the Japanese

belief in the dragon he certainly gives us one legend in

:

connection with the lake of Oitz, which we here transcribe.

" A
dragon, an animal in high esteem with most heathen
nations of Asia, but particularly with the Chinese and
Japanese, who represent it in their pictures as
having hands,
legs, and two horns, lived upon the shores of the lake of
Oitz. There was at the same time a very large scolopen-
dra, or forty-leg, as long as two men and proportionately

big, lived upon a mountain, or rather round hill, situate

$q

^
Pi
 JAPANESE ART. 55

on the road about two miles from the habitation of the

dragon, which, from this monstrous animal, is still called

Makaddo Yama, or forty-leg mountain. This monstrous
forty-leg very much infested the roads thereabouts, and in
the night-time came down from its mountainous seat to the
habitation of the dragon, where it destroyed and ate up
the eggs by her. laid Upon this a stout battle arose
between the two animals, wherein the dragon obtained a

complete victory, and killed her enemy. To perpetuate the

memory of this action, a temple was erected in that part
of the village called Tawarrattadu, which temple still exists,
and was shown us, as convincing proof of this event."
a

Although water appears to be the proper element of

the Japanese dragon, it is by no means confined to it, being
at times depicted amidst clouds and flame in the same
manner as the Chinese animal is commonly represented.
We are of
opinion that, if Japanese legendary history or
mythology could be thoroughly known, it would be found
that there existed a belief in two descriptions of dragons —
one inhabiting the sea, and the other the regions of the
air ;
we havehowever, met with anything in the form
not,
of a winged dragon in Japanese Art and indeed in Chi- ;

nese Art, where the dragon is clearly depicted as an

inhabitant of the air, the same absence of wings is to be
remarked. In Plate VIII, Fig. i, given spirited is a

drawing a of
Japanese dragon amidst clouds, copied from
a native roll in the possession of J. Beck, Esq. and in ;

the folio edition of our Work is represented a vase of Kioto

ware, in the possession of Holbrook Gaskell, Esq., upon
which is a beautiful rendering, in relief, of the dragon

issuing from the waves of the sea. In these illustrations

the dragons are substantially alike in all essential features,
and have the same flame-like appendages.
The dragon appears to have been a greater favourite
with the ancient than with the modern artists, and accordingly
is more
frequently seen on old works. On objects of cloisonne
enamel it often occurs ;
for instance, in the Bowes Collection
56 JAPANESE ART.

of this ware, numbering about two hundred specimens, no

fewer than forty are embellished with dragons. On these
interesting pieces the creature is rendered in several different
ways sometimes with four claws, instead of the more usual
;

Imperial style, with three only; in a few instances it is

depicted fighting with an eagle and on two pieces are ;

dragons in the act of fighting together.

The dragon enters into the mythology of Japan, and is
evidently connected with the lives of certain saints. In a

mythological roll (Bowes Collection), filled with drawings of

great interest, are two figures of saints ;
one is that of an

aged man
holding aloft an incense burner, and riding upon
a dragon, which is walking in the sea the other is that ;

of a saint, holding a fan, and standing erect upon his

staff, which, through the water, appears to have

darting
miraculously assumed the head of a dragon.
Of the fabulous animals of Japan, the next in order of
importance is the kirin. This creature is represented in art
with the head and breast of the dragon, the body and legs
of a deer, and a tail somewhat similar to that of the con-
ventionalised lion of China and Japan ;
the flame-like

appendages dragon of the given creature, are also to this

appearing the at
junctions of the legs with the body. The
kirin is believed to be an animal of good omen, and of
such extreme gentleness, although
that, gifted with great
swiftness of foot, it will swerve from its direct path to
avoid injuring an insect or crushing a leaf. The Japanese
have described the kirin as a supernatural animal, requiring
for its creation the concurrence of a certain constellation in
*
the heavens, and the birth of a seijin upon earth. Repre-

A man endowed by nature with an incomparable understanding, and a more than

human penetration ; a man capable to dive into the mysteries of divine and supernatural
things, and withal so full of love towards mankind, as to reveal his discoveries for their
common benefit. There are famous, as such, the two Chinese Emperors Gio and Sinn,
the memory of whose excellent
government, and the great discoveries they made in the
knowledge and virtues of plants, will always be dear to that Empire ; Koosi and Moosi,
two Chinese Philosophers ; Shaka, an Indian Philosopher, and great discoverer of super-
natural truths ; Dharma in China, and Sotoktais in Japan, both founders of particular sects,
and persons of an unspotted holy life. — Kampfcr's History of Japan.
 JAPANESE ART. 57

sentations are very frequently met with in all

of the kirin

departments of Japanese Art, alone or in conjunction with

the mythical bird called the ho-ho, but we have seen only
one instance of the creature under its peculiar constellation ;

a copy of this, which occurs on a square dish of porce-

lain painted with blue, we give in Fig. 2, Plate VIII.
The kirin is upon the earth, as is indicated by the rock
and tree, but the artist, desirous to convey the idea of
swiftness and lightness of has depicted it treading upon
foot,
clouds. The shown, in the conventional
constellation is

manner peculiar to the astronomers of the country, directly

above the head of the creature.
We do not know much regarding the exact form of
belief which the ancient Japanese had in this mythical
creature, but it appears to have been believed to be
unique, that is, that only one kirin existed at the same
time, being called into existence under the conditions before
detailed. We
have only met with one instance where two
kirins are depictedtogether ;
this is upon a very ancient
iron dish, damascened with silver, recently added to the
Bowes Collection. This curious specimen of Japanese Art,
which has all the evidences of being many centuries old,

probably a work of the warlike or iron age of Japan, was

doubtless a commemorative piece, recording some reputed
event of consequence to the Empire.
"
Kaempfer gives, in his History of Japan," a drawing
of the Japanese kirin, and also another drawing of what
he says is according to the Chinese rendering.
the kirin
The latter represents the animal commonly known by the
term kylin, and we gravely doubt if it is intended to repre-
sent a creature any way akin to the peaceful light-footed
in
kirin of Japan. An animal very similar to it in outward
appearance is frequently seen in works of Japanese Art,
but this, we are informed by natives, is intended to represent
the lion. The rendering is strictly conventional, and we are
of opinion it is copied from the Chinese kylin. There are
no lions in the Japanese islands, and therefore the ancient
H
58 JAPANESE ART.

artists, in their entire seclusion, could arrive at no correct

ideas with regard to the king of beasts, no ideas at all
save from the few art works which reached them from
China or the Corea. Although greatly modified in details,
and endowed with supernatural powers, the Chinese kylin
has no doubt been derived from the lion the proportion ;

of the head, the ample mane, the feet with hooked claws
and the tufted tail, all clearly point to the lion as the

original source of the idea from which the Eastern mind

created the fabulous beast. In Japan the kylin does not
appear to be understood, while the conventional form, repre-
senting the lion, is of constant occurrence in works of art.
Plate VIII, Fig. 3. A Japanese, with whom we were con-
versing, on being shown one of these drawings, unhesitatingly
uttered the word " shishi," which signifies a lion; and,
on being interrogated, he stated that the drawing was
intended to represent the natural lion, and not a fabulous beast.
The shishi is frequently introduced in Buddhist subjects,
sometimes along with the elephant (zoj, and clearly with a
similar intention, both the lion and elephant being natives
of India, the
birthplace of
religion the of Buddha. We
shall have to allude to this part of our subject again when
we come to speak of mythological art-subjects.
Kaempfer gives two additional kinds of chimerical ani-
mals, to which the names suugu and kait su are attached;
but his descriptions afford literally no information relative
to their attributes or significance. The suugu is somewhat
like a tiger in shape and marks, but not of a very ferocious
aspect, and has the flame-like appendages apparently common
to all the Japanese fabulous animals. do not remember We
to have seen this creature in any work of art. The kait
su, on the contrary, is often introduced by Japanese artists.
Beautiful representations of this animal occur on the doors
of two valuable lacquered cabinets in the collection of His

Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. On Plate VIII,

Fig. 4, we give a drawing of the kait su as most commonly
represented by the Japanese.
 JAPANESE ART. 59

But of chimerical animals the tailed tortoise (kame)

all

is
unquestionably the favourite, and the most frequently intro-
duced in works of art. Unlike the other fabulous creatures,
which are altogether unnatural in appearance, and born of
the imagination, perfectly natural in the form of its
it is

body, differing only from the ordinary tortoise by the addition

of a long hairy appendage or tail. As this creature is not
believed to be endowed with any supernatural gifts, it would,
on that account perhaps, be more correct to call it an
emblematical animal. The Japanese believe that the tortoise
lives,under favourable circumstances, for several hundreds of
years; they have accordingly accepted it as an emblem of
longevity, and introduced it with that significance into every
department of their art works. The tail indicates great
age, and is supposed to grow only after the lapse of
centuries ;
we have heard it said that the tailed tortoise

represents tenthousand years of life, whilst without a tail

only one thousand years is signified.

The names given to this tortoise by Kaempfer are ntooke
and minogame, but we have been unable to find the words
in any other authority. Minogame is certainly given in
Titsingh's work, but evidently taken from Kaempfer.
Titsingh, in his interesting "Illustrations of Japan,"*
details the ceremonies observed at the Court of Shogun on
the evening of the third day of the first month of the year,
—
and adds " Each prince presents the Shogun with a var-
nished cup, on which are painted, in gold, representations
of cranes, tortoises, fir-trees, and bamboos, as determined by
a special regulation." All these ornaments are accepted
emblems of longevity, and therefore the cups are expressive
of new-year wishes for long life.

It is absolutely impossible to enumerate the ways in

which the emblematic tortoise is presented in Japanese Art ;

* Illustrations
of Japan ; consisting of Private Memoirs and Anecdotes of the reigning
dynasty of the Djogouns, or Sovereigns of Japan ; a description of the Feasts and Cere-
monies observed throughout the year at their Court ; and of the Ceremonies customary at
Marriages and Funerals, &c, by M. Titsingh, formerly Chief Agent to the Dutch East
India Company at Nagasaki. 4to. London, 1822.
60 JAPANESE ART.

it appears in every variety of treatment,

and in every kind of
material. In porcelain and faience it is formed into dishes,
and tasteful ornaments, and painted on all
teapots, bottles,
descriptions of Keramic ware it is carved in wood and ;

ivory cast and wrought in metal, forming ornamental per-

;

fume-burners, and other articles of utility; fashioned into

lacquer boxes and introduced as an expressive ornament
;

on all objects finished in lacquer.

There remains only one other chimera belonging to the
Japanese, and, artistically speaking, it is unquestionably the
most refined and beautiful of all their creations. This is

in the form of a bird, of rich plumage, furnished with a

superb tail of long waving feathers. It is somewhat difficult

to give the true pronunciation of its name according to the

Japanese, there not being an English equivalent for the

sound of the second syllable of the word. Listening to a
native repeating the name, we wrote it down ho-ho, but the
usual sounds of these letters produce by far too hard a
result. Hepburn spells it howo; and although his method
is rather better, it fallsshort of conveying the liquid sounds
of the Japanese. Many years' use of our original spelling
has naturally made it
agreeable to our ideas, and, with these
few words by way of explanation, we shall continue to adopt
it in the present Work.*
On Fig. 5, is given a copy of a spirited
Plate VIII,

rendering of this fabulous bird, from a roll of native hand

drawings. In the original it is in rich colours, such as

scarlet, yellow, light and dark
and dark greens, &c.
blues, light
The ho-ho is a great favourite with the Japanese artist,
and he never fails to depict it with elegance and graceful-
ness. As a purely decorative object it gives almost unlimited
scope to the designer, who can with facility dispose the

wings and pliant tail plumage to suit any form of object ;

an example of this may be seen on the centre dish in

Plate XVI.
*
Kjempfer calls the bird by the name " Foo" but gives the same characters for it as
are given in Hepburn.
 JAPANESE ART. 61

Like the generality of the chimerical animals, the ho-ho

appears more frequently in ancient than in modern art-
works, having been introduced at a time when its existence
was more firmly believed in than it is now.
The Japanese who have been brought into intercourse
with Europeans and Americans have doubtless lost many of
their national ideas, but in the interior of Japan the priests
and the natives still believe, the fabulous stories of
.teach,
the Gods and ancient heroes of their Empire. The belief
in connection with the ho-ho is that itdwells in the higher

regions of the air, out of the sight or knowledge of man,

and descends to earth only at the birth of a great warrior,
philosopher, or law-giver
— of some person, in short, who is

to exercise an important and beneficial influence upon the

country.
In art the treated in various ways, from which
bird is

fact we infer that there are no strictly prescribed rules for

its illustration. head, body, and wings
Its do not differ

very materially in the representations, but its tail is seldom

found alike in two examples ;
sometimes it closely resembles
natural feathers, at others it appears as on Plate VIII;
in some cases the likeness to feathers altogether disappears,
and it is depicted as an elegant flowing mass of conven-
tional scrollwork. When two birds are represented together
it
usually happens that their tails are differently designed.

The portion of our Essay we now enter upon, the

subject of which maybe called Graphic Delineation, is one

to which it is most difficult to do full justice at the same ;

time it is of the greatest interest to the student of Japan-

ese Art. It embraces the methods of representing graphic-
ally and artistically objects of nature at rest or in motion,
and the modes of expressing, by simple delineation, ideas
or present in the mind of the artist.
fancies
We
will preface the few following notes by desiring our

readers to bear in mind that all branches of Japanese Art

are decorative, and that the correct principles of decorative
62 JAPANESE ART.

art vary materially from those which of necessity obtain in

pictorial art. The Japanese are, in every sense of the
word, devoted students and admirers of natural scenery ;

yet there is no record of their

having essayed to portray
landscapes after the methods accepted by us as artistically
correct ;
still there is scarcely an article of common every-

day use throughout their land upon which there is not an

impress of their love for nature's handiwork, or which is
not an essay of artistic skill. The Japanese have had no
Turner, Cox, or De Wint,
but yet their artists have seldom
failed to produce works more or less beautiful and interest-

ing. We have our treasures of art hanging in the closed

mansions of the wealthy and the generality of our manu-
;

factures and our articles of everyday use are more or less

ugly. Here art and taste and beauty are for the wealthy ;

the poor must needs forget that there are such things in
existence. In Japan the poorest peasant has his tastefully
decorated sake-cup or rice-bowl of porcelain or lacquer, and
enjoys his graphically painted fan.
What we wish our readers to understand by the term
Decorative Art, we may here briefly describe. It is not

art, like painting on canvas, or a drawing on paper,

an oil

framed and glazed, valuable and beautiful in itself; it is

the art which adds beauty and interest to objects of utility
and to the common articles of everyday life. The distinc-
tion is drawing on paper, framed and glazed, can
this : a
be hung anywhere, or, simply mounted, it may be shut up
in a portfolio such a drawing represents high art, and
;

perhaps displays the greatest effort of human intellect and

skill in delineation on the other hand, a drawing on a fan,
;

treated with reference to the object to which it is applied,

and still full of beauty, interest and expression, is a repre-
sentative of decorative art.
There no reason why decorative art should be looked
is

upon as ignoble indeed, it has a noble mission to fulfil.

;

No other description of art can be so widely spread, or

can exert so beneficial an effect on all classes of mankind ;
 JAPANESE ART. 63

it is only art which can be linked with every waking

the
hour of our lives, which can meet us at every turn. Speak-
ing of decorative art, of course in its highest development,
Mr. Ruskin says: "Observe, then, — first. The
only distinction
between decorative and other art is the being fitted for a
fixed place ;
and that place related, either in subordina-
in
tion or in command, to the effect of other pieces of art.
And all the greatest art which the world has produced is
thus fitted for a place, and subordinated to a purpose.
There is no existing highest-order art but is decorative.
The best sculpture yet produced has been the decoration of
a temple front the best painting the decoration of a room.
;

Raphael's best doing merely the wall-colouring of a suite

is

of apartments in the Vatican, and his cartoons were made

for tapestries. Correggio's best doing is the decoration of
two small church cupolas at Parma ;
Michael Angelo's, of
a ceiling in the Pope's private chapel ; Tintoret's, of a ceil-
ing and side wall belonging to a society at
charitable
Venice ;
while Titian and Veronese threw out their noblest
thoughts, not even on the inside, but on the outside of the
common brick and plaster walls of Venice."
It must not be understood that, in quoting Mr. Ruskin's
glowing words, we claim for the decorative art of Japan
any such high position as is readily accorded to the works
of the great masters he alludes to; in short, the art of

Japan cannot be called monumental art at all. We simply

ask for the Japanese phase of decorative art that it shall
be looked upon as a development unique in itself, and per-
fectly satisfactory so far as its office extends. It has been
condemned in many quarters, by men who have never studied
it from a correct point of view, and who have not thought
it worth while to ask themselves if it is just to compare
it with the advanced and highly cultivated works of Western
and science. " The Japaneseartist knows nothing
genius
of perspective;" "he does not understand aerial effects," are
remarks frequently made concerning the nature-adoring
islander of the East ;
but we question if any Western
64 JAPANESE ART.

artist has ever loved nature more keenly, or studied more

attentively her wondrous works, than the humble deco-
rative artist of Japan. He knows and uses as much of

perspective works require, and quite as

as his is much as
commonly found in the most correct efforts of other countries;
he is infinitely more appreciative of, and truthful to, the
principles of nature in his representations of animate and
inanimate creation than any Western artist, while as a
colourist not surpassed by him.
he is

Few
things claim the admiration of the student more
than the power of expression, combined with simplicity of
treatment, which Japanese Art almost invariably displays.
Many instances of this graphic delineation will be given in
the following pages, while, from the extreme and sometimes
insurmountable difficulty of reproducing original works in

anything like their integrity, the attempt to do justice to

them by description would be hopeless.
The term graphic delineation, as used here, must not be
understood to refer to drawing only; it
repre- includes the
sentation of any object or idea in any material; but it does
not refer to the material so much as to the characteristic
method adopted to represent the object or express the idea
in that material.
It must be freely admitted, by all who have paid any
attention to Japanese Art, that its weakest department is

that into which the human figure enters. There is a strange

conventionalism, not easily accounted for, which nearly always
presents itself in a Japanese rendering of the figure; it is

not the same conventionalism which is observed in the

miniatures of early manuscripts, or the quaint glass of the
twelfth and thirteenth centuries, in Europe ;
nor is it indica-
tive of a total disregard for, or ignorance of, anatomy but ;

rather bears indication of traditional caprice or popular

mannerism. No doubt the clumsy and withal gorgeous
armour of ancient times, and the peculiar stiffness of the
nationalcostume, had much to do with this conventionalism.
That the Japanese artists are not incapable of representing
 JAPANESE ART. 65

the human figure in the manner we consider artistic, is

clearly shown by an inspection of the beautiful and expressive

ivory carvings which have come from their country. That
they study anatomy there is conclusive proof. In the Inter-
national Exhibition of 1874 there was shown an ivory
about nine inches high, in which every individual
skeleton,
bone was distinct, and carved with the greatest precision
and fidelity to nature. This truly wonderful little work
must have been the result of most careful study and accurate
investigation, and it is quite impossible to do justice to its
merits in a description without appearing to exaggerate. On
the other hand, it must be allowed that it does not prove
that the artist was equally versed in the subject of muscular

development, the knowledge of which requires the practice of

dissection. We are led to believe that the human body
has not been systematically dissected for scientific pur-
poses by the Japanese but some little acquaintance with its
;

internal structure and organs must have been acquired

by some means, or their curative system of moxa burning
could not have been so fully developed as it appears
to be.
The Japanese are fond of certain kinds of athletic

sports, particularly wrestling and ;

in their drawings of
athletes the muscles are invariably represented unnaturally
developed. This practice seriously mars the otherwise truth-
ful andexpressive character of the delineation. say We
that the muscles are invariably exaggerated this applies to ;

all drawings of athletic

sports, save those intended as cari-
catures, inwhich may be traced every imaginable deformity
and attenuation of which the human frame may be supposed
to be capable, thus imparting to the drawings a most
ludicrous character.
While examining the better class drawings of the human
figure, the student of Japanese Art cannot fail to be struck
with the life-like action they express. These drawings are
rarely highly finished or minutely detailed; sometimes half-
a-dozen strokes of the brush complete the figure. In this
1
66 JAPANESE ART.

branch of graphic delineation the Japanese artists equal the

French sketchers.
To find the highest development of facial expression
portrayed by the Japanese artists, we must look to their
wood and ivory carvings, bronzes and theatrical masks :

GROUPS OF THEATRICAL MASKS FROM A JAPANESE BLOCK BOOK.

in the carvings, every passion which belongs to humanity,

and every shade of humour, is to be traced on their expres-
sive faces and in the masks every abnormal development
;

and every extravagant distortion is presented which the

human features could be supposed to suggest to the most
fanciful imagination.
It is unquestionably the expressiveness of Japanese Art
which imparts to it its high claim upon our attention.
There may generality of instances, indications of
be, in the
a peculiar carelessness of mere technical art or studied skill
 JAPANESE ART. 67

in outward form ;
but we cannot avoid realising that there
is present that which appeals directly and very strongly to
the imagination which creates strong emotions in the mind,
;

rather than merely satisfies the eye. Now this is by no

means the case with the generality of European Art, where
more attention paid to the gratification of the eye than
is

to the stirring of the soul with varied emotions. Japanese

Art springs from the brain, and does not affect the studied
and laboured renderings of the Western modern schools ;

and thus it speaks directly to the mind, not with one voice
only, but in strains powerful or weak, according to the

strength of each
individual imagination.
If we
take up carelessly a sketch of a figure, or group
of figures, such as is readily to be found in the block
books or off-hand drawings of the Japanese, at first sight
we are only struck with the simplicity and spirit of the
delineation ;
on second view we begin to marvel how so
much suggestive can be told by so few touches
that is ;

and at this point the mere delight of the eye ceases, and
our minds take hold of the matter, finding an intellectual
exercise of such magnitude, in proportion to the humble
cause, that they are drawn into communion with the artist's
soul, and find that the drawing is but a symbol of some

great moral reality, after all. Do we often meet with

sketches by our Western artists of which the same may
be said? We have, indeed, something to learn from the
artists of Japan; and it will be well for us when we
acknowledge that all that is perfect does not of necessity
belong to our boasted civilisation, or spring from our high
state of mental culture. We question if we have an artist
or poet amongst us who loves nature more truly or

ardently than does the untutored artist of Japan.

We
before mentioned that anatomy must be in some
way studied in Japan, but it is quite clear that it is not
studied from a scientific point of view. Indeed, the early
Japanese held an extreme dislike for touching a dead body,
and believed that to do so was to become defiled. So far
68 JAPANESE ART.

as we have been able to learn, the artists

study do not
from the nude figure in any systematic manner, but rather

depend upon their natural quickness of perception, laying

or some
greater stress upon the expression of action,
the
passion or sentiment, than upon the correct drawing of
figure in all its details. Every facility is given for the
study of the nude, for it is the custom of the poorer classes
to go sparingly clad in warm weather; this may be seen to
be the case from countless native drawings, but nevertheless
the artists of the country do not show any love for deline-

ating the nude figure for its own sake. Men wrestling,
playing practical jokes upon one another, or engaged in
games of amusement or skill, are frequently depicted naked,
or almost so, not for the love of the nude, but simply
because the artist saw naked men engaged in such occu-

pations before his eyes every day.

Some of the most satisfactory representations of the
human face and figure are to be found in the decorative

paintings which are hung behind Buddhist altars. These

paintings are remarkable specimens of delicate and skilful

manipulation, resembling in this respect the finest miniatures

of the middle age manuscripts. As might be expected,
they are treated in a severely religious style, like that of
the icons of the Greek Church and are most accurately ;

detailed, painted in full-toned colours, and elaborately gilded.

The character of the drawings is carefully main-
decorative
tained throughout, by the avoidance of much relief shading
and of all cast shadows. Generally speaking, the Japanese
artists do not introduce much shading, preferring the sim-
plicity of outline
drawing, so suitable for their description
of decorative work.
In the foregoing remarks, our readers must not under-
stand us to have alluded to the stiff and severely conven-
tional figures which are to be seen
upon some descriptions
of the Keramic wares made in Japan, such as the modern
Hizen porcelain and Kaga ware. These figures are evidently
traditional in the districts, and the
porcelain painters go on
 JAPANESE ART. 69

copying them almost by instinct. The subjects commonly

found on the Hizen or Nagasaki ware are warlike, with
the figures of noted warriors and heroes, clad in their
cumbersome many-jointed armour of steel, lacquer and
silk, verygorgeous in appearance, but far too stiff and
angular be graceful in reality or representation
to or ;

theatrical, with the figures clad in fantastic garments, imi-

tating butterflies or birds or scenes of court life, with the

;

figures of nobles or ladies, clothed in the stiff and many-

folded brocade costumes of ceremony.
On the Kaga ware, groups of aged men, and theatrical
and court scenes, are usually depicted ; but, although very
conventional, they are quite different in style to the Hizen
mannerisms.
In Japan all matters of costume have been regulated
by strict rules, from the earliest times until
very recently,
when intercourse Western with nations broke them down.
All classes
society had
of prescribed costumes and modes
of wearing them, and they were of such a fashion as
to render graceful drapery lines impossible. Such being
the case, it is not surprising that in Japanese Art we find

drapery very represented, more attention being

indifferently
paid to its ornamentation than to its disposition in graceful
folds and flowing lines.

In sculpture the Japanese have reached their highest

standard in the representation of Buddha, and notably in
that wonderful work in the temple of Kama Koura. Much
has been written and said about this extraordinary statue ;

but the remarks of Mr. James J. Jarves, the talented writer

on Art, appear to us to be most suitable to our present
" The
purpose, and we therefore quote them in extenso.
highest use to which the art of the Orient has ever put
the human figure is very happily exemplified in the statue
of Da'iboudhs at Kama Koura, in Japan, more than six

centuries old ;
a bronze effigy of Buddha sixty feet in

height, sitting with his knees doubled beneath him on

the customary lotus flower, forming a colossal statuesque
70 JAPANESE ART.

whole of severe grandeur, and even majesty, combined with

extreme simplicity of appearance and treatment. The great
Hindoo reformer enjoying his nirvana, or the ecstatic dis-
is

regard of outward things which he held out to his disciples

as their final compensation for various probatory reincarnations
on the earth and having extirpated every feeling which unites
the heart to the world and its fleeting pleasures and % illusive

hopes. Absorbed in the Eternal Soul, and forming an integral

part of it, yet according to some believers conserving a complete
individuality, whilst others hold to its entire loss, in either
case the soul no longer suffers changes or modifications of
its everlasting beatitude. Christian Art presents no motives

equally abstract and destructive to all the common forms

of human every example we find
self-consciousness. In
absolute individuality, active or passive, but positive of some

degree. But in Daiboudhs there was to portray a human

face reflecting a sentient soul absorbed in its own impassive
bliss, having attained to all knowledge, yet disclosing none
of it, baffling all enquiry into the unknown, and promising
as consolation for all personal ills a like impersonal happi-

ness, or else an absolute annihilation, just according to the

interpretation each believer gave to this spiritual riddle.
The artist has met with no common success in dealing
with mystical an idea.
so Retaining the general character-
istics of the human model, largely and majestically conceived,

he has constructed this gigantic statue, which, while suggest-

ing man, inspires less awe from its massive severity of form
than its inscrutable calm and measureless distance from
mundane and cares. Whether as an immense idol
interests
for the unlettered, or an elegant symbol for the uncultivated,
it is
wonderfully impressive. Long wave-like ripples of
drapery flow over its shore-like limbs a head-dress of shells
;

forms an effective ornament, whilst the broad contours and

masses, and the unspeakable repose and benediction which
illumines its every feature, each and all harmoniously unite
into a stupendous
image of intensified enigma. A people who
could thus embody the most illusive of metaphysical mysteries
 JAPANESE ART. 71

must have had an exceedingly lofty conception of the

capacities of art."
With such a key as this, the student of Oriental Art
must look with far deeper interest upon the numerous
representations of Buddha which have come from Japan.
They all bear more or less the semblance of the great
statue at Kama
Koura, and are one and all remarkable
for the air of holy calm and passionless repose of soul and

body which characterises it. Speaking of such representations,

—
Mr. Jarves remarks "Various expressions are given to the
Buddhas, but all reflecting supreme repose and joy
this in
nirvana as the finality of many wearisome incarnations in

flesh, undergone to attain thorough purity of soul by per-

sonally overcoming every earthly passion and weakness. It

is at once seen that the Oriental sculptor, in obedience to

his abstract motive, was obliged virtually to reverse the

practice of his Grecian brother. He tried to make men
god-like on the physical and intellectual plain of well under-
stood human constitution. The former proposed to himself
the more arduous task of sinking both into an abstract spirit -
ualisation, negativing all merely human faculties and ambitions
and creating an ideal form which should suggest a consum-
mate, perfected bliss, destitute of every earthly taint or
reminder."
The natural habits and ways of life of the quadrupeds
which are familiar to the artists of Japan supply many
choice studies for graphic delineation, and much artistic skill
is displayed
by these cunning draughtsmen in their por-
trayal. The most remarkable peculiarity observable in the
generality of Japanese drawings of animals is their simplicity,
a few lines only being employed to represent an animal, and
to express the most violent, exertion, or the most profound

repose. Of all the larger quadrupeds the horse is the

greatest favourite, and is invariably delineated with force and
character and, indeed, in many instances skill of no mean
;

order isdisplayed in foreshortening. have already alluded We

to the drawing of the horse in a votive picture, and to the
72 JAPANESE ART.

unusual way the artist chose to delineate it, with two brushes
and up-side down, as a test of skill; but here state, we may
that a very large proportion of the high class drawings of
animals which we have had an opportunity of examining
bear evidences of most rapid execution, and a power of

graphic delineation certainly unequalled by the artists of

any other Eastern country. It may be questioned whether

this impulsive, off-hand style of drawing is in itself con-

ducive to real
progress in art and whether, being so
;

fascinating in itself, it tends to direct the mind and hand

to more sustained efforts and more matured works but it ;

cannot be doubted that it

displays great freedom of hand,
quick perception, and an intimate knowledge of nature. It

is a strange thing that the simplicity we have been speak-

ing of should be so much sought after by the artists of

Japan. Judging from the marvellous delicacy and minute
and accurate detail in all the art manufactures of the

country, it would be reasonable to expect to find, in draw-

ings of animals, almost every hair shown, and every detail
depicted, with microscopic accuracy. While examining these
graphic sketches, one cannot help feeling that in every case
the artist has endeavoured to call to the mind of the
observer some and natural habit of the animal
characteristic
he has drawn, rather than the outward semblance or pecu-
liarity of the animal itself; thus tameness, wildness, affection,

ferocity, gracefulness, swiftness, suppleness, or playfulness

are turn suggested to the mind by these drawings as
in

readily as they would be conveyed by the pen of the poet.

Birds are still greater favourites than animals with the
Japanese and, as might be expected, are drawn more
artists,

frequently, and with greater skill and care, than any of the
four-footed animals. The same power of graphic delineation
observable in the representations of animals, is still more
remarkable in the case of birds, whose soft plumage renders
them fit
objects for the quick and feathery brush-strokes of
the Japanese. Some of the most artistic and beautiful

drawings are those which are executed with the fewest appli-
 -^>
72 -73
^

PL^ T£ /
'

PLATE IX.
 JAPANESE ART. 73

cations of the brush, and shaded by graduated pressure

only.
Such drawings cannot be satisfactorily reproduced, either by
wood engraving or lithography; we are therefore compelled
to omit illustrations of them in these pages. On Plate IX
are reproductions, in autotype, of eight leaves, from books of

Japanese drawings, in the possession of W. C. Alexander,

Esq. These represent a more elaborate treatment, which is,
notwithstanding, characterised by all the force and artistic
skillof the cleverest off-hand sketches.
Of the birds of Japan, the crane is the best beloved
all

of the native artists and it is invariably depicted with a

;

feeling and character which it is almost hopeless to attempt

to imitate. Both resting and in flight, its position is always
represented in the most natural and life-like manner and ;

one examines few drawings of groups of these birds without

finding satisfactory proofs of Japanese skill in foreshortening.
But it is unnecessary to individualise any of the birds intro-
duced by the native artists, for all varieties are drawn with
equal truthfulness and graphic power. On Plate X are given
some facsimiles of Japanese woodcuts, reduced by photo-
lithography, from the pages of one of the common school
books of the country they are remarkable instances of the
;

artistic effect which a few lines and touches

produce, can
when applied by the hand of a master.
Throughout the Plates of this Work illustrations of bird
drawing are to be found, but particular attention may be
drawn to the Satsuma tray, Plate XV.
The Japanese are very skilful in the representation of
fishes, which, however, do not supply the same range for

study as do animals and birds. Nevertheless, they are very

frequently met with in works of art, and are invariably well
drawn. Four pages from a book of drawings of fishes are
reproduced on Plate IX. The works from which we have
photographed all the illustrations on this Plate are splendid
specimens of graphic delineation throughout. All the draw-
ings are coloured in quiet low-toned colours, which clearly
proves their age and high class nature. The generality of
K
74 JAPANESE ART.

the modern drawings which have come from Japan bear

evidence of a falling off in originality of treatment and per-
fection of colouring the importation into Japan of the crude
;

pigments which modern science has introduced, has, doubtless,

done much to impair the refinement of the native taste ;

but it be that the Japanese,

may receiving these brilliant
colours from the West, fancy that we must admire them,
and therefore use them lavishly in the works intended for
the European market.
Of insect drawings it is unnecessary to speak in detail ;

like everything the Japanese artist

essays, they are treated
with full justice. Insects, of course, do not present many
points to the view ;
neither are they susceptible of much
artistic expression ; we accordingly find them generally intro-
duced as adjuncts, in drawings of birds and flowers, and
always carefully depicted. We have met with one remark-
able specimen of the artistic treatment of insects it occurs ;

on a Kioto vase, in the possession of John Grant Morris, Esq.

On a broad band round the vase are depicted a number of
insects marching like soldiers, bearing weapons and other

objects the whole composition is treated with considerable

:

force and humour, and conveys the idea of a very important

ceremonial. When are
represented alone, for their
insects
own beauty, they are finished with the accuracy of an ento-
mological study.
We have already said much on the subject of vegeta-
tion, and have little to add here, excepting a few remarks
on the modes of delineating it in art works. In the quaint
pictures on fans, in block books, on screens and lacquer-
work, complete trees are rarely represented indeed, it is ;

seldom that the Japanese artist reproduces entire trees, save

in their dwarfed form. A branch thrown artistically across
the picture ;
a bamboos, rising from the ground
cluster of
and disappearing line, giving a most graphic idea
at the top
of their tall and slender growth graceful racemes of the ;

wistaria, pendent from branches disposed at the upper part

of the picture, and
waving in the summer air and silky ;
k -

'
# '•

ffvl v'
,J2r* I Ul :

£-* s
7y
 JAPANESE ART. 75

sprays of the favourite ume, alone, or associated with

branches of the fir or bamboo, are the most usual methods
of introducing trees in pictorial representations.

Many of the ordinary printed books of the country

contain studies of trees as they appear during the different
seasons of the year, as seen
by daylight and moonlight,
and in wind, rain, and snow-storms.
All these studies drawn with a freedom, power of
are

expression, and truthfulness to nature which place them

abreast of high art work, and which is calculated to surprise
those who examine them for the first time, especially if they
hold the popular notion that there is little true art apprecia-
tion amongst the natives of Japan. In one book, amongst
the many before us as we write, are about eighty distinct
studies of the kind alluded to ;
and we only regret that

they are of such a nature as to render it impossible for us

to reproduce them in thesepages without destroying their
greatest charms. On the examination of such sketches one

thing is quite evident : the Japanese artists are open-air

sketchers, and attentively watch and record the natural

changes which vegetation undergoes during the passing

seasons, and the apparent alterations and effects produced
upon it by the different lights of the day and of the

night.
The Japanese are particularly fond of moonlight
artists

effects, and cleverly delineate the forms of peculiar kinds of

vegetation by throwing them across the moon's disc. Of

course they appear quite black, and in hard contrast to the
white background of the moon yet their individual charac-
;

ters so graphically portrayed, by the outlines only, that

are

they are distinguished with perfect ease.

On Plate XI are given illustrations of six pages from
a book of Japanese paintings on silk. These are emblema-
ticalof the six seasons, or rather of the festivals held in
their honour by the natives of Japan. In each drawing it
will be observed that different flowers are depicted these ;

have distinct meanings or significations, and are introduced

jfi JAPANESE ART.

as ornaments in the dwellings of on the respec-

all classes
tive festival days. The Book is entitled Shin Rokassen,
(New Six Seasons), and was painted by an artist named
Goeku-do-gen-ye, about sixty years ago ;
it is now in the

possession of Mr. Bowes.

Page emblematical of the first season, or the New
i is

Year Festival, and the flower represented is fuku-ju-so. The

streamer-like object is usually made of rice straw, and hung

up during the festivities. The lobster is the new year

delicacy, and the shuttlecock sets forth the popular game
of the season.

Page 2 expresses the second season, Hena, or the Feast

of Girls, and the flower is the cherry blossom, or the emblem
of March, the month of the festival. Dolls ornament the
houses during the festivities.
Page 3 is emblematical season, or the of the third
Feast of Boys and the kakitsubata, or sweet flag, the flower
;

of May, is introduced to represent the month of the

festival. The armour is to express the feeling which should
animate and excite in the youthful breast the ambition to
become a great and renowned warrior.
Page 4 expresses the fourth season, or the festival
Tenabata : the flower delineated is the accepted flower of
the season, hagi, or lespedza. On the night of Tenabata
music and poetry are the favourite amusements. The koto,
the chief Japanese musical instrument, represents the former,
while the ornamented slips represent the latter.
of paper
It is upon such sheets of paper that the poetry special
to the occasion is written. Everyone in Japan who can write
poetry at all does so on this day, with a desire to gain skill

in the art.

Page 5 sets forth the fifth season, and the Festival of

Happiness, and its special flower, the kiku, is depicted along
with the sake cup and a
bag of money. As we have
already alluded to this important festival,* it is not neces-

*
Page 24, ante.
PLATE XL
^- 76-77
PLATE XI.
 JAPANESE ART. 77

sary to again describe it. The word painted on the inner

side of the sake cup signifies longevity.

Page 6 emblematical of the last season of the year,

is

called by the Japanese Saibo. The dwarf tree in the flower-

pot is the ume, the blossoms of which, produced at this period
of the year by artificial heat, are given along with dried
salmon, as presents the two small fish are dried sardines.
;

At this season fish are caught in great quantities, to be

cured for the new
year's festival.

All the most careful manner,

drawings are executed in the
with both transparent and body colours, and are singularly
effective in the originals. The autotype reproductions in
our Plate, to a great extent, fail to convey a true idea of
the drawings, chiefly on account of the difficulty with which
reds and yellows are photographed.
An examination of the charming little medallion draw-
ings, which are constantly met with in Japanese art works
and illustrated books, clearly proves that their artists have a
great love for expressing in each some definite idea. Some-
times this is done by the introduction of vegetation, and
sometimes of other objects. Wind is graphically expressed,
by a few bent grass blades; by a wafted branch of droop-
ing willow by a tree with every pliant branch bent in one
;

direction, and its leaves quivering by a bird, powerless, and

;

drifting with sideward motion or by a man, bent forward, and

;

holding on his hat with both hands. Rain, gentle as that of

summer, is expressed by a few almost perpendicular lines, wide
apart and much broken spring showers, by thin lines, slightly
;

opaque, falling upon early vegetation and winter rain, by ;

heavy lines, closely placed, very oblique, and falling at

different angles, as the unequal and fitful gusts of wind
deflect the drops. Clouds, high and fleecy, are indicated
by a few curved lines placed far above the tops of moun-
tains or tall-growing trees when low and rain-charged,
;

they are disposed in horizontal masses across the outline

of a mountain. Mist is depicted somewhat in the manner
of the rain-clouds, but by thinner and lighter layers crossing
78 JAPANESE ART.

objects nearer the ground, such as rocks and trees. A fog

on the sea is always cleverly shown, by the total absence
of anything save the immediate foreground and the tops of
a few masts and sails of vessels a fog at sea, ; by the
tops of the masts and outlines
only, placed of the sails

about the centre of the picture.

This branch of Japanese Art might be enlarged upon
indefinitely but we have said enough to show how deftly,
;

and with what simple means, the Japanese artist tells his
loving tales about nature and it is this habit of story
;

telling which gives a piquant character to all the works

he turns from his hands. Look over a group of Japanese
fans ; they are painted simply, and perhaps roughly but ;

take them up one by one, and name them. Spring-rain

fan, moonlight fan, sunset fan, snowy-pine fan, rainbow fan,

emblem-of-spring fan, summer-wind fan, would probably be

amongst the pretty titles which their graphic little pictures

would suggest even to the cold and unpoetical mind of the
West. There is much to be learned from a box of common
paper fans, which cost about a penny a-piece in the streets
of Tokio.
But we must return to the subject of vegetation. The
most truly artistic efforts of the Japanese artist are those

which display the simplest modes of delineation, and are

generally executed in Indian ink
only. Many descriptions
have been given by those who have had the opportunity
of watching the natives at work, and all bear witness to
the remarkable quickness of imagination and execution they
display. A traveller in the country related to us that on one
occasion he had the pleasure of observing a screen painter
at work in his studio, which consisted of a portion of the house,

screened off from the finished productions,

rest by his own
but open to the street being struck with his great freedom
;

of hand, he requested him to draw a bunch of grapes this ;

was given as a difficult task and test of skill, for the traveller
had in his mind the laboured works of his own country,
and naturally expected that, from the time required to depict
 JAPANESE ART. 79

the the artist would laugh and shake his head.

fruit, Judge
of his surprise when the artist seized a piece of screen paper,

and, dipping the point of his thumb into a dish of Indian

ink, proceeded to make a number of softly shaded crescent-
like forms close together. Thinking that he must have been
misunderstood, but saying nothing, he watched with growing
interest the rapid movements of his artistic friend. The
crescent forms being finished, his first finger and thumb
were together dipped the
transferred to the
into ink and
paper, and with a few rapid movements produced two shaded
forms of irregular outline. With his thumb-nail he added
three dark lines, and touches, and
sundry other trifling

politely handed the finished sketch, which displayed a bunch

of plump round grapes, with leaves and stalks complete.
This is by no means a bad illustration of the ready methods
resorted by the Japanese artists in representing simple
to

objects, for which they are justly celebrated. While speak-

ing of the artist painting the horse in a votive picture, we
mentioned that he was amusing himself with a test of skill,
and it appears that it is a somewhat common practice amongst
the brethren of the brush to indulge their fancies in a
similar fashion. We have one illustration in a Japanese book,
which shows an artist seated upon a stool, opposite a screen,
which he is painting with no fewer than five brushes, one
held in each foot, one in each hand, and one in his mouth.
This is doubtless an exaggeration. Another humorous sketch
on the same page shows the artist to be of such transcen-
dent genius, and the horse he had been painting proved so
life-like, that it became endowed with vitality and ran away
from the paper. The amazement of the artist is cleverly
expressed.
In examining the Indian ink sketches of the Japanese,
we cannot fail to be struck with the remarkable freedom,
combined with the great accuracy, which they display.
Outline, as a rule, is avoided, and each detail appears to be
finished with one application of the brush. We have an
example of this —a drawing of a bird resting on a spray,
80 JAPANESE ART.

with flowers and leaves. There is not a particle of out-

lining in this each feather, branch, leaf, and flower

sketch ;

petal is executed with a single brush stroke, so graduated

in its pressure as to produce all the effects of light and
shade ;
a few dark lines on the bird and leaves and a few
dots complete the drawing. Notwithstanding the simple
means and freedom of execution which the artist adopted,
the result is truly beautiful, and in every way pleasing to
the eye.
We shall department of our essay by
conclude this

briefly mentioning the principal inanimate objects introduced

into works of Japanese Art, and the characteristic manner
of representing them.
Throughout the entire range of Japanese Art there is

one peculiar form introduced, that of a truncated cone,

with gently curving sides this represents Fusiyama, an extinct
;

volcano. It is held in the highest admiration by the natives

of the empire, on account of great beauty and religious

its

associations. E. B. de Fonblanque,* speaking of Fusiyama,

says:
— "If there is one sentiment universal among all

classes of Japanese, it is a deep and earnest reverence for

their sacred mountain, Fusiyama — the temple, the grave, and
the monument of the father of their faith. Two hundred
centuries are supposed to have elapsed since, created by a
convulsion of nature in a single night, Fusiyama reared its
proud crest, and challenged the worship and the love of
millions who, from the extreme ends of the island, gazed
with awe and devotion upon snowy peak as it
its glittered
for the first time in the morning sun, or faded into the
mist of evening. And this reverence has survived time and
change ;
has grown with the growth and strengthened with
the strength of
Japanese people. the
Fusiyama is their
ideal of the beautiful in nature and they are never weary ;

of admiring, glorifying and reproducing it. It is painted,

embossed, carved, engraved, lacquered, modelled on all their

* "
Niphon and Pe-che-li ; or, two years in Japan and Northern China." London;
Saunders, Otley & Co. 1862.
 JAPANESE ART. 81

wares ;
men carry it in theirpockets, women wear it on
theirpersons, and children by the roadside build miniature
Fusiyamas of mud, as our own make dirt-pies. . . While
all share in the admiration, may it be doubted whether
they partake alike in the religious associations connected
with Fusiyama, or in the perfect confidence with which the
mass of the people view it, not only as the shrine of their
dearest gods, but the certain panacea for their worst evils,
from impending bankruptcy or cutaneous diseases, to unre-
quited love or ill luck at play. The annual pilgrimage is

accordingly performed by thousands upon thousands. If

attended with beneficial results, the gods are praised and

Fusiyama is glorified if otherwise, the pilgrim has the
;

melancholy satisfaction to know that his own sins are at

fault and require further expiation. Men of rank never

take part in these pilgrimages, and women are only allowed
to do so once in every sixty years."

Many quaint conceits are produced by the artists of

Japan, in which the mountain takes a prominent place.

ORNAMENT OF OWAUI PORCELAIN.

They met with in metal work, lacquer work, and works

are
of pottery and porcelain. The above woodcut, of an
L
82 JAPANESE ART.

• • _

FUJIYAMA FROM THE SEA.

 JAPANESE ART. 83

ornament in porcelain decorated with blue, represents a

moonrise, the full disc appearing from behind the sloping
sides of Fusiyama.
Fusiyama rises to between fourteen and fifteen thousand
feet above the level of the sea, and is distinctly visible from
the outskirts of Tokio. It is the appearance it presents
from that point which is most frequently depicted in native

drawings. The Japanese are, however, not content with

representing it from one point of view, or as seen under

one condition of the atmosphere. Books are printed wholly
devoted to representations of the sacred mountain as seen
from almost every point of the compass, in sunshine and
rain, intersected by clouds or with its top disappearing in
them. One of these books is in our possession. It con-
tains twenty-four double page views, into every one of
which Fusiyama is position and
introduced in a different
with varied outline. On the opposite page we give a copy
of a page from another book, which shows the peak of the
mountain as seen from the sea.
The top of the mountain is covered with perpetual
snow, amidst which stands the temple of Fusiyama, the
goal of all the native pilgrimages. Fonblanque describes
"
it as a modest, unpretending little hut, adorned with a
few gods in lava, and some common tinsel ornaments.
Here the devout lay their offerings upon the altar, and in
return have their garments stamped with strange figures
and devices, in token of their having accomplished their
pilgrimage. Great virtue is attributed to these stamps,
particularly for the cure of cutaneous diseases, and their

number isonly limited by the size of the garment and

the extent of the fee."
Mountainous
and rocky scenery are special favourites
with the Japanese and all ; objects, such as mountains or
isolated which, by natural causes,
rocks, have assumed
some fantastical or unusual appearance, are enthusiastically
admired, forming studies
eagerly sought after by the artists

of the country. Indeed, we may say that any object out

84 JAPANESE ART.

of the common things in nature is prized and

order of
admired by the Japanese and these feelings have suggested
;

the practice of mounting curious and unique specimens of

native ores and other valuable minerals as ornaments, and
of dwarfing and unnaturally distorting trees and plants
for the embellishment of their miniature pleasure gardens
and the interior of their dwellings. The ordinary books
of the country teem with graphic sketches of mountain

scenery, which in many instances are truly artistic, and

in every case are expressive and truthful indeed, the observer ;

cannot fail to be struck with the remarkable graphic power

of these little sketches ;
so much is told by so few lines,
and told so clearly, that there is no possibility of misunder-
standing the artist's intentions.
In the high class books of hand drawings, and in the

albums or sketch books of distinguished artists, several of

which have reached Europe, and have become the most
prized possessions of collectors of Oriental Art, drawings
of scenery of all descriptions are met with, and are, in the

generality of cases, rendered with the freedom and truthfulness

which great artistic culture and watchful study alone can give.
Of course they all display the mannerisms peculiar to works
of Japanese Art, but there are instances where the draw-

ings closely partake of what is, in our opinion, the more

correct school of landscape painting. One of the most
remarkable sketch books which we have had the opportunity
of studying is in the possession of William Goodwin, Esq.

It contains studies of men, animals, birds, foliage and

landscapes, many of which are singularly effective and
beautiful.
A survey of Japanese Art clearly proves that it
careful
is weakest where it deals with objects in nature which do
not present hard outlines ; rocks, mountains, trees, birds,
and such like are rendered withgreat fidelity and artistic

power ;
but clouds and water are always indifferently
represented. These latter are, however, satisfactorily por-
trayed, from a decorative-art point of view, where expression
 JAPANESE ART. 85

is studied rather than accurate

representation but they ;

never appear to have received the painstaking study and

skilful manipulation bestowed upon other objects.

There is no mistaking what a Japanese artist intends

when he depicts water. If he merely uses half-a-dozen
lines, he tells you that it is a winding brook, a
rushing
river, a waterfall, a rippling lake, or a storm-tossed ocean.
The woodcut, Fusiyama from the sea,
previously given, of
illustrates this. The vigorous curves, and the irregular
lines and sprinkled dots above, really convey to the mind
the idea of the stormy waves of the sea as forcibly as the
most finished production of Western Art would do. The
artist of this sketch wanted no more than the suggestion ;

he was drawing the peak of the beautiful Fusiyama, and

simply told the direction from which the sketch was taken.
Very much more could be said upon this interesting
subject, but we consider this sufficient the purposes of
for
our essay. Students will find in Japanese Art a most
interesting field ;
and a great deal may be learnt from the
humble labours of the nature-adoring artists of those beautiful
islands of the Pacific. There is no question that in the
art of graphic delineation the artists of Japan have no rivals

throughout the entire Eastern world.

In concluding our Essay, we have only a few words to

say on the religious or mythological aspect of Japanese Art;

and, with our present limited knowledge of the religious ideas
and dogmas of the Japanese sects, and of their mythological
literature, we have to express our views with caution and
reserve. We have certainly more to do with the outward sem-
blance of the artistic representations than with their religious
or dogmatic signification ; yet it necessary to realise to
is

some extent their

origin and intention in order to form an
intelligent appreciation of their artistic excellence or allegorical
expression.
At the outset we must recognise the great importance
of the religious art of the Japanese, linked as it is with
86 JAPANESE ART.

their most valuable and beautiful works, and clearly embody-

ing their highest ideal powers and contemplative faculties.
Religion and hero worship have in all times and all places
supplied the highest inspiration in art. On this subject
Mr. Jarves remarks: "The — religious motive is the alpha
and omega of inspiration of all art of races as regards its

influence and power. It antedates and outlasts all others.

To it the soul instinctively turns as by an irrepressible

impulse, to find its deepest solace in present life, and to

express its passionate longings for another. No matter

whether it assumes the forms which we loosely classify under
the generic divisions of Paganism and Christianity, or the

specific shapes engendered of the numerous sects the vital, ;

human emotion at the root of all is one and the same :

viz., the desire to realise to the outward senses, in appro-

priate language, the
material abstract ideas which underlie
the soul's consciousness of a creative force superior to itself,

and which sways its destiny for good or evil by occult or

visiblemeans. There is in principle no more idolatry in
one form of its expression than another. Idolatry consists
in the ignorant or superstitious use to which the art-forms
born of this desire are put. Paganism, as exhibited under
the rites of the primitive Shinto worship, is as free from
idolatry as any monotheistic religion, as even the strictest
Judaism, whilst Buddhism is not more coarsely materialistic
in its sacred mythology as rendered by art than is Romanism.

In dealing with the sacred art of any people whatever,

despite the fetichism of the absolutely ignorant, whether the
object of a blind devotion be a holy book, an image, or
any abstract dogma put in the place of the creative will
itself, which is past all finding out, in fine, despite sheer
idolatry in individual place all art con-
or race, we should
secrated to religious uses on an equal footing as regards its
fundamental motive, view the feeling which originates it with
respect, and, in judging it
exclusively on the side of art,
esteem it
according as it successfully incarnates its funda-
mental motives into pure artistic forms."
 JAPANESE ART. 87

Turning our attention without more preface to Japanese

Art in its religious development, we meet with several classes
or systems of representation the first confines itself to the
;

depiction of single figures of deities, saints, and heroes the ;

second to the representation of one or more of these sacred

personages communication with human beings the third
in ;

displays groups of gods or saints, engaged in various occu-

pations, and sometimes attended by ordinary human beings,
the mythological creatures, or other animals which appear
to have sacred attributes or functions and the fourth con- ;

fines itself to the delineation of

dogmatic subjects, chiefly with
allusion to a future existence and the awards which await
the good and beyond the grave. There are, of course,
evil

certain other subjects occasionally met with which can hardly

be classed under any of the above systems.
In treating of Japanese mythology, we must limit our
remarks to the representations or subjects found in works
of art, and therefore do not purpose to touch upon the

complex question in connection with the religions of the

country to which certain of the subjects allude more or less

directly.
We have not met with any attempts to depict the
Creation in Japanese Art, although we learn from Siebold
that the native artists have essayed the rather undefined
and difficult task ;
of course, from their point of view, the
Creation was confined to Japan, the original and great sun
country. In a series of six drawings given in Siebold's

Japan, the works of creation are thus set forth. The first
is
simply a white disc, which represents the beginning of
all
things the globular mass of uncreated matter, which,
;

in the earliest epochs of time, consisted of the clear and

the turbid in an undivided state. The second is a disc
divided into two portions, the upper of which is white and
the lower dark ;
this represents the result of primal motion,
the separation of the solid from the gaseous, the creation of
the heaven and the earth. The third displays the first
effect of the consolidation of turbid matter, which the
88 JAPANESE ART.

Japanese say was like mud covered with water and clouds.
Out of the centre of this mud sprang a shoot, like that of

a plant, which grew and transformed itself into a primal

being, called Kuni-soko-tatsino-mikoto. The fourth represents
the epoch in which, on the complete division of solid, aque-
ous, and gaseous matter, Pan-ko, or primitive man, is self-

created, invested with god-like powers, to promote the for-

mation of the universe. The fifth represents the creation

of the Japan by the god Iza-na-gi and the god-
Islands of
dess Iza-na-mi (the third and fourth self-created beings), who
stand on the bridge of heaven and direct the work. The
sixth shows the same deities creating living creatures, desiring

to perfect the labours they had undertaken.

While upon the subject of the Creation, we may quote a
passage from a pamphlet, written by Yasukawa Sigenari, a
Japanese who resided and studied for some time in England.
" The first
period of Japanese history may be termed the
'

age of kami '

or the
'

spiritual age, the word

'
kami ' '

meaning a god or spirit. There are five of these spiritual

rulers mentioned in the ancient history of the country. The
third and fourth stood in relation to each other of male and
female. The first four were supposed to have been self-
created beings, the fifth being the son of the third and
fourth. Their names order are Ame-no-minaka-nushi, the
in

second being Mutzubi-no-kami the third and fourth do not

;

appear to have had any particular cognomen,* and the fifth

was called Amateratzu-ogami. It was the second of these

kami who made the country, and the third and fourth
created the mountains, rivers, and animal and vegetable life.
During this time the country was called Miszho-no-Kuni.
" The real Japan begins 2533 years ago, the
history of
first emperor
being Ninigi-no-mikoto, who is supposed to have
been the grandson of Amateratzu, who conferred great honour
upon him by presenting him with three sacred things a stone —
or jewel, a sword, and a mirror. The possession of these

*
These are Iza-na-gi and Iza-na-mi, given in Siebold's plate of the Creation.
 JAPANESE ART. 89

things showed that Ninigi was to be the ruler of the country.

From this time to the present day the Japanese gods are
always represented with a mirror; and from this period also
dates the worship of the kami." *
be seen that the description by Yasukawa Sigenari
It will

substantially agrees with the scheme given in Siebold's draw-

ings ;
the names given to the first two kami are, however,
different, and Siebold alone supplies the names of the third
and fourth, or active creators.
There are no mythological personages so frequently met
with in Japanese works of art as the seven deities of Good
Fortune, the true household gods of the laughter -loving
Japanese. Separate representations of these deities are much
more common than collective ones, and statuettes or figures
of them appear to be made in great numbers as household
ornaments. We give representations of several of these figures
on Plates XXXI and XXXII. The woodcut on the following
page is from a tray of late period Kioto faience, painted in
coloured enamels and gold. It is decorated with a group of
seven overlapping medallions of different shapes, each con-

taining one of the deities, with its accompanying attribute.

It is perhaps somewhat one clearly to realise
difficult for
the beliefs held by the Japanese with reference to their house-
hold gods that they do not worship them in any way as
;

idols is very certain, nor do they hold them to have the

remotest connection with a future state. In all their rela-

tions and good offices they are temporal, and have to do

with living humanity.
These seven deities are clearly the growth of imagination,
linked with the universal ideas of earthly welfare and happi-
ness they are impersonations of powers, unknown and unde-
;

fined, capable of granting those blessings and gifts upon

which the Japanese base all their happiness in this life. They
bear no resemblance to the household gods of the ancient
Romans, which would be reverenced as kami in Japanese

A Sketch of (he Japanese Empire, by Yasukawa Sigenari. London, 1873.

M
go JAPANESE ART.
 JAPANESE ART. gi

religion. The seven deities appear to have been elected by

the people, and to have no connection with any peculiar sect,
or to be supported in their position by priestcraft. desire "We
long life, happiness, wealth, contentment, and those gifts which
can best secure these let us up and make gods after our
;

own fashion, which shall and blessings

dispense such gifts
according to our needs." So spoke who had the multitudes
to toil for their daily bread, and yet loved ease and excite-
ment sufficiently to envy the idleness and luxury of those they
had to bow down to as their lords and masters. Out of the
popular longing for what all mankind desired but few received
in the ordinary course of events, sprang these seven incarna-
tions of the blessings of life and the gods of Long Life,;

Wealth, Daily Food, Contentment, Ability, Love and Glory

were taken into the people's hearts and homes, to be rever-
enced and appealed to with a strange mixture of superstition
and faith and approached with an individual ceremonial
;

devoid of set forms or expressions. Each man's choice deities

were those which embodied his most pressing wants, or his
most wished-for gifts and he took them to himself, and
;

reverenced or besought them after his own fashion, and at

his good pleasure.
With such a beginning, it is not to be wondered at that
a childlike simplicity of trust should in time grow around
these beneficent beings deities which gave all
; good things
required make the rich happy, the tradesman prosperous,
to
and the poor contented, but which imposed no slavish worship,
demanded no self-denial, and threatened no punishments for
breach of reverence. The humble devotee was safe at
home with his pleasant little gods ;
he had to seek the
precincts of the temples dedicated to the celestial deities,
before even promises affecting or state
threats his future
were pressed on his notice he naturally turned with a
;

mixture of fear and respect from the deities of the priestly

religions, and patted, with self-satisfied complacency, the

high and polished head of his giver of long life, the staid
and venerable Shiou-R6, the being who would indefinitely
g2 JAPANESE ART.

postpone the hour when he would have to set his house-

hold gods aside, and face the offended deities of the eternal
existence.

Speaking of the seven gods, Jarves aptly says: "The

chief business of the domestic divinities is to procure for

men, —
shall we add unregenerate the" gifts they most prize, —
such as length of days, food, riches, talents, fame, love and
contentment though, possessing the others, the last would
;

seem superfluous but the household gods, evidently from

;

much experience of humanity, knew better. However much

the first smack of earthly ambitions, the Japanese do
six

yearn for them with a sincerity and openness calculated to

mollify the strictest minded of their family deities, who, it
would appear, are never tormented with our whip-the-devil-
round-the-stump modes of supplication for the same good
things of life. A Japanese sees no impropriety in asking
his divinity to give him a lucky number in a lottery, or to

help him in his amours, without any of the

business or

specious bribery or persuasion which characterises European

'

prayers of a similar strain to saints and madonnas. Too

naive a child of nature for any subterfuge, he goes directly
to his aim with the greatest plainness of speech but is not ;

very greedy as regards his spirit benefactors. An amount of

good fortune sufficient to satisfy one Anglo-Saxon's wishes

would suffice a whole village of Orientals."
A
family rarely places itself under the guardianship or
patronage of all the divinities from two to four are most ;

commonly selected, according to the ideas of the aspirants

to their favours. The god of long life is, however, rarely
left out of the household list. The poor seek for long life,
daily and contentment
bread the artisan for long life, ;

ability and daily food the tradesman for long life, wealth
;

and contentment the soldier for long life, love and glory
; ;

and the noble for long life, wealth, talents, love and glory ;

the union of which, he believes, will secure him happiness

and contentment.
It is now time for us to describe these popular deities,
 JAPANESE ART. 93

which, as we have said, are so frequently met with in

works of art, and we shall do so as briefly as possible.

First in order of importance comes the god of long life,

called by the Japanese Shiou-R6, and sometimes Girogin.

This is a most venerable and staid figure, with a white beard,
and a head having an enormous development upwards. This
development is said to be due to his continually scheming
and racking his brains how best to promote human happi-
ness, and secure to his votaries their desired long life. So
long-headed is he believed to be, that the Japanese have
made a riddle to this effect — "Which is the longest thing,

the head of Shiou-R6 or a spring day?" The sensible

reply is — "No one can tell, both are so long."
He is usually represented in art with considerable respect,
due to his sacred and venerable character, and his face

generally bears a solemn and contemplative character. But

at times the native humour breaks through even the peculiar

respect due to Shiou-R6, and imparts to his image that

which cannot produce laughter in the beholder. On
fail to
Plate XXXII is a figure of this god, which represents him,
after a weary time of contemplation, enjoying a magnificent

yawn and expressive stretch of the limbs. His time of con-

templation over the affairs of humanity has been too much
for even his lively brain, and drowsiness has overtaken him,
to be dispelled only by some more than usually clamorous
prayers for his single commodity, longevity. In the wood-
cut on page 90 he is represented reclining, with his head

supported on his hands, contemplative in expression, and

.surrounded with books of study. In neither of the repre-
sentations alluded to is he attended with either of his

characteristic attributes — the crane and tortoise, both of

which are, as before mentioned, the Japanese emblems of
longevitv ;
he is, however, often represented with either
the crane or tortoise by his side. He almost invariably
carries a long staff, or crook, in one hand, when depicted
in a standing position, and very often a fixed fan in the
other.
94 JAPANESE ART.

The second Daikoku, the god of riches.

in importance is

He is generally short, stout man, with a

represented as a

good-natured countenance, dressed as a daimio of the old

school, and wearing a cap, which is placed low down on
his brow. He is seated on bales of goods, or bags of
rice, and carries a bag over his shoulder containing trea-
sures in his right hand is his
;
characteristic attribute a —
miner's hammer. The moral of this figure is described as
follows :
— Human nature being extremely prone to excess
of ambition and pride, it is most fit that it should be low
of stature, to incline it to assume a humble attitude at all
times ;
the cap low so as to prevent the eyes
is placed
from looking too high, and to dispose them to view with
ease the sad realities of life. The bag, carried on the
shoulders, and the neck of which is usually grasped by the
left hand, represents wealth, difficult to attain, and equally
difficult to retain ;
its outlet has to be firmly controlled.
The miner's hammer is the emblem of hard
labour, by
which alone the
good things of this lifecan be honestly
obtained ;
bales upon which
and the Daikoku is seated
represent property acquired by honest industry, that which
alone serves to raise the lowly to position and comfort.
The Japanese, however, are not content with investing their
favourite deity with the attributes of wealth they must needs ;

indulge in a little touch of humour at his expense, by some-

times depicting a living and active companion along with him.
This companion is a rat, the embodiment of the destroyer
of property. As the Japanese idea of wealth is almost
exclusively bounded by rice, the rat is peculiarly appropriate,
as its destroyer.

According to Kaempfer, Daikoku is believed by the

Japanese to have the power, by knocking with his hammer,
of producing from his treasure bag whatever his votaries

require and they have the greatest faith in his generosity

;

and good feeling, and are importunate in their demands on

his favour. The day of the rat is the season at which
all classes are most zealous at the shrines of Daikoku.
 JAPANESE ART. 95

Nothing is too great, nothing too trivial to ask of the

god ;
the heavens must resound with the blows of his

hammer, and his left hand must indeed relax its hold of
his sack-mouth if all petitions are granted on that day.
Whether the gifts are obtained or not, the day is certain
to be a happy one, from the amount of hope its devotions
has inspired in the hearts of the supplicants.
Next in order is the favourite God of Daily Food,
called Yebis. The ancient Japanese believed him to be a
brother of the Sun god, disgraced, and reduced from his

original high estate to the lot of a fisherman. He was

not, however, less esteemed on this account, for the vocation
of fisherman was much respected amongst the old Japanese ;

indeed, fish and rice were to them what meat and bread
have been to western nations. Kaempfer says: — " The Sea,
and Productions,
its contribute full as much towards the
sustenance of the Natives, as the growth of the Country,
Rice only excepted. The Sea all about Japan is plenti-
fully stored with all sorts of sub-marine Plants, Fish, Crabs,
and Shells, of all which there are very few but what were
eat by their indigent Ancestors, and are so to this day.
There are even many which in these wealthy and refined
Ages appear upon the sumptuous tables of People of the
highest quality." Speaking of the god we are describing,
the same author informs us that: "
Jebisu (Yebis) was
—
Tensio Daisin's brother, but by him disgraced and banished
into an uninhabited island. It is said of him that he
could live two or three days under water. He is, as it

were, Neptune of the Country, and the Protector of

the
Fishermen and Sea-faring people. They represent him
sitting on a rock, with an angling-rod in one hand, or the
celebrated fish Tai, or Steenbrassem, in the other."
Yebis is
certainly one of the most popular of the
household gods, as the giver of daily food ought to be so.
He is usually represented as a short, stout figure, with a

happy and humorous countenance, dressed in loose garments,

wearing on his head the yeboshi, or black cap worn by
96 JAPANESE ART.

persons of rank ;
and invariably with his attribute, the fish
tai, and generally with the fishing-rod with which he
caught it.
Jarves says of this god
":
— My pet deity is

the amphibious Yebis, provider of daily food, a jovial

marine demon, commonly seen with a gigantic craw-fish
as his head gear, sea-weed for waist drapery, and spindle

legs of agile tenuity, ending in crispy claws. As he slips

along on the back of a fiend-likedolphin, performing
a nautical
fandango whilst holding out his gifts, there is
a droll of benevolence and jocoseness in his lumpy
mixture
countenance, and his bright eyes sparkle with vulgar fun and
robust life. Before me an antique bronze Yebis is caracol-

ing on the back of a monster fish, the ocean scud flying

over both of them, with the rollicking waves keeping time
to their movements, and all done with such flexibility and
fineness of modelling and vitality of spirit as to make it
not only a masterpiece of art in every respect, but a most

fitting type of the good fisherman's genial caterer and

protector." We havegiven the above quotation because
it describes a treatment of the god it has not been our
fortune to meet with, and evidently an unusual one.
A almost every house,
figure of Yebis is to be found in
reverently placed on the kami-dan or butsu-dan. At Nishi-
no-miya, between Osaka and Kobe, is the chief temple to
his honour in Japan, a shrine much frequented by all

classes,but more especially by merchants and artisans, who

have need to pray without ceasing for daily food and other
goods the gods can give. The twentieth day of the tenth
month is the great annual festival of the favourite Yebis.
The fourth of the household deities Hotei, the god is

of contentment. He is the personification of a contented

spirit in the midst of
poverty. Without home, fire, or
other domestic comforts, he leads a roaming Bohemian
life, wandering about with a wallet or sack, sometimes
full, but more often empty : when in the latter condition,
instead of being discontented and unhappy, he sits down
among his special friends, little children, telling them amusing
 JAPANESE ART. 97

stories,and allowing them to play with his wallet, or roll

over his portly body. So speak the popular legends.
Hotei is usually represented as a squat, stout figure,
with a large belly, which is generally exposed by freely
the scantiness of his head is uncovered, and he
attire ;
his

generally carries a sack, fan and lamp. Sometimes he is

depicted seated on a buffalo, and at others on a sack of
hemp. On Plate XXXI there is an admirable repre-
sentation of the god, in his character of happy vagabond,

playing with a child, who is tumbling about his empty

sack. For characteristic expression and quaint humour,
this figure is amongst the best we have seen of this deity.
Jarves says :
— " The
Japanese are very shrewd in the ethical
distinctions of their deities. Hotei is the pattern god of
contentment, not in riches, which they know cannot be, but
in poverty ;
so they leave the wealthy and famous to their
own moral and material sources, and reserve the pure senti-
ment for those who have nothing else to rely on for their

daily happiness. A
dreamy, yawning, obese vagabond is
Hotei, of the Diogenes pattern, minus his sham philosophy
and shameless egoism, but equally liking to bask in sunshine.
* * Hea prodigious favourite with country folk, par-
is

ticularly children, to whom, as he lazes away his time in

some picturesque spot, he tells
pleasant tales, brings little
gifts, allows them to play him tricks and scramble over his
fat body as he takes his noon-tide naps, or edifies them
with stories magnificence of the heavens, the stars,
of the
and whatever in nature or life will most amuse or excite
their youthful imaginations."

Tossi-Toku, the learned and venerable doctor, god of

genius and talents, comes next in order. He is, however, not-
withstanding his grave and learned seignorship, said to be very
accessible to little children, casting aside his dignity and con-

descending to inspire them in all sensible amusements which

require both thinking heads and skilful fingers. He is
usually represented as a grave and amiable old man, clad in
an ample gown with long sleeves and stole, attended by a
N
98 JAPANESE ART.

fawn, and carrying in his hands a fan, and a long staff on

which are suspended his manuscripts. His wonderful learn-
ing is expressed by the
enormously developed upper portion
of his head, and
quickness of perception by his large
his
ears and sharp eyes. He is a perpetual wanderer, distri-
buting as he goes his precious gifts of knowledge. He is
specially worshipped at the new year, when his votaries
earnestly beseech him to grant them wisdom and foresight,
to guide them in all their undertakings during the year.
The most remarkable of all the household deities of the
Japanese Benzaiten, or Benten, the goddess of love,
is

beauty and wealth. This divinity does not appear to be

looked upon, like the Aryan Venus, as the goddess of mere
physical beauty and sensual love, but rather as the type of
perfect womanhood, an accomplished, staid and motherly
individual. She
generally represented seated, in a contem-
is

plative mood, running her fingers over a stringed instrument

of her own invention. As the personification of the sea, that
fertile source of food and wealth to the Japanese, she is

frequently represented standing or sitting on the sea-shore,

playing some heavenly melody to the wave accompaniment.
When she
depicted without the instrument, she carries in
is

one hand a key, and in the other the priceless pearl, and is
richly attired in a blue mantle, with the sacred stole, and
wears a diadem.
Kasmpfer tells a long story about the origin of this
goddess, which may be summarised as follows. Bimsio, the
daughter of a rich man, was married to one named Symmios
Dai Miosin but not having any children for many years,
;

she earnestly besought the blessing of the gods. Her prayers

were time answered by her miraculously giving birth to
in

five hundred eggs. The poor woman, surprised and full of

fear, packed the eggs in a box, marked it with the word
"
Fosjoroo," and threw it into the river Riusagawa. The box
was found by an old who, discovering it to be
fisherman,
full of eggs, took it home to his wife, and after some anxious
deliberation decided to hatch them artificially. This was
 JAPANESE ART. 99

done, and the result was the production of five hundred male
children. The worthy couple, short as their means were, re-
solved to bring up, as best they could, this fearfully numerous

family, feeding it with minced mugwort-leaves and boiled

rice. When the boys had grown up they had to shift for
themselves, and accordingly took to robbery as a means of
subsistence. On going to a rich man's house, situated some
distance up the river, and demanding food, they were ques-
tioned as to who they were they told the story of the eggs,
;

from which they had sprung, and were recognised by the

mistress of the mansion as her sons, for she it was who
had given birth to the eggs, and afterwards thrown them
into the river. The kind mother, now realising her want
of faith in the goodness of the gods, took her sons in,

acknowledged them, and prepared a sumptuous feast for

them and numerous guests, to whom cakes of mugwort and
rice were presented with due formality. " The mother of

these children," says Kaempfer, " was afterwards placed among

the goddesses of the country, by the name of Bensaiten.

They believe that she is waited upon in the happy regions

of the gods by her five hundred sons, and they worship her
as the goddess of riches." This goddess appears, according
to our authority, to be specially worshipped on the second

great annual festival, held on the third day of the third

month, when cakes of mugwort and rice are handed to every
guest present at the domestic festivities.
None of the more recent writers on Japan give any hint
of this story, but the goddess is spoken of as the mother of
fifteen sons. " Benten is
Jarves, for instance, says, prolific, I
confess. She has fifteen sons, all of whom, save one, are well
educated and trained to follow either a useful occupation or
a learned profession. The first is an author, another is an
office-holderstill another a metal founder, a banker, a farmer,
;

a merchant, a tailor, a silk-grower, a brewer, a clergyman, a

doctor, an expressman, a breeder of animals, and lastly, a
baker, only the fifteenth son has no profession. Possibly he
is the
'spoilt child,' or the 'black sheep,' which, like mistakes,
 IOO JAPANESE ART.
* *
will creep into the best families to their utter vexation.
Be this as it may, fourteen serviceable citizens given to the
state, and an ornamental one thrown in as loose change,
are as good credentials of sound womanhood and as strong
arguments for its rights as we can conceive. The Japanese
are right in honoring Benten as the best type of her sex.

They do more. She is worshipped on a far higher plane

as the fecund principle of virtue and benefaction, personify-

ing the nourishing ocean that provides, feeds, and enriches,

and also glorifies the great empire of the far Eastern
Seas. In this shape the Japanese encircle her beautiful
brow with a divine aureola, crown her head with an
imperial diadem, and clothe her in magnificent robes.
Under any of her forms, however, there is none of the
mythical, illogical, and undesirable virginity attributed to

the Romish ideal woman. Benten is always the mother,

the fecund generator, provider, educator a substantial bene- ;

factor and producer of mankind, and completest embodiment

of the virtues and deeds most useful and pleasurable to
man."
In certain representations of goddess, introduced
the
into Buddhist temples, she displays eight arms, with hands
bearing emblems of her many good offices. Her head is
adorned with three celestial flames, symbolical of the mystic
triad. In this form she is the protecting genius of mother
earth, the dispenser of all those gifts which promote its
fertility. She is the giver of all the comforts and blessings
which make life
charming.
Women of all creeds pray to Benten for attractiveness,
ability and riches ;
and men seek her aid to enable them
.
to become wealthy by the exercise of their genius. The
day of the snake is considered the one most propitious on
which to visit her shrines, which are generally built on small
islands or near water and accordingly on that day they are
;

crowded by devotees, who, as actors and poets, live by

the skilful use of their natural talents. The snake is held
sacred to Benten, and is, therefore, frequently represented
 JAPANESE ART. IOI

in her shrines, and encouraged to frequent their neighbour-

hood. The worshippers are careful not to injure the reptiles
for fear of experiencing the anger of Benten, and the con-
sequent refusal to their petitions.
We now come to the last of the household deities of
the Japanese, Bisjamon, the god of glory. He is less

frequently met with than the previous six, and may be

said to be peculiarly the king of men, the personification
of all knightly virtues. He is the patron of princes and
warriors, and is accordingly held more inrepute by them
than by the humbler and more peace-loving sections of the
community. Bisjamon never finds a place by the humble
hearth alongside the merry Yebis and Hotei. He is not
a popular deity, for war, by means of which his chief
honours are dispensed, seldom brings blessings to the
tradesman or labouring man. Bisjamon frequently empties
their purses, destroys the fruit of their toil, and burns down
their houses, that his special votaries may be rewarded with
the victor's or hero's laurels. Bisjamon is also the heavenly
protector of the priestly class, and the bonzes show him
much respect and patronise him out of flattery to the nobles.
He is represented as a warrior clad in rich armour, with
a lance in his right hand, adorned with streamers. Some-
times he holds in his hand a pagoda or model of a temple,
as the patron of priests. We
have before us as we write
a very beautifully painted Buddhist picture, mounted in the
manner peculiar to the Japanese, with unequal sized margins
of silk and gold brocades, and roller with polished rock-crystal
ends. The principal figure is Buddha, standing on the usual
flower, and absorbed in his nirvana and on his right hand,
;

with his feet resting on a crouching demon, stands a majestic

figure of Bisjamon, who is clothed in gorgeous robes, which
almost cover his cuirass and the rest of his defensive armour;
his head is protected by a richly ornamented helmet sur-
mounted by a scarlet
plume his right hand holds a triple-
;

pronged spear, and his left carries a small pagoda. Behind

his head is a large circular nimbus, on the rim of which
102 JAPANESE ART.

are three flaming orbs, emblems of the human soul. The

figure on the left of Buddha is that of Fudo, the god of
punishment, a demon with deep blue coloured body, partly
robed, and surrounded with flames. In his right hand is
a naked sword, and in his left a coil of rope. The two
figures are evidently intended, in this picture, to personify
heaven and hell.

Demons are frequently portrayed in Buddhist works

of art, and are, in nearly all instances, distinguished
from saints or human beings by being painted red, blue,
green, or some other rich colour a mode of treatment
;

which very materially adds to their infernal aspect. They

are sometimes tusked and horned, but we do not remember
ever to have seen them represented either with cloven hoofs
or tails. The Japanese do not appear to have realised the
western idea of the devil either in his bestial or Mephisto-

phelian development.
We cannot pass over the subject of demons without
giving a brief description of the Buddhist Inferno, as ren-
dered by Japanese artists. A
few copies of this interesting
work appear to have been brought to Europe, one of which
is now unrolled before us, and may be thus described :
—
It is a roll of silk tissue mounted on paper, about n£ feet

long by io£ inches wide ;

the painting, which is continuous,
measuring 10 For convenience of description,
feet in length.

the painting may be divided

into four sections. It com-

mences at the right end, and reads towards the left, like
all Japanese books and rolls. The first section opens with
three human figures, dressed in grave clothes, finding their
way from a dark valley towards a direction-post which marks
the ford of a mighty rushing river one being is depicted ;

passing across, with a and holding up

staff in one hand
his white garment with the other and on the left bank ;

are two pallid creatures peering into the dreadful land they
have now to enter. The valley and the river are emblems
of death and the grave, the cold passage towards the
world beyond. Far on the bank is seated a terrible grey-
 JAPANESE ART. IO3

headed giantess (San zu no Kane-baba*), resting against

the trunk of a dead tree she is grinning in a fearful
:

manner at a
group of four miserable beings kneeling at her
feet, and
from whom she is removing the grave clothes
before she allows them to proceed on their journey. In
their scanty funeral garments they have travelled the valley
of the shadow of death, and forded the mighty river;
almost naked they have now to appear before the dread
judge who is to pronounce their awful punishment.
The second section opens with the great tribunal.
The judge (Emma-oh), a huge red giant, is seated
behind a table, upon which is spread a page of the
book of records. He holds in his right hand a sort of
club or bat, with a blow of which he may frighten his

culprits or emphasise his remarks. On his left hand are

two assistants and a blue demon, horned, tusked, and
holding a ponderous mace on the right of the judge is ;

a recording scribe, with a brush and a tablet covered with

writing. Near the right end of the table is an elevated

stand, supporting two heads, one that of a kind-looking
female, and the other that of a red demon with piercing
eyes and open mouth, from which latter issues a red
stream, directed downwards upon the miserable human beings
who crouch before the table. The writer in the Review
alluded to in our note explains the heads thus: — "One
' '
with searching eyes and open, accusing mouth, is Seeing
(Mi ru me), an awful witness. The other, less active, is
'Hearing' (Ki ku me), pale-faced and thoughtful, waiting
to reveal. These two are obviously watching, to check
the completeness of wretched
the confessions of several
wicked ones, who crouch, groaning and entreating, in front
of the judge's table." The tribunal is held upon an
elevated platform, from which steps lead down into the floor
of hell. We
now enter the world of punishment, and the
*
For the Japanese names of tbe chief actors in these scenes we are indebted to a
writer in the Theological Review (vol. xi., 1874), who in penning a description of a

similar Inferno, was assisted by a Japanese scholar.

104 JAPANESE ART.

first scene we meet with is a red demon holding up a

yelling terrified being to see, in a huge mirror (the mirror

of memory), a reflection of the crime which has consigned
him to infernal torture. We learn his crime from the
scene dimly portrayed in the mirror, a farm-house in flames,
and the incendiary hurrying away, through the darkness of
the night, with his burning torch. Adjoining the mirror,
another red demon is weighing a sinner against a pond-
erous rock, and watching, with glee, the effect of the

weight of mortal sin which carries down the scale ;

and
still further
on, green demon
hurrying away with a
a is

blazing chariot full of agonised creatures whose immediate

destination, burning as they are, appears to be a lake of
ice (Hachi kan zigoku, " the where
eight times cold "),
we see
struggling creatures endeavouring to keep their
heads above the surface. Surely in Hachi kan zigoku
extremes meet, and the climax of torture is reached.
In the third section we enter upon a new phase of

punishment ;
it
may be termed the section of blood, for
in it we find the numerous wretched sinners beaten to

pieces with a club, torn by carrion birds, cut and tortured

with stake and knife, crushed between huge rocks, and
pounded in a mortar with an immense spiked pestle.
Blue, red and green fiends are engaged in this fearful

butchery, and streams of blood are flowing everywhere.

The horror of these punishments is increased tenfold to
the Buddhist by the belief that at every infliction the body
is restored, to experience fully the recurring torture.
The last which may be called the section of
division,
flame, is the most and imaginative of the series
fearful it ;

seems to be a composition in which whirlwind, lightning

and fire
mastery, and combine to torture
struggle for the
the lost in their dreadful
agony. In describing this scene
the writer in the Theological Review says
" The last :
—
design of
represents the final pit called
all Eight times
'

deep
'
—
a vast whirlpool of lurid storm, broken by awful
streams of blood-red lightning the whole scene seen through —
 JAPANESE ART. IO5

raging flames. On the outer edge writhe serpents, ever

watchful to prevent escape. Within, a three-headed monster,
girdled with skulls, whirls a flaming, red-hot club. Another,
with a bull's head, gathers the miserable ones, and thrusts
them bleeding a mighty cauldron that boils in the
into
midst of fiercest fires while over this finale of horrors
;

there hang, head downwards, poor creatures whose anguish

is even there enhanced by the fear of falling in. Over
the abyss floats a gigantic head of Seeing, that terrible
accuser, here glaring on each tortured sinner a too lasting
recollection." With the
description of this thrilling picture
we may almost take leave of Japanese demonology, although
it must be
understood to exist entirely in the fearful
not
phase presented by Buddhist superstition and craft. There
is much fun and cruel humour mixed
up with the purely
national demonology of Japan. Jarves remarks: "Japanese —
devils do not seem to be the incarnate enemies of men,
bent on destroying their souls, like the orthodox Christian
demon. On the contrary, they have a marked preference
for playing tricks with their bodies, and getting out of
them while in the flesh all sorts of impish entertainment.
I refer to the aboriginal devils, not the imported Buddhist
varieties. The former by coarse jokes
roast their victims
and pointed jeers, which is better fun for them than to
broil sinners on real coals of fire in an eternal place of
torment. Sometimes the living men, by the aid of superior
spirits, get the better of these devils, and turn the laugh
on their teasers and frighteners. it is a
Psychologically,
singular recognition and treatment of evil in life, accepting
it thus half seriously and half jocosely but the spirit ;

seems characteristic of the Japanese in almost everything

in their art. And yet in matters of etiquette they are
unsurpassed in gravity, suavity, and elaborated, complicated
ceremony."
It is impossible lor us to go deeply even into
quite
the artistic aspect of the mythology of Japan in a book
like the present with the theological aspect
;
we have
o
106 JAPANESE ART.

nothing whatever to do. We must, therefore, pass over the

numerous Buddhist drawings of saints and deities which
are so frequently met with on vases, bowls, hanging pictures,
and in books and rolls : asworks of art they present few
peculiarities strictly Japanese. There are three figures of
deities, however, which we must not omit to mention ;
these
are the gods of the wind, thunder, and war. The god of the
wind (Kaze no kami) is represented as a grotesque monster,
drifting about on the storm, with an immense inflated bag
over his shoulders, the two mouths of which he holds in
his hands, and from which the blast is depicted issuing
with great force. The god of the thunder [Kaminari sama)
is another grotesque creature, half man, half beast, depicted

leaping about amidst dark clouds, and striking, with the

sticks he carries in his hands, a ring of drums which
encircles his head. The god of war is a figure with three
heads and many arms, which wield different weapons, such
as the bow, sword and spear. He is depicted rushing
through the standing on the back of a wild boar or
air,
a wild
horse. these creations of the imagination are
All

singularly expressive and are always rendered in a way

;

which fully sustains the acknowledged power of the Japanese

artist in graphic delineation.

At the conclusion of our essay, we cannot help realising

how imperfect and full of shortcomings it is. Our apology,
however, must be the vastness of the subject, and the diffi-
culty the European mind always experience in thoroughly
will

understanding it multitudinous
in all its details. hope, We
nevertheless, that the present humble contribution towards the
general history of Oriental Art will not prove to be deficient
in practical value to the student of that
interesting subject.
We have endeavoured, by classifying our remarks as much
utility, and to render them con-
as possible, to increase their
venient for reference yet we feel that the adoption of such
;

a method has imparted a certain hardness to the composition

which a more flowing and, we may say, sensational treatment
would have avoided. Had we adopted the latter style of
 JAPANESE ART. I07

writing, our essay would have the disadvantage of inordinate

length without the compensation of one additional fact to
add to its utility.
With these few words in explanation of the system
followed throughout the
previous pages, and
by way of
apology for any obvious deficiencies, we commend our essay
to our readers' kind consideration.

er

DAI NIP-PON-GREAT JAPAN.

KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN
 KERAMIC ART
OF

JAPAN.

canbe little doubt that the art of making

pottery was practised in Japan at a very early date,
THERE and that it was introduced into the country by work-
men from Corea, where it had been known for some time
previously. The art is unquestionably of Chinese origin,
and was, along with many other branches of industry, learnt
by the intelligent Coreans from Chinese experts.
Japanese legends state that pottery was made Japan in

by Oosiu-tsumi, who flourished long before the commence-

ment of the Japanese era, 660 B.C., but nothing is definitely
known regarding the date of the introduction of the manu-
facture into Japan, and that professed to be fixed by a
Japanese chronicle is, to say the least of it, very doubtful.
Dr. Hoffman, of Leyden, who has translated this chronicle,
says that it states that in the year 27 b.c the followers
of a certain Prince of Sinra came from Corea to establish
themselves in Japan, and founded the first corporation of
manufacturers of pottery be this as it may, one feels very
;

little faith stirring within one on the subject. The art of

fashioning clay into vessels for holding water or for cooking,
and subsequently rendering them durable by burning in kilns —
or, indeed, the art of imparting to them a rude decoration —
112 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

may have been known in the Japanese islands quite as early

as 27 b.c. ; but, accepting that date as the year in
before
which the manufacture of pottery was introduced by the
Coreans into Japan, one must have more tangible facts to go
upon than the simple statements of a Japanese chronicler,
who, probably, in ignorance of the real origin of the art in
his country, would naturally date it back to the most remote

epoch he ever heard spoken of.

The promulgation of a religion from one country to

another has invariably been attended by the introduction
of new manners, customs, and arts ;
and it is reasonable
to suppose that the introduction of such a delicate and
refined art as that of which we treat would occur at a
time when some very important religious communication
existed between China, Corea, and Japan.
On hastily reviewing what little is known regarding
early Japanese history, we find it stated that Buddhism
was introduced from China, through Corea, into Japan
about the middle of the sixth century. This is a much
more reasonable date to which to assign the commence-
ment of the industry; for the planting of the new religion
would of necessity bring in its train numbers of its priests
and professors, men more or less highly educated for their
day, and personally acquainted with those arts and manu-
factures whose aids were sought for the purpose of
beautifying and adorning their temples and religious services.
In the commencement of the century Buddhism
seventh
had attained a sure footing in the Japanese Islands for ;

the annals state that, at that period, there existed in the

country 46 temples, 816 priests, and 569 persons who

devoted their lives to religious observances.
therefore probable that during the half-century just
It is

alluded to considerable religious intercourse existed, more or

less direct, with China and Corea ;
and that many valuable
hints, attended with specimens of manufacture, reached
Japan, relative to various industrial arts and, in particular, ;

with reference to the art of fabricating articles of pottery.

 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. II3

A report issued by the Japanese Government states

that in 724 a.d., a priest, named Giyogi, a native of
the province of Idzumi, invented or introduced the potter's
wheel and instructed the people in the use of it. Examples
of his work, in the form of exceedingly rude earthenware
vessels, are said still to exist in the temple of Todaiji, in
the province of Yamato. We also learn, on the same
authority, that the manufacture of earthenware increased
rapidly after the introduction of the potter's wheel, and
that it was further developed by Kato Shirozaimon, who
flourished at Seto, in the province of
Owari, in 1225 a.d. ;

the art of making pure porcelain was introduced into Japan

about 15 13 a.d., by Gorodayu Shonsui on his return from
China, which country he, like Shirozaimon, had visited for
the purpose of acquiring a knowledge of the manufacture.
He in the province of Hizen, and succeeded in pro-
settled

ducing the various kinds of porcelain which still form the

staple trade of that district, and which are known by the

following names:
— Sometsake, or decoration with blue under
the glaze Hibi; yaki, or crackled ware ; Seiji yaki, or
celadon ware ;
and Nishikide*, otherwise called Gosai, or
decoration various colours, in which manner the greater
in

portion of the productions of the Hizen factories is still

painted. The
process of making porcelain was greatly
improved by a Corean potter named Risamper, who settled
at Arita, at the close of the sixteenth century, and dis-
covered the suitable material
neighbourhood. We in the
think there is good reason to suppose that the manufacture
of artistic pottery and porcelain in Japan dates from this

period, and we now proceed to trace its progress and the

introduction of the wares into Europe.
In the year 1542 a Portuguese merchantman was
wrecked during a voyage from Siam to- Qhina, upon the
Japanese coast, in the eastern part of the island of Kiusiu.
During the few following years the Portuguese visited the
Islands for the purpose of trading, and appear to have been
well received. Then came the active efforts made by the
p
114 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

Jesuits, directed by Francis Xavier, Japan the

to plant in
far as Europeans are con-
religion of the Cross, which, so
cerned, occupies the page of its history, up to the time when
the first period of the Dutch settlement opens. Kaempfer tells
us that this period, from the first settlement in the town and
island Hirado, and the privilege of free trade and commerce,
till the removal of the factory to Nagasaki, was comprised
in the years between 1601 and 1641. And he further
informs us that at that time the trade of the Castilians
and Portuguese, who had a large and flourishing settlement
at Nagasaki, and who had considerable advantage over the
Dutch in commerce, was in its greatest
certain branches of

vigour. In 1641, however, all this had ceased, the Christian

religion had been almost totally extirpated in Japan, and
the Castilians and Portuguese had been finally expelled the

country.
From that year the Dutch were confined to the island

Deshima, close to Nagasaki, where they continued their

export and import trade under varying restrictions.

Under the circumstances we have detailed, it is reasonable
to look to the latter half of the sixteenth century for the first
arrival of specimens of Japanese Keramic wares in Europe
—
isolated specimens, conveyed by the vessels which
indeed,
came and went between Portugal and Japan, carrying the
priests and emissaries of the Roman Catholic faith. That
numerous illustrations of Japanese Art-manufactures found
their way to Europe in this manner, and at this time, there
is no reasonable doubt, but unfortunately no means exist
whereby we may distinguish works of the epoch referred to
from those of later periods.
The Portuguese having been finally expelled from Japan
previous to 1641, we must look upon the Dutch as, after that
date, the only direct commercial link with Europe and we may :

naturally surmise that between 1641 and the end of the cen-
tury the first extensive importations of the varied productions
of Japan took place.
Speaking of the Dutch trade between
1641 and 1686, Kaempfer states that the annual exports
 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 115

comprised about one hundred bales of China ware ;

and
further alludes to the presents made by the Emperor and his
Ministers to the resident Director of the Factory on his
annual journey of ceremony to the Court, as
comprising
articles of porcelain. All these, doubtless, found their way
to Holland, and from thence were distributed through Europe.
This, then, is the period we consider to form the most
satisfactory starting point for our review, and the only possi-
ble one for our illustrations of the Keramic Art of Japan.
If we now turn our attention to the Continent we find
the dates to agree substantially with the period during which
the most important collection of old Japanese porcelain in

Europe was brought together, namely, that preserved at

Dresden. We are informed by Dr. Graesse, Director of
the Royal Collection of China, that the specimens were
all
by August II, King of Poland and Elector
collected
of Saxony, between the years 1698 and 1724, for the purpose
of decorating the rooms and banquet halls of the so-called

Japanese Palace.
There can be little doubt that the Japanese porcelain
was principally obtained from Holland, being imported direct
from the Dutch settlement at Deshima ;
but certain specimens
may have been procured from the Portuguese, by whom
they were imported at an earlier date. It is probable that
the older vases, which are decorated with applied raised

ornamentation, may have been brought from Japan through

the aid of the Jesuit missionaries, who had at one time
access to the interior of the country. We were informed
by an Japanese Commissioner of the Keramic
intelligent
department at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873, that about two
hundred years ago a manufacturer of porcelain in Hizen
made what we know by the name " Old Japan," and traded
with foreign nations in contravention of the then existing law.
On this being discovered by the Government, the manufac-
turer, Tomimura Kanyemon, was compelled, to commit the
Hara Kari.
The greater portion of the Japanese porcelain preserved
Il6 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.
"
at Dresden is of the " Old Japan description, and, being of
the highest excellence in both quality and decoration, most
probably comprises the .very wares made by the unfortunate
Tomimura Kanyemon. Nagasaki the place where the impor-
is

tant Portuguese trading settlement existed up to 1639, and

where the Dutch factory of Deshima existed after 1641 it ;

isalso one of the principal seaports of the province of Hizen,

and was no doubt that from which Tomimura Kanyemon's
manufactures were shipped.
All the ware " Old
known Japan," namely, a fine
as —
white porcelain, richly decorated with flowers and birds, in
blue, red, and gold, with the occasional introduction of
black,
— was made in Hizen. Kaempfer, in informing us that
one hundred bales of China ware were annually shipped
from Japan, does not give any particulars of its quality
or appearance ;
but we may
suppose the porcelain
at least
which formed a portion of the presents from the Mikado and
the nobles of the Court, was of a high class. Many of
these presents are doubtless to be seen in the Dresden Col-

lection, while the bulk of the specimens, including Tomimura

Kanyemon's smuggled wares, are the ordinary exports of the
Deshima Factory.
"
Large quantities of Old Japan," or what may be more
correctly termed old Hizen Ware, were evidently imported
into Europe during the earlier part of the last century and, ;

besides the Dresden Collection, much still remains in the

possession of old families and private collectors. We are
informed by Dr. Graesse that the Imperial Collection was
originally much having been at a later time reduced
larger,
by the disposal of many duplicates. These were doubtless
purchased by wealthy art lovers (in whose families they may
be treasured as heir-looms to this day), or passed in some
cases into the hands of dealers in the great cities of Europe,
and thus became widely separated from the parent collection.
The province of Hizen appears to have at all times pro-
duced the best porcelain wares of Japan, and this fact is
easily accounted for by the district furnishing the necessary
 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. II7

materials of perfect quality for its fabrication, and in the

greatest abundance. The principal supply of this petro-sili-
ceous rock is obtained from Idsumiyama (the mountain of
Idzumi), in the neighbourhood of Arita. The chronicle
translated by Dr. Hoffmann enumerates eighteen principal
factories situated on the slopes of this mountain, the names
of which we shall give when we speak more particularly of
Hizen wares. The productions of most of the factories
which still exist are usually exported from the seaport of
Imari, and are therefore commonly known as Imari ware.
Hizen produces kinds of porcelain, decorated in blue, or
all

in various colours, and with lacquer celadon, and some ;

varieties of stoneware and probably the largest quantity of

;

Keramic manufactures generally of any province in the

Empire. Recent demands from European nations have
caused considerable activity in certain districts of Hizen ;
and
a common, gaudily decorated porcelain, supposed to satisfy
western taste, has been exported in ship loads from Naga-
saki, and correspondingly known as Nagasaki ware.
is It is

unquestionably the very worst production of the Hizen

factories, both as regards shape and decoration, and is

absolutely worthless from an artistic point of view.

Next to Hizen the province of Owari has the most
important potteries, and produces all varieties of porcelain,
and certain descriptions of faience and stoneware. Some
specimens of the blue and white Owari porcelain are of
the greatest possible beauty and interest; and the quality
of the paste, though apparently softer than that of Hizen,
is fine and
very transparent. It is rather remarkable,

notwithstanding the fact of Hizen being the leading porcelain

district, that Owari should give the general name by which
porcelain and earthenware are known in Japan. According
to Hepburn, the word Setomono signifies porcelain, earthen-
;:

ware, and crockery generally, and is derived from Seto, a

place in Owari, where most of the wares are manufactured ;

*
Japanese and English Dictionary, by J. C. Hepburn. Shanghai, 1872.
Il8 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

mono signifies articles or things. In the southern part of

Japan, however, the term Karatzumono, called after the
factoryof that name, is also used in the same sense, but

by no means so generally.
From
repeated interviews with skilled Japanese, and
from examinations of specimens of the oldest wares existing
in and private collections, we are of opinion that
public
potteries were established in Kioto at a very early period.
This is more probable when we come to think that for
centuries it was the great centre and seat of all the arts,
and the theatre of the highest religious and courtly cere-
monials. There dwelt the Emperor in an invisible glory,
in agilded prison, entirely surrounded with his powerful
Court, the members of which vied with each other in point
of refinement and luxury. For their use the lacquer artists
produced those boxes and cabinets which have ever remained
matchless and unrivalled the ivory workers manipulated
;

those grotesque and humorous carvings which surpass the

best works of western ingenuity in their particular class ;

the metal workers wrought an alloy of art and bronze which

became more valuable than gold ; for their delight the temple
dances were conducted in all their weird imagery, and for
them the inspired poets sang. It is probable that whilst

the Hizen and Owari factories were producing their usual

wares, Kioto artists were fashioning and decorating rare

conceits from clays of all descriptions, conceits of which
we have seen but few, but which fortunately do not simply
exist in our imaginations.

Writing of Kioto in his

day (i6go), Kaempfer says :
—
" Miaco*
is the great
magazine of all Japanese manufactures
and commodities, and the chief mercantile town in the
Empire. There is scarce a house in this large capital,
where there is not something made
Here they or sold.
refine copper, coin
money, print books, weave the richest
stuffs with gold and silver flowers. The best and scarcest
Miaco was the name commonly used in Ksempfer's time for the imperial city, but
since the removal of the Court to Tokio, it has been officially called Kioto.
 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 1 10,

dies, the most artful carvings, all sorts of musical instru-

ments, pictures, japanned cabinets, all sorts of things wrought
in gold and other metals, particularly in steel, as the best

tempered blades, and other arms are made here in the

utmost perfection, as are also the richest dresses, and after
the best fashion, all sorts of toys, puppets, moving their heads
of themselves, and numberless other things too many to be
here mentioned. In short, there is nothing can be thought
of, but what be found at Miaco, and nothing, though
may
never so neatly wrought, can be imported from abroad, but
what some artist or other in this capital will undertake to
imitate it. Considering this, it is no wonder that the
manufactures of Miaco are become so famous throughout the
Empire, as to be easily preferred to all others, though perhaps
inferior in some particulars, only because they have the
name of being madeThere are but few houses
there.
in all where there is not something to be
the chief streets,
sold, and for my part, I could not help wondering, whence
they can have customers enough for such an immense
quantity of goods. 'Tis true indeed, there is scarce any
body passes through Miaco, but what buys something or
other of the manufactures of this city, either for his own
use, or for presents to be made to his friends and rela-
tions."
The manufactories would most likely be many
of Kioto
and small, altogether different from the active wholesale
nature of those of Hizen indeed, one would expect to
;

find all the workmen at Kioto first-class artists, fashioning,

to suit each whim or fancy, unique and special articles of
taste and luxury ; painting them with portraits of their
famous poets, their favourite kami wrapt in heavenly
contemplation, or with scenes from courtly pageants or
theatrical performances or, ;
in point of ornamental decora-
tion only, vying with each other in fertility of invention,
richness of imagination, and dexterity of manipulative skill.

Kaempfer clearly points to such a state of art in the city

of the Mikado, and such it
unquestionably was in its
120 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

palmiest days. Several kinds of porcelain and faience are

now made in it is unnecessary to individualise
Kioto, but
them here, as we shall have to describe them particularly
when we come to the section devoted to Kioto wares.
North-east of Kioto lies the province of Kaga, which
has long been celebrated for its wares, decorated in rich
red and gold. The manufacture is stated to have been
commenced in the 16th century. No specimens of Kaga
ware are to be seen in the Dresden Collection, or indeed

in any of the well-known old collections on the Continent.

None of the early travellers speak about Kaga in any par-
ticular way, although that can scarcely be wondered at,
seeing that it lies far away from the usual routes of

European travellers in the

country. Kaempfer mentions the
fact that, in the province of Jeetsju, a certain kind of earthen

pot is made, but gives no further information on the subject.

Jeetsju adjoins Kaga on the east and it is probable the
;

allusion may have reference to potteries which, in his

time, may have extended into Kaga, or which may have

been moved to a more convenient locality in the province,
and there fostered under the protection of the wealthy and
powerful princes of Kaga. The Kaga factories are very
celebrated in Japan, and their beautiful productions are much
prized by European collectors.
The ware was almost unknown in Europe prior to the
Paris Exhibition, where a large and valuable series of

specimens was shown, and where its

brilliant red, gold,
and soft white ground, in contrast with the polished black
lacquered cabinets and stands, claimed both attention and
admiration. Unquestionably the finest specimens of what
we now call the middle period ware came to Europe on
that occasion, and several authenticated Paris pieces are
illustrated in our Plates.
We now come to another province, which, within the
last two centuries, has produced exceptionally interesting
and beautiful works of pottery. This province is Satsuma,
situated on the south-west of the island of Kiusiu, and
 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 121

separated from a portion of theprovince of Hizen by an

arm of the sea ;
and on land, by the provinces of Higo
and Chikugo. The manufacture of pottery in this province
dates from the latter part of the 15th century; but the

very choicest pieces which have reached Europe appear to

have been produced from early in the last century to the
beginning of the present one, before the traditions of the
province were upset by the introduction of cotton mills,
and the liberal encouragement of western manufactures and
commerce by the enlightened Prince of Satsuma. The
ware for which Satsuma is celebrated is a faience of a
firm texture and delicate creamy tint, covered with a

glaze more or less crackled.

Having thus briefly mentioned the principal districts of

Japan in which the Keramic Art is practised, and to which
we shall again have to refer in the sectional chapters
attending our illustrations, it may not
prove uninteresting
if we give a sketch of the processes of porcelain manufac-
ture Hizen, our
in authority being the Japanese Work
translated by Dr. Hoffmann ;
and we may here mention
that we are opinion that the chronicle referred to has
of
formed the basis of the various reports which have been
issued by the Japanese Government during the last few

years ;
with slight variations the information given is sub-

stantially the same, and of little value for the purpose of

comparison or of elucidating the numerous doubtful points

which arise.
The material used in the formation of the paste is

extracted from Idsumiyama, in hard and solid pieces, which

have to be reduced to impalpable powder by hammers and
stamping mills. The latter are either worked by men, who
tread upon and depress the ends of the pestle levers, or by a

revolving shaft with pins at intervals, set in motion by a

water-wheel. On the conclusion of the pulverising process,
the "hard earth," as it is called (Petrosilex), is removed
from the mortars and mixed with a certain proportion of
"soft earth" (Kaolin), and put to soak in -tanks of water,
Q
122 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

being frequently stirred to render the admixture perfect.

The fluid mass is now filtered through rush baskets into

other reservoirs, where the materials are allowed to settle.

The coarsest particles, being the heaviest, go to the bottom

first, and the others subside by degrees, according to their
densities, until the water is left perfectly clear. The water
is then run off, and the upper layers of the paste removed

to form the finest porcelain, the middle layers to form the

second quality, and the lower deposit be thrown away
to
as useless. The paste is now dried, and afterwards
kneaded (most probably trodden under feet in shallow
troughs) with fresh water, when it is in a state to be
formed into articles of use by the throwers and moulders.
The "thrower's wheel" used in Japan appears to be a
very primitive contrivance, consisting of two horizontal discs
connected together by a vertical axle, the lower end of
which turns in a fixed socket. The lower disc is about
three feet in diameter, and is placed near the ground the ;

upper disc is small, and is fixed on the top of the axle,

forming a revolving table. The axle, of course, is
again
supported by passing through a journal-bearing underneath
the upper disc. The workman sits at this simple machine,
and, by a dexterous use of his feet upon the lower disc,
imparts a rapid motion to the throwing wheel. He
then takes a lump of the porcelain clay and places it in
the centre of the top disc, to which firmly adheres, and
it

with his fingers and thumbs he rapidly converts the re-

volving mass into the shape of a bowl, cup or vase.
Great skill is shown in this part of the process, for
here the most delicate egg-shell cups and saucers, which
we admire so much, are first formed by the fingers and
thumbs of the potter from shapeless masses of pliant
clay. When the thrower has finished an article to his
satisfaction, he carefully removes it and passes it to an
attendant, who places it in the shade to harden slightly,
after which it is again placed on a wheel or lathe, and
turned, both inside and out, until it has attained its perfect
 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 123

form and finished thickness has been done, the

;
after this
handles or other raised portions, which have been previously
moulded and finished, are fixed on with "slip," or fluid
porcelain paste. The article slowly dried in the
is then
shade, or under cover, and is ready for the first baking.
The ovens are heated entirely by wood, and conse-

quently demand constant attention by day and night, to

prevent the heat fluctuating or exceeding desirable limits.
The articles are
placed in the oven before the fires are
lighted, and are allowed to cool gradually when the baking
is completed.
When the porcelain is removed from the oven, it is well
washed in fresh water, and wiped clean with a cotton cloth,
after which it is ready to receive its decoration. When the
painting is complete (that is, as regards porcelain decorated
with blue), the articles are covered with the glazing prepa-
ration, and finally burned in the grand ovens. These are
usually large, and erected in groups on the plateaus of the
hills. Six furnaces together are stated to occupy about one
hundred and ninety-five feet, and are so constructed that the
heat may circulate throughout the entire group. Each oven,
however, has its own fire, which is steadily kept up day and
night, for about one hundred and twenty hours, with logs of
wood. Theporcelain articles are supported in the oven by
scaffolds of potters' clay large dishes and such like being
;

held up on several small cones of clay, which, when afterwards

broken off, leave the marks on these articles which are often
found upon Japanese porcelain. After the grand firing, the
articles are washed and are ready for use. It is stated that

the processes between the preparation of the paste and the

final firing just described are so numerous that each article

of porcelain has to pass through the hands of no fewer

than seventy-two workmen.
The decorations on porcelain enamel colours and gold
in
are executed after the final burning of the paste and its
coating of glaze ;
and are fixed in small ovens at a compa-
ratively low temperature.
124 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

processes of painting in blue and in enamel colours

The
are doubtless identical with those followed in China, and in
all essential features similar to those adopted by porcelain
painters in Europe. The blue, produced from cobalt, is,

strictlyspeaking, a stain laid on after the first baking, and

before the glazing composition is applied. It is almost black
when used, the blue tint only coming out under the powerful
fire of the final baking. Several varieties of blue and white

porcelain are produced in Japan, which, in some cases, are

widely different in tone and character of treatment, while
in others they approach so nearly to one standard, that all
chance of classifying them by their peculiarities is lost.

Blue porcelain, however, is usually marked, and we are

assisted in that direction ; not, indeed, that the inscrip-
tions themselves convey much information, for, with the
exception of ware made in Owari, on which the word "Seto"

generally appears, they .very rarely denote the province in

which the wares were made, although they frequently contain
the maker's name but once identified from authenticated
;

specimens, it
easy is afterwards to form a direct clue to
their manufactories.
The three districts of Japan which produce the best
blue and white porcelain are Arita in Hizen, Seto in Owari,
and Kioto in the province of Yamashiro. At Arita, large
and important pieces are frequently made for instance, the ;

Japanese Court at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873 contained

several contributions from its factories, in the shape of vases
and temple lamps, ranging from five feet to six feet six inches
high, which were perfectly sound throughout. The blue of
Arita appears to be preferred by the Japanese to that of
Seto ;
and it is, as a rule, richer in colour but our own ;

experience inclines us to prefer the productions of Owari,

on account of their superior finish and delicacy. The plaque
illustrated on Plate XXVIII, which was made in Seto by
Kawamoto Masukichi, a leading manufacturer in the district,
is
altogether a remarkable evidence of the skill both of the
Owari potters and of the painters in blue ; and, in our
 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 1
25

opinion, far exceeds any work of a similar nature produced

elsewhere.
The floral decorations to be seen on fine pieces of
Owari porcelain are drawn and shaded with a clearness
and delicacy approaching the exactness of botanical diagrams,
and surpassing anything we have seen throughout the whole
range of blue and white porcelain. One remarkable instance
of this perfect painting, on a tall candlestand, is before us
as we write. an authenticated piece of Owari porcelain
It is

procured at the Vienna Exhibition.

Comparatively few specimens of the

porcelainKioto
have come to hand in Europe ; indeed, had not the Sections
at Vienna embraced authenticated pieces of blue and white
from the Imperial city, we should have doubted whether its
manufacture was carried on there to any extent. It is quite

safe, however, to surmise that wherever porcelain is fabricated

in Oriental countries, it will, in some fashion or other, be
decorated with blue. fabricated in Kioto appear to
Articles
have been always more highly prized by the Japanese than
those produced elsewhere. It was the case in Ksempfer's
time, and it appears to be so in the present day, judging
at least from the sums asked for Kioto porcelain at the
Vienna Exhibition, in comparison with that from other
districts. The specimens we secured are certainly of fine

quality, and the blue is full and rich in tint, and artistically

manipulated, but they cost about four times as much as

corresponding articles of Arita or Seto make would have

been priced at. From what we have seen, and the infor-
mation we have been able to gather, it appears that the
porcelain decorators of Kioto do not affect the high and
laboured finish of the artists of Owari in their blue porcelain,
rather striving after artistic results by free and skilful draw-

ing expressing, but not in reality rendering, minute detail.

;

The ancient blue and white Japanese porcelain, which,

" Old
doubtless, came over with the blue, red and gold, or
"
Japan ware, is not by any means so plentiful as might
be expected. In the Collection at Dresden, comparatively
126 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

few pieces are to be seen which can, with any degree of

certainty, be pronounced to be Japanese. It is unfortunate

that the objects were disarranged when they were removed

from the saloons where they were originally placed, and
where they were correctly inventoried and now ;
considerable

difficulty will be experienced by any one who essays to

separate the Chinese wares from those of Japan, so far as
the blue painted porcelain is concerned. There are con-
siderable quantities of Japanese blue Holland, where it
in

appears to have been much appreciated, judging from the

copyism indulged in by the Delft manufacturers.
The quality and texture of the old Japanese porcelain is
so much like those of the Chinese, or so-called " Nankin," of
the same date, that it is a matter of difficulty to individualise
the respective wares ;
the decoration is usually the best

guide, although in very many instances that cannot be

depended There is one style of blue and white
upon.
porcelain, lately become much prized and sought after, and
termed amongst collectors the " hawthorn pattern," which
has not yet been authoritatively classed amongst Chinese
or Japanese productions. The opinion in certain quarters
has been decidedly in favour of a Chinese origin, but that
opinion has been held by those who were content to call
decoration the " hawthorn The
its
pattern." peculiarity of
this ware
exists entirely in its ornamentation, which consists
simply of white flowers upon a clouded blue ground. These
flowers, which certainly do resemble our hawthorn, are those
of the favourite time of Japan, the emblem of Spring time,

youth and health. Two fine covered jars are preserved in

Dresden, where they are represented as Japanese. Specimens
of this ume porcelain are difficult to meet with, and command

exceedingly high prices.

There are several good specimens of the old ware
preserved in
Hampton Court Palace, which were brought
over by William and Mary, and doubtless placed
in 1689,
there by them, for Hampton Court was one of the King's
favourite resorts.
 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. I
27

Porcelain, painted or enamelled with colours, is produced

in all the porcelain districts of Japan, but Hizen contains
the largest manufactories, and consequently produces more
ware of this description than any of the other provinces.
The enamel colours and the metals used in the decoration
are in all cases laid on after the final burning of the paste,
and are therefore above the glaze. It appears that in some
cases the painters are quite independent of the factories
where the articles are fashioned and baked, and work at
their own owning, separately or jointly, small
residences,
ovens, where, a comparatively low temperature, the easily
at

fused enamels are fixed.

The enamels used on Hizen are in some cases of con-
siderable thickness, appearing in high relief, and imparting a

jewelled effect to the ware. The peculiar red enamel is laid

on in medium thickness, and assumes the appearance of seal-
ing wax when fixed there is, however, another red, or rather
;

dull orange tint, which is laid on so thinly as to appear

more like a stain than an enamel colour ;
this tint is most
and imparts to the modern ware made
offensive in its effect,
for the European market, into which it is largely introduced,
a tone of great vulgarity. The red enamels used by the
Kioto and painters are much superior to those of
Kaga
Hizen, while those of Owari approach in most respects the
latter, and consequently lack refinement.
The red found on old Kaga is of remarkable richness
and depth, neither appearing like a mere stain or at all
approaching the thick and glossy effect of a sealing wax
varnish. The red of Kioto, as met with in the celebrated
Yeiraku ware, is also a pure and brilliant enamel, capable of
being on very thinly without losing intensity. The red
laid
enamels of Kioto and Kaga are chiefly relieved by gold.
Generally speaking, the gilding met with on Japanese wares
is of a very inferior description, in comparison with European

work, and appears to be imperfectly fired or fixed. In nume-

rous examples, the gold tested by us was found to be laid
on with some fixing material, simply dried, and not subjected
128 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

to the kiln at all. We

have just said that the red enamels
of the Kioto and Kaga wares are relieved by gold, but we
doubt if it is not an inferior metal that is used, for, on expo-
sure to the air, it visibly tarnishes. It resumes its brightness
again on being rubbed with any soft material.
Enamelled porcelain is made in Owari in considerable

quantities, but it does not, so far as we are aware, present

any marked features, generally resembling ordinary Hizen,

and sometimes bearing evidences of copyism from works of
Kioto artists.

Unquestionably the Keramic wares

most characteristic
of Japan are the several varieties of enamelled and painted
faience produced in Kioto, Kaga, and Satsuma. There is
no doubt that a fine faience presents a better ground to
receive enamel colours than the hard and polished surface
of porcelain and the delicate tints of the pastes, covered
;

as they almost universally are with a waxy-looking crackled

glaze, lend a great charm to the coloured decorations this ;

is particularly noticeable and Satsuma wares.

in the Kioto
In many specimens of Kioto ware the enamels are laid
on in considerable body, and so as to almost cover the
entireground, which, indeed, acts as the
dividing lines to
the coloured designs ;
in other examples the colours are
manipulated with the greatest possible delicacy in figure
subjects and floral devices.
In Satsuma work, the enamels are treated for raised
or flat painting, according to the fancy of the artists, both
styles very commonly appearing on one article ;
for instance,
the flowers are executed in enamels thickly laid on, while
the leaves are kept flat by delicate washes of colour, or by
being executed in gold.
The decorations met with on the Keramic wares of
Japan are always characteristic, and hence there is little

difficulty, to those at all conversant with the art of the

country, in distinguishing Japanese from Chinese works.

The only difficulty, in fact, which arises in deciding between
them is in the case of old specimens of porcelain decorated
 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. 120,

with blue, in which the works of 'the two countries frequently

resemble each other very closely. The quality of the
paste does not differ with any degree of regularity, nor does
it
present any marked characteristics in these early pieces.
The Japanese appear, since the introduction of the art, to
have been quite as skilled as the Chinese in the prepara-
tion of the porcelain clay, and in their manipulation of it ;

of late, indeed, they have surpassed the manufacturers of the

Celestial Empire in the fabrication of the finer descriptions.
The objects which most frequently occur in the decora-
tionson Japanese wares are such flowers as the chrysan-
themum, peony, wistaria, and iris and branches of the ;

ume, fir, paullownia imperialis, with the almost constantly

recurring bamboo ;
such fabulous animals as the dragon,
the tailed tortoise, the kirin and ho-ho ; and such natural
animals as the horse, lion (much conventionalised), the
stork, falcon, peacock, pheasant, the carp and several other
fishes, and numerous insects. We have given full descrip-
tions of the Japanese treatment of all the above objects
in the Introductory Essay, so need notagain allude to
them here. Figure subjects are of frequent occurrence on
Japanese porcelain, and are always so distinctive that they
conclusively stamp their nationality ;
the same may be said
of the landscapes, and the crests or badges occasionally
introduced in decoration.
There is absolutely no difficulty in deciding the nation-
ality of all the varieties of Japanese faience, for, to our

knowledge, no other Oriental nation produces anything

which can be compared with them. The Corea may
certainly contribute wares similar to those of Japan ; and,
indeed, it is highly probable that when it is opened up
to trade, we may find a very interesting field for research
in its Keramic productions.
Articles of porcelain and faience have at all periods
been used by the Japanese as subjects for ornamentation
of various styles, executed in materials quite at variance
with the nature of the wares themselves. The material
R
I3O KF.RAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

most frequently adopted is lacquer, a peculiar varnish

prepared from the resinous gum which exudes from the

Rhus vernix or varnish tree by the natives
of Japan, called
Urushi-no-ki. This is prepared with great care, and coloured
with various pigments, black, red and dark green being
most commonly used. When an article of porcelain or
faience is to be decorated with lacquer, the artistproceeds
in one of the
following ways He entirely covers the :

article, simply looking upon its material as a groundwork

for his varnish, and ornaments it with various designs in

gold and colours specimens of this treatment are frequently

;

met with, the most notable being the large trumpet-mouthed

vases, made in Hizen, and exported at Nagasaki. He
partially lacquers it by covering the external surface, leaving
the inside in its original state ;
in this case it is usual
to find that blue or enamelled decoration has been applied
to the portions to be left unlacquered ; specimens of this
are generally found in the shape of cups and saucers,
dishes, boxes and the like. He partially lacquers the
surface of the article, leaving medallions and other
ornamental forms which have already been prepared for,
and decorated by, the pottery painter, and so treats his

lacquered enrichments as to produce a final artistic result ;

specimens of this method are to be seen in vases, plaques

forcabinets, and indeed on every kind of object produced
by the potter. Or the artist selects some choice specimen
of crackled or quaintly splashed ware, or enamelled porcelain,
and decorates it with figures, flowers, or birds, in raised
lacquer. This last treatment is the most uncommon,
although examples are occasionally to be seen.
Another system of applied decoration, which, however,
does not appear to be resorted to in modern manufactures,
consists of raised and
embossed works, formed of a glutinous
paste of rice, or a material somewhat resembling papier-
mache. The most important examples we have seen of
this manufacture are in the Dresden Collection, where
there are numerous large vases, but, unfortunately, they
 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN. I3I

are in a very dilapidated condition. The system of

decoration represented by these remarkable specimens was
evidently an accepted one in Japan at the time of their
manufacture, probably between two and three hundred years
ago, for in the places where the composition ornaments
have fallen off, we observe that the potter has prepared a
rough ground for their reception. The vases are only
partially ornamented by the reliefs, the other parts being
glazed and decorated in the usual manner. The reliefs are
in many cases of very beautiful design, consisting of animals,
fruit, and flowers, upon grounds of diaper work. The grounds
have been gilded, and the flowers, buds and other devices
appear to have been in brilliant colours. It is difficult to

form a correct idea of these interesting works as they were

in their original state, but enough remains to assure us
that they must have been amongst the most beautiful and
effective of the art productions of Japan.

THE RED SUN OF JAPAN.

CREST OF THE PRINCE OF HIZEN.
From a Malm Roll o/ Flags.

HIZEN.
 HIZEN.

Province of Hizen is situated in the north-west of

THE the island of Kiusiu,

the small island of Hirado and the Goto group,
and, with the exception of

is the most westerly portion of the empire of Japan. Its

capital, Saga, is a town of considerable importance, situated

at the northern
extremity of the Gulf of Simabara. Hizen
has two ports open to trade that of Nagasaki, in whose
:

waters the fan-shaped island of Deshima, constructed for the

Portuguese, shortly afterwards became the permanent factory
of the Dutch company, and hence has for centuries been
familiar to European ears and that of Imari, from which
;

large quantities of the Keramic manufactures of the province

have been shipped.
Both these ports give their names to porcelain exported
from thence —
names which are, however, incorrectly applied,
no wares being manufactured in either place. Porcelain
appears to be made in various districts of Hizen, including
the island of Hirado. The wares shipped from Imari are
made chiefly in the town of Arita and in the adjoining
kilns of Ichinose, Hirose, Nangawara, Ohotaru, Hokao and
Kuromouda productions of all these factories, and of
;
the
the neighbouring ones of Ohokawachi, Mikawachi, Shida,
Ko-Shida and Yoshida are known by the general name of
Imari ware. From the port of
nearly all the Nagasaki
varieties of the wares produced in the province are exported.
I36 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

The Portuguese, the first western traders who reached

the Japanese islands, landed in the country in the year 1542,
from one of their ships, which, as we have already stated,
was driven upon the hitherto unknown land. At the time of
their arrival therewere no laws or restrictions with regard to
foreigners or foreign trade hence the Portuguese, realising
;

the great advantages to be gained by establishing business

relations with the Japanese, speedily settled a factory in the

country.
unnecessary to follow the progress of the Portu-
It is

guese trade from this time until its total cessation under
Imperial edict in 1639. Kaempfer, the great authority on all
matters relating to the early trade with Japan, does not go
into particulars as to the commodities exported from the

Portuguese factory, only incidentally mentioning facts relating

to the shipment of bullion/'' But from what he states,
one may readily surmise that rare specimens of porcelain
were amongst their
exports. The wares they would be
offered, either at ports in Bungo or Firando (Hirado),
the
at which they traded in the earlier portion of their com-

* '•
Here I shall leave for a while the affairs of religion, to say a few words con-
cerning the commerce and trade of the Portuguese. The merchants in their trade, and
the priests in the propagating of the gospel, prospered equally well. The merchants
married the daughters of the richest inhabitants, and disposed of their goods to the best
advantage. The gold of the country was exchanged against European and Indian
curiosities, medicines, stuffs, and other things of the like nature. Upwards of 300 tons
of this precious metal were exported every year, for at that time they had full liberty to
import and to export what goods and in what quantity they pleased. At the time of
their rising greatness they imported their goods in large ships, but upon the decline of
their trade they came thither with only their galliots, as they call them, or smaller vessels.

They first put into the of Bungo and Firando.

harbours Then they came only to
Nagasaki. The upon the goods imported was at least cent, per cent., and they got
gain
not a little upon what they exported. It is believed that had the Portuguese enjoyed the
trade to Japan but twenty years longer, upon the same foot as they did for some time,
such riches would have been transported out of this Ophir to Macao, and there would have
been such a plenty and flow of gold and silver in that town, as sacred writs mention
there was at Jerusalem in the times of Solomon. It is needless here to enter into all
the particulars of their trade, and I think it sufficient to mention that even in the last

years of their going to Japan, when their trade was in its greatest decline, I mean in
1636, 2,350 chests of silver, or 2,350,000 (hails, were carried on board four ships from
Nagasaki to Macao. In 1637 they imported goods, and exported money, to the value of
2,142,565 (kails, on board six ships; and in 1638, to the value of 1,259,023 (kails, only
with two galliots. And I found it mentioned that, some few years before, they sent
away, on board a small ship of theirs, upwards of one hundred tons of gold." — Kampfer.
 HIZEN. 137

mercial relationship, or at the port of Nagasaki, to which

they were latterly confined, would be the productions of
Hizen. There is very little doubt that some of the oldest

Japanese is now in Europe was imported

pottery which
by the Portuguese, between the years 1550 and 1639. It

is unfortunately impossible for us now to do more than

hazard an opinion on the subject, however strongly exami-
nation and comparison of examples may satisfy our own
minds. The
only conclusive testimony would be systematic
date or reign marks, but these, unfortunately, are very
seldom met with on ancient Japanese ware.
We now come
consider the era of the Dutch trading
to
settlement in Hizen, which is more important in the history
of Japanese Keramic Art than that of the Portuguese, simply
because we have trustworthy information to guide us. The
letters patent granting free trade to the Dutch factory, first
established in Hirado, appear to have been given by the

reigning Emperor Ijejas, in the year 161 1, and, so far as

we can gather, the Dutch had somewhat
privileges similar
to those of the Portuguese, up to the expulsion of the latter,
and the issuing of the Imperial proclamation in the year 1637,*
which was at once the death-blow to Portuguese ambition,
and to unrestricted trade with any foreign nation. In the year
1635 tne island of Deshima was raised by the Japanese in
the harbour of Nagasaki, for the purpose of shutting off the
Portuguese traders from the town them proper, and keeping
under watch and ward on their final expulsion, it was
;

decided to remove the Dutch factory from Hirado, and

to place it under similar conditions on Deshima. In 1641,

therefore, the Dutch took up their residence in the island

prison and from that time, under humiliating and distressing
;

enactments, they continued their still lucrative trade.

The proclamation issued with reference to the Portu-
guese remained substantially in force after their expulsion.

*
The Portuguese, notwithstanding this proclamation, succeeded in maintaining a footing
in the new island factory of Deshima until about two years later, when at last, fearing that
their lives would be taken, they left the Japanese shores.
I38 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

Previous to publication there was no let or hindrance to

its

foreigners visiting Japan, or to natives leaving the islands

and returning at their own pleasure but after its issue ;

things were widely different, may be imagined from the as

tenor of several clauses of the proclamation, which we here

give in Ksempfer's words :

—
" To Sakaki Barra Findano Cami and to Baba Sabray Sejimon.
" No Japanese ship, or boat whatever, nor any native of
"Japan, shall presume to go out of the country: who acts
" to this shall and the ship, with the crew
contrary die,
" and goods aboard, shall be till further order.
sequestered
" All who shall return from abroad, shall be
Japanese,
"put to death.
" Whoever
discovers a Priest shall have a reward of 400
11
to 500 shuets* of silver, and for every Christian in proportion.
11
All persons who propagate the doctrine of the Christ -
"
ians, or bear this scandalous name, shall be imprisoned
" in the common
Ombra, or gaol of the town.
" The whole race of the with their Portuguese, mothers,
" and whatever belongs to shall be banished
nurses, them,
"to Macao.
" Whoever presumes to bring a letter from abroad, or
"to return after he hath been banished, shall die, with
" all
his family ; also, whoever presumes to intercede for
"them shall be put to death.
" No nobleman, nor any soldier, shall be suffered to

"purchase anything of a foreigner, etc.

" Given in the thirteenth year of our reign, Quanje 19,

"in the 5th month.
"
Signed,
"
Saccaja Sanikkeno Cami, Matzendeyro Insemo Cami,
"
Dijno Ojeno Cami, Obono Bongono Cami."
"
Cangano Cami,
*"A shuet of silver weighs about five ounces, so that 500 shuets amount to 2,500
ounces, which is —
about 2,500 Rixdollars, or 500/. sterling." Kxtnpfer.
 HIZEN. 139

The first period of the Dutch trade lasted about thirty

years, namely, from the granting of the letterspatent in
1611 until the settlement in Deshima, and there can be
little Dutch East India Company,
doubt that ships of the
continually going and coming, conveyed specimens of porcelain
from the Hizen factories, together with their more valuable
and more highly prized cargoes of gold and silver. We
can find, however, no records of the trade in Hirado which
assist us forming any idea as to whether or not porce-
in
lain formed an article of commerce during its continuance.
After the settlement at Nagasaki we have some hints

supplied respecting the state of the trade and the class of

commodities exported from the factory. The Dutch suffered
great indignities at the hands of the Japanese officials,
being looked upon, on account of their religion, as little
better than and professed enemies of the nation
traitors ;

yet, notwithstanding these drawbacks, and the exacting

restrictions laid on all their business operations, the first

year of their occupation of Deshima is stated to have been

one of the most profitable on record the imports having ;

realised above £700,000, and the exports being in proportion.

From this time porcelain became a standard article of
trade, and Kaempfer gives the annual export at about one
hundred bales, exclusive of the private consignments in the
shape of presents made to the Embassy during its yearly
visit to the
Emperor's Court at Kioto.
We have, however, no
given us by this
information
experienced author, who was Physician to the Dutch Embassy,
and consequently visited the Court, regarding the nature of
the wares included in the annual shipments, or in the presents
from the Emperor and his nobles to the members of the
Embassy and, therefore, we can only gain the desired infor-
;

mation by turning our attention to Europe, and tracing the

importation of the said wares, and, where possible, their ulti-
mate destination. Unquestionably the greater portion of the
porcelain, and, indeed, of all the artistic articles, would find
its way direct to the Dutch ports, and there the annual con-
 I40 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

signments of the one hundred bales would for the first time
be opened up and their contents disposed of. Without going
into further particulars, we are assured that Holland imported,

through the agency of East India Company, large quan-

its

tities of Oriental porcelain and other works of artistic manu-

facture during the period above alluded to, namely, the latter
half of the seventeenth century * and we may accept it as a ;

fact that the greater proportion of these wares came from

Nagasaki, and were therefore the productions of the porcelain

districts of the province of Hizen.

The early importations may have embraced several varie-

ties of manufacture, but our personal investigations lead us to
believe that only two important kinds were sent to Europe —
one a white porcelain, very richly decorated with red,
fine

blue and gold, and the other a similar porcelain, decorated

with blue only. description has long been known
The former
"
to collectors by the rather vague name of " Old Japan and ;

large and important collections of it exist in public and private

cabinets. The most important, however, is the Imperial
Collection at Dresden, to which we have already alluded,
and we shall here give some
particulars with reference to its
contents. In the first place, it will be advisable to prove
that the ware now under review is of Hizen manufacture, as
we are confining our present remarks to the wares of that
province.
That the "Old Japan" ware was made in Japan, and
that it was imported by the Dutch East India Company,
there is no doubt. As the port to which its trade was
exclusively confined was situated in the province of Hizen, and
as Hizen was the original and principal porcelain district in
the empire, as we have shown in our chapter upon Keramic
Art,f it is reasonable to surmise that the ware was manufac-
tured in the province. Still we lacked some definite information

*
Jacquemart states that, in 1664, there arrived in Holland 44,943 very rare pieces of
Japanese porcelain; and that in the same year there left Batavia 16,580 other pieces of
porcelain destined for Europe.
f Ante p. 113.
 HIZEN. I4I

on this point, until it was given us by a learned Commis-

sioner of the porcelain department at the Vienna Exhibition
of 1873. He
informed us that the said porcelain was made
in Hizen about two hundred years ago, and exported from
Nagasaki by the Dutch and he further told us of an
;

incident, on record, which occurred about that time. This

incident embraced the illegal dealings of Tomimura Kanyemon,
the porcelain manufacturer, and his death by the Hara Kari,
to which we have already alluded.
The larger proportion of the Japanese Collection at
Dresden consists of covered vases, beakers, gourd-shaped
bottles, jars, and dishes of all sizes, decorated in the
Nishikide fashion, with floral devices, birds, animals and
conventional ornaments, boldly painted red, in blue and
gold, with the occasional introduction of black. The flowers
most frequently met with are the chrysanthemum and peony ;

and branches of the nine, fir, and paulownia imperialis with

the graceful bamboo, commonly appear. One is some-
what at a loss, while examining these works, to account
for their markedly peculiar artistic treatment —a treatment
that the student of Japanese Art would scarcely be pre-
pared to pronounce strictly national. They are ancient,
certainly, and of necessity present art thoughts of schools
long passed away but, ; making full allowance for this,
one cannot help asking if there ever could have been an
external influence which modified their artists'
at work
national tastes. Jacquemart mentions that he learned from
the Ambassades Memorables that the Dutch exercised a
considerable influence over the porcelain manufacture of
Japan, and that Wagenaar, who for a long time represented
Holland Japan, had porcelain painted to his own designs
in
or modifications, because the native productions were
scarcely to his taste, principally on account of their not

having enough flowers. If such was the case, the

difficulties of the student disappear. This theory certainly
has probability on its side ;
and the lavish richness of
much of the ware, in many cases absolutely over-crowded
142 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

with ornamentation, tends to prove its truth. In Plate

XII is illustrated an example selected from the Dresden
Collection. This is an excellent representative of the old
Hizen ware, and is of a type in which Japanese treatment
is most marked. Some of the most interesting pieces in

the Collection have

Imperial crest, the
kiku-mon, in the

relief; and possibly these may be the productions of the

*
unfortunate Kanyemon.
The paste of the old Hizen ware is hard, of uniform

texture, and pure white, denoting skilful and careful mani-

pulation. The leading peculiarities of its decoration consist
in the almost invariable adoption of the red, blue and
gold and the massing together of chrysanthemum and peony
;

flowers, so as to cover the entire surface with a scrollwork

or twining composition, or to fill
panels divided by con-
ventional ornamentation. Black is sometimes used in the

marginal lines round the panels, and in some rare instances

the whole ground of the object is covered with a fine
black enamel, upon which the brightly coloured and gilded
decoration stands out with great effect.

The most remarkable specimens of Japanese Art, how-

ever, which are in the Dresden Collection, are those which
are partly covered with a raised incrustation. These specimens
are in the form of vases, about thirty inches high, decorated
on the exposed portions with blue flowers and scrolls, rather

roughly executed. The work in relief extends over the

greater portion of the surface of the vases. It consists of

some composition, in which rice flour is said to enter

largely, and is an unglazed ground prepared by

applied to
the porcelain manufacturer. Much of this raised ornamen-
tation has showing the rough ground, with the
scaled off,

outline of the designs marked upon it in black. Many of

the designs are very elaborate in character, and executed
with great skill. They comprise masses of flowers, with the

*
Ksempfer gives in a list of the contraband goods, none of which the Dutch were suffered
to buy or export, "The Emperor's' coat of arms. All prints, pictures, goods, or stuffs bear-

ing the same."

 HIZEN. 143

mythical kirin, dragon, and ho-ho ; rocks, waterfalls, trees,

bamboos and conventional devices, all carefully modelled,
and richly painted and gilded. Of course little remains of
their painting or gilding at the present time, but enough
is preserved to give us some slight idea of their original
magnificent effect.

The origin of these vases is uncertain. They may be

altogether Hizen work, but, judging from their decoration
in relief, we rather incline to believe them to have been made
at the Hizen porcelain factories, and sent to Kioto to be
finished with the raised work by the celebrated artists there.

We have, however, littlereason to say that they are Hizen

at all ; they may probably be the work of Kioto artists
entirely, or the ware itself may be of Chinese origin, and
the decoration Japanese.
In addition to the above, there
specimens are several
of pierced, or what termed reticulated, porcelain, and in
is

particular a set of covered jars and beakers, about eight

inches high, richly gilded and decorated with flowers and
birds in the usual colours. These are fine and interesting
pieces.
There do not appear to be any pieces in the Dresden
Gallery on which the crest of the Prince of Hizen appears.
We have before us as we write a small covered vessel
of reticulated ware, with the crest suspended in pierced
compartments. This is the only specimen of old Hizen
we have met with having the crest introduced. At the
commencement of this section is given a woodcut of the
crest copied from a Japanese roll of flags.
The collection of dishes is very large, and embraces
almost every known variety of the nishikide ware. The
most striking and thoroughly Japanese, in treatment, are
those which are decorated with Imperial kiku crests, and
formed by sixteen flutings into the form of the crest

itself. Specimens of this moulded kiku ware are by no

means common : some fine examples are preserved in this
country ;
for instance, in the Collections of His Grace the
144 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

Duke of Devonshire, at Chatsworth A. W. Franks, Esq., of ;

London Mrs. James Rawdon, and William Bartlett, Esq.,

;

of Liverpool. The peculiarity of this ware exists not

only in its being shaped or moulded in the form of the
kiku-mon, but also in its being decorated over its surface
with many kiku of different sizes and colours, sometimes
flat and sometimes in relief. The rarest pieces are bowls,
of which we know but very few good examples. One
represented in Plate XIV, from the Bowes Collection, is
interesting on account of the number and variety of the
colours used sky-blue, light green, lemon yellow, purple,
;

and appearing, in addition to the usual red, dark

black
blue and gold of the more ordinary old Hizen ware. This
bowl is covered internally with four designs, each one
repeated four times in the sixteen petals or fluted divisions,
and with eight small kiku, four of which are in relief.
The exterior is also richly decorated with diaper designs,
and seven kiku in flat painting. Two bowls of a similar
class, but not quite so elaborate in decoration, are preserved
in the Chatsworth Collection.
There is one other description of the old red, blue
and gold Hizen which is almost as uncommon as the kiku
ware this is decorated with foliage or flowers in relief
:
—
rather sparingly used —
on a ground of the purest and most
highly finished white porcelain.
Collectors desirous to acquire specimens of "Old Japan"
must exercise some caution, for clever imitations have been
recently produced by Arita and also by several con-
potters
tinental manufacturers, and many hundreds of pieces of original
ware have been repainted, added to, or otherwise tampered
with since their arrival in Europe. There is little difficulty
in detecting the imitations, on account of their general
accuracy of finish, the nature of the paste, and the stiffness
and inartistic character of their decorations but it is by no ;

means an easy task to decide at once whether or not an

Oriental piece has passed through an European porcelain
painter's kiln.
 HIZEN. I45

The division of old Hizen ware which remains

to be
touched upon includes white porcelain, decorated with blue
only. Comparatively speaking, little of what may be termed
authentic old blue and white Japanese porcelain is known
to exist. We are speaking of ware of the same date as
that decorated blue and gold.
in It is highly probable
red,
that the early traders were led to look upon it as not worth
their while to import the ordinary blue and white porcelain
into Europe, especially as a much more effective and
gor-
geous ware was so easily procured in Japan.
The finest Hizen are decorated
specimens of old blue
after the sometsuke
style, bold and artistic manner,
in a
with floral and conventional designs, executed in an intense
blue, almost approaching black in the shadows, and a cold

purple in the lights. Thequality of the porcelain itself is

much the same as that of the richly coloured ware. It is

quite impossible to give any rule whereby this ware may

readily be distinguished from Chinese blue and white por-
celain. The best however, is
general in the guide,
numerous broken points, commonly found on the underside
of important pieces. These points are where the small
clay props
—
used to support the pieces in the final firing
— have once been attached, and subsequently broken off.

Of course, in some cases, the peculiar art treatment is a safe

guide ;
but
unfortunately the ancient pieces do not, as a
rule, present the most characteristic features of what we
now accept as Japanese Art.
The variety of blue and white porcelain, which has been
known to collectors for some time under the name of the
11
Hawthorn ware," and to which we have already referred,
appears to belong strictly to the old Hizen period. It is

quite different, as regards artistic treatment, from all other

blue and white porcelain and probably on that account it
;

has lately grown into great favour. There has been, and
doubtless still considerable
uncertainty regarding its
is,

nationality and while we are not in a much better position

;

to settle the question than others are, we may give the

T
I46 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

reasons why we fully believe certain specimens of the ware

to be old Hizen.
The which has given rise to the popular name,
flower,
is of course not our hawthorn, notwithstanding that it is to

some extent similar to it in form it is that of the favourite :

and symbolical tree of Japan, the time. We do not wish to

convey the idea that this tree never appears on Chinese
porcelain, but we do wish it to be understood that its

presence in any important condition is a very strong evidence

of a Japanese origin. The Chinese occasionly introduce it,
but to the Japanese artist it a never-dying object of beauty
is.
—
and interest his choicest emblem of spring-time, youth, and
happiness
— the tree which must be planted at every shrine,
and which must blossom for ever before the Imperial palace
of the sacred Emperor.
The decoration of the ware consists of branches and
flowers, or sometimes of flowers only, of the wild or single
white time, on a clouded ground of blue. Neither the

arrangement of the designs nor their execution present any

features peculiarly worthy of admiration. The ware is

effective amidst the more ordinary styles, and, what is per-

haps a greater passport to the favour of collectors, it is
rare. Two pieces only are to be found in the Dresden
Collection, and these are classed along with the old

Japanese wares.
Jacquemart mentions that Wagenaar, to whom we have
already alluded, connoisseur, and was very
was a great
skilful in matters relating to porcelain and that he invented, ;

while resident in Japan, a pattern of a white flower on a

blue ground, which was executed under his directions by
Japanese artists, and proved so beautiful that out of two
hundred pieces on which he had it painted not one remained
unsold. This information appears to be gathered from the
Ambassades Memorables. Can the porcelain thus deco-
rated with a white flower on a blue ground be our now
" "
celebrated Hawthorn pattern ? Ispossible that
it not
Wagenaar, meeting the ume everywhere, and seeing the admi-
 HIZEN. 147

ration in which it was held

by the natives, could readily have
realised the simple expedient of reversing the usual custom
of painting the flower in blue or colours upon the white

porcelain,and having it
reproduced in its natural colour
upon a dark ground ?
Ithighly probable that at later dates the Chinese
is

produced a similar kind of ware, in imitation of Wagenaar's

designs, for we have met with some inferior specimens of
lime porcelain, bearing a mark similar to the Chinese " leaf."

The Japanese chronicle published in Osaka in the year

1799, to which we have previously referred, contained,

among many other matters relating to the manufactures of
the country, a description of the art of porcelain making.
It is comprised in the fifth volume, entitled Imari yaki,
which signifies Imari work. We
have already given a concise
outline of the principal processes of porcelain fabrication as

practised in Japan, derived from Dr. Hoffmann's translation

of this volume, and we now allude to it as our authority
for a list of porcelain factories which existed in Hizen at
the end of the
last century, some of which, along with
additional ones, remain at the present time.
The learned Doctor gives us the following information: —
The principal manufactories in which the finest porcelain
in Japan is now made are situated in the province of
Hizen, and especially in the district of Matsura, near the
town of Ureshino, where the materials necessary for its
fabrication are found in the greatest abundance, and
Kaempfer, in his Work on Japan, printed in Amsterdam in

1732, speaks of the Hizen factories as existing in the

village of Suwota, at Ureshino, and upon the sides of the
mountains in several other places in the province.*

*
In the village of is in Hizen, they make that sort of large earthen pot
Suwota, which
to hold water which is use of at sea instead of casks, and called by Europeans Martuan,
made
from the kingdom of Martan, where there is a great quantity of them made, and from thence
exported all over the Indies. This commodity can be exported from Suwota by water, a
very large and commodious river running from thence eastward over a large plain into the
Gulf of Shimabara. At this same place, as also at Ureshino, and upon the neighbouring
I48 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

But to the Japanese author.

return to He says that
of all the products of the different provinces of the Empire
none can compare with that of Hizen, known as Imariyaki;
not, however, on account of its being made there, but simply
because it is shipped from Imari to all parts of the country.
In Imari there no potteries, those producing the ware,
are
about twenty-five in number, being all situated on the decli-
vities of Idsumiyama, or the "mountain of springs," from

which are extracted the porcelain earths. The more remark-

able and celebrated factories are eighteen in number, and
are known by the following names :
—
Oho-kawachi-yama . . . Great mountain between the rivers.

Mi-kawachi-yama . . . Three mountains between the rivers.

Idsumi-yama Mountain of springs.

Kan-ko-hira Beautiful upper plateau.
Fou-ko-hira Beautiful principal plateau.
Oho-taru Great vase.
Naka-taru Medium vase.

Shira-gawa White stream.

Hine-koba Old pine tree.

Akaye-machi Quarter of the painters in red.

Naka-no-hira Middle plateau.

Iwaya Grotto, or rock-house.
Naga-hira Long plateau.
Minami-kawara .... South bank.
Hoka-o Outward end.
Kuromouda Black field.

Hiro-se Wide stream.

Ichi-no-se First stream.

According to the Japanese writer, the two first-named

mountains and hills, besides several other places up and down Hizen, is made Japanese por-
celain or chinaware out of a whitish fat clay, which is found there in great plenty. This
clay, although it be of itself good and clean, yet it requires nevertheless a good deal of
kneading, washing, and cleaning, before it is brought to that degree of perfection that the
dishes, pots, and other chinaware made of it become transparent. This manufacture being so
" that human
exceedingly laborious and troublesome gave birth to the old fabulous saying
bones are an ingredient of chinaware. : '
Suwota is famous for extraordinaiy good china
very
pots and dishes and chinaware, which are made there. —
Extracts from A'ampfer.
 HIZEN. I4g

factories, to which we will refer later on, belong to two

princely houses, who have possessions in the province, and
the wares produced in them are for the particular use of
their proprietors, and are not brought on the market but ;

the other establishments, situated near Arita, in the district

of Matsura, belong to residents in Hizen, whose works are
trade commodities. He likewise informs us that the principal
quantity of blue and white porcelain is made at Hiro-se,
although it is not of the finest quality. These particulars
regarding theporcelain works of Hizen apply to their state
about 1799, and bring our imperfect knowledge down to
the commencement of the present century, when what may
be termed the middle period of Japanese Keramic Art
commenced, period during which many of the most
the

interesting and characteristic works were produced, not

perhaps so much in Hizen as in some other districts of
the Empire. The works of this period of Hizen manu-
facture are chiefly individualised by careful manipulation,
characteristic of Japanese treatment in design and refinement
and sobriety of colouring. The general absence of date
marks renders it impossible for us to define authoritatively
what are the exact descriptions of ware which belong to
the middle period. The principal specimens which have
come to Europe are mostly decorated with blue, while
the remainder present very varied treatments in poly-
chrome.
The decorated porcelain attributable to this period
blue
is principally characterised by the purity of its paste, and
the bold and thoroughly Japanese treatment of its orna-
mentation. The larger pieces, which are frequently in the
form of saucer dishes, a shape very commonly met with
in modern Hizen ware, present compositions of
usually
flowers and birds drawn freely and with great skill. The
lesser pieces are of various forms and decorated in many
ways, all of which are artistic and quaint. The colour of
the blue also varies much, but as a rule it is colder in
tint than that used in later works. Two characteristic
150 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

specimens of these artistic and quaint objects are illustrated

by the woodcuts on this and opposite pages.
The late period ware might with perfect accuracy be
termed modern, as it has been produced during the twenty
years between 1850 and 1870 the reason why we feel;

PAPER WEIGHT IN HIZEN PORCELAIN (HENDERSON COLLECTION).

disinclined to term it modern is, that we would rather

reserve that name for ware made during the last few years,

strictly, and indeed to order, for the European market.

The best specimens of the late period ware came over to
the Paris Exposition and more recently to the
in 1867,
Vienna Exhibition 1873. in These were characterised by a
pure Japanese treatment, both in form and ornamentation ;

being, strictly speaking, representative of late Japanese

Keramic Art, having all the evidences of national careful-
ness, and of being made for local use and decorated to
suit native taste.
At Paris were exhibited several specimens of Hizen
porcelain of very fine quality, amongst which were egg-
 HIZEN. 151

shell ware, and some pieces of a special manufacture,

decorated with intense blue. Of this latter description we
are fortunately able to give illustrations on Plate XIII,
from dishes in the collection of Joseph Beck, Esq. These
interesting pieces were procured by their present possessor

PAPER WEIGHT IN HIZEN TORCELAIN (HENDERSON COLLECTION).

from the Hizen Commissioners at the Paris Exposition, who

stated that ware decorated with such intense blue was only
made for exceptional use. These dishes bear a mark
stating them to have been made by Kiso, at his residence,
Zomokuan. Great quantities of blue and white porcelain
were made during this period and generally of fine quality
;

and characteristic decoration. The woodcut on page 9 of

our Introductory Essay represents a plaque of late manu-
facture. There was a large and. interesting collection of
Arita ware at the Vienna Exhibition, in the form of immense
vases, cisterns and temple lamps, several pieces being nearly
six feet high : the decoration consisted of flowers, birds and
animals, in ordinary blue, in some cases associated with
lacquer ornamentation. The most remarkable fact in con-
Ij2 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

nection with these large vases is that they were perfect

throughout, a fact showing the greatest skill in their forma-
tion and baking. These noble specimens of the potter's art
are now in the possession of Lord Dudley and F. G.

Dalgetty, Esq.
We some of the pieces were partly
mentioned that
decorated with lacquer, and we may now add that the
practice of lacquering porcelain is much followed in Hizen
at present time.
the The large vases, covered on the
exterior with black or parti-coloured lacquer, and ornamented
with complicated line work, which are to be seen in almost
every dealer's shop, are made in Hizen, and exported from
Nagasaki or Imari.
It is impossible to give anything like adequate
quite
descriptions of the varieties of the wares, decorated with
coloured enamels, which were produced at the Hizen
factories during period we must, therefore, be
the late ;

content to describe briefly the leading peculiarities of the

groups under which all the numerous varieties may be

classed. The first group embraces objects of ordinary thick
white porcelain, decorated with colours and gold and this ;

group represents by far thelargest number

ordinary of the

productions of all the districts in the province. The second

group embraces objects of the fine transparent porcelain,
decorated with minute and delicate designs in outline, filled
in with colours in light washes, or in raised masses or
dots, a jewelled effect to the ware.
imparting The objects
produced in this class are usually small, and take the form
of cups and saucers, sake cups and bottles, small teapots,

plates, and the like. The

group embraces those
third

objects in egg-shell porcelain which have always met with

deserved admiration at home and abroad. The extreme
delicacy of some specimens is such as to cause one to
wonder how they could have been turned in the unbaked
state, or how they kept their forms during the process of
baking. No nation has been able to equal the Japanese
in the fabrication of such ware, although attempts have
 HIZEN. I53

frequently been made to imitate it. The Hizen egg-shell

is much prized in Japan so ;
much so, that quantities are
brought in the white state to Tokio to be decorated by
the artists there.
Many exquisite specimens of Tokio
painted egg-shell were shown at Vienna. The decorations
on egg-shell porcelain executed at Hizen are not, as a
rule, satisfactory, being rather hard and crude in colour,
and appear to bear evidence of haste and carelessness in
manipulation, a fact no doubt attributable to the great
demand for the ware. The manufacture of egg-shell
porcelain is stated to have been commenced so lately as
in 1837, when it was made at the factory of Mikawachi,
by Ikeda Yasujio it ;
is made from Amakusa clay, which
is
tougher than that found in the mountain of Idsumi.
The fourth group comprises objects of crackled porcelain,
decorated in various ways. The most interesting ware of
this class is of a cold grey tint, boldly crackled, and
elaborately decorated with artistically drawn flowers in

colours, and slightly relieved with gold. This crackled

porcelain gains its peculiar cold tone from the dark lines of
its crackle, as much as from the
light grey tint of its glaze.
Porcelain of this description is sometimes decorated with

designs executed in coloured and gold lacquer, which have

a very pleasing effect upon the quiet ground of the ware.
We now come to the most modern and inferior pro-
ductions of which are known as "
all, Nagasaki ware,"
because they are shipped from that port ;
these consist of vases
of all sizes, toilet covered jars, dishes,
suites, tea services,
boxes, and the like, and are usually elaborately but coarsely
painted with colours of anything but refined tones a —
disagreeable red, a weak-toned blue, and a light green
being amongst the most prevalent. It must be clearly
understood that it has been the demand for a cheap
article by tradesmen all over Europe which has called
into existence this inartistic and untraditional ware from
the Hizen which immense quantities have been
factories, of
sent to Europe and the United States.
u
154 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

In conclusion we may briefly refer to the factories which

rank next in interest to that of Arita, to the productions of
which, and the adjoining kilns, our remarks, so far, have
chiefly had reference.
That of Karatzu, situated
in the northern part of the

province, said to have

is been founded, in the seventh century,
and it was here that glazed pottery was first made in
Japan no examples of
;
artistic merit have come before us,
and only inferior ware is made at the present day. So
closely is this ancient factory associated with the manufac-
ture of pottery that, as we have already stated, its name
has given rise to the use, in the southern part of the
islands, of the term
Karatzumono, to signify pottery in
general, just as Setomono is used in other parts of the
country.
About six miles to the south of Arita is situated the

factory Mikawachi, which was established about 1650

of

by a Prince of Hirado, and the productions of this kiln

have commonly been called Hirado ware. They were made
for the use of the Prince and for presentation to his friends.
Amongst the most characteristic of the productions was a

porcelain of fine quality decorated in the sometsuke fashion,

with a number of boys playing under a pine tree on the ;

choicest pieces are seven boys, but on the less perfect

specimens there are only five or three. These, and indeed
all the examples of Mikawachi which we have seen,ware
are of small size, and amongst the few good specimens of
old work which have been received in this country we may
mention statuettes of glazed, and partially glazed, porcelain,
either white or slightly touched with blue and brown ;

hanging flower vases, coloured enamels

decorated with ;

delicately perforated bowls, and

covers for
paper weights
formed of branches of trees, around which are twined wild
flowers. These works afford a marked contrast to those
now produced, which exhibit all the faults to which we have
referred in our remarks about the Nagasaki porcelain recently
made for export. Amongst them are an inferior kind of
 HIZEN. 155

egg-shell porcelainand celadon, boldly crackled, the dividing

lines being emphasised by some black substance having been
rubbed into them.
The
factory of Ohokavvachi was established at the village
of Iwayagama in the middle of the seventeenth century in ;

1710 it was removed to its present situation, about three miles

to the north of Arita, by Prince Nabeshima, of Hizen.
Until very recently the kiln has been under the direction
of the Princes of Hizen, and all the wares produced were
for their own use or for presentation to theMikado, the
Shogun, or the princes of the country. The earliest and
most valued examples comprise the works of the founder
of the kiln, and his immediate successors, and are in the
form of statuettes of stoneware and earthenware in some ;

instances they are undecorated, whilst in others the garments

are ornamented with celadon glaze and gold, and in a

single specimen we find a portion of the figure painted in

colours. Three of these statuettes are illustrated in Plates
XXXI and XXXII. At the same period, a light brown
stoneware, covered with celadon glaze, was produced it was ;

made in the form of flower pots and small objects, orna-

mented with dragons, clouds, and various designs modelled
in low relief. After the removal of the factory from
Iwayagama, porcelain decorated in blue was made, and
some kinds of this ware were called Kushide, meaning
ware with the comb teeth, because it was ornamented with
a design of this character. Of examples painted with
coloured enamels few have been sent to this country, but
there is a plate of this description in the Bowes Collection
which was made by order of the Prince for presentation
to the Shogun, whose crest it bears. The factory now
only produces inferior wares.
 HIZEN.

PLATE XII.

Triple gourd-shaped Bottle, of old Arita porcelain,

beautifully decorated with floral sprays. The disposition
of the ornamentation upon piece this is worthy of study.
On the and largest bulb the flowers and leaves are
lowest

placed close together, and rise vertically, giving the idea

of strength and supporting power the middle bulb is also
;

treated richly, sprays disposed spirally, giving the

but with
idea of lightness and the need of support and the top ;

bulb is covered with light branches of red ume, pendant

from the neck-band like the branches of a drooping tree seen
against the clear sky. It would, probably, be impossible
to decorate such a complex shape as is here presented in
a way more satisfactory to the eye, or more sound from
a decorative art point of view. Height, 28 inches.

In the Royal Keramic Collection, Dresden.

Imp.Firmin-Didot ft C ie Pari;
Bauer lith.

or a ru vtt
f Jt)
Tmp.Firmin-Didot 3c C", Paris

Bauer lith

PLATE XII.
 HIZEN.

PLATE XIII.

A— Square-shaped Dish of late period Arita porcelain,

boldly painted with the Japanese lion and foliage in rich
blue. 14J inches square.
B C — Circular Dishes of late period Arita porcelain,
most carefully and minutely painted with diaper-work,
medallions and foliage in blue ofgreat richness and
intensity. B, 7 inches, and C, q£ inches in diameter.

In the possession of Joseph Beck, Esq.

X
Si
4- I5%-I5°t
S3
 HIZEN.

PLATE XIV.

A
l6o KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

E — Basin, of old kiku ware, formed of sixteen fluted

compartments, springing from a large kiku in the centre, and

decorated with several lesser kiku modelled in relief, and
irregularly powdered over both exterior and interior. The
fluted compartments are painted with diapers and other
conventional designs. Diameter, j\ inches.
F — Basin, of old Arita porcelain, decorated in the
archaic style peculiar to examples of this manufacture.
Diameter, gj inches.

In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

 e
Imp. Firmm-Didot &. C' Pans
lith
Chataignon

PLATE XIV.
 Y. to

<r 1^-fU
[mp. Firmin Didot & C*'Parij
Chataiqnor li

PLATE XIV.
CREST OF THE PRINCE OF SATSUMA.
From a Native Roll of Flags.

SATSUMA.
 SATSUMA

province of Satsuma is situated in the south-

west of the island of Kiusiu, and is, therefore,
THE not at a great distance from the large porcelain-
producing district of Hizen. It is, in fact, only separated

from .it, towards the north-west, by an arm of the sea.

Although we find it stated in Japanese records that
pottery was madein this province as early as 1470 a.d.,
we are inclined to think that the productions at that period,
and for more than a century afterwards, consisted only of
stoneware of a rude character. The industry which is now
carried on was probably established in 1598 a.d., when
Shimadzu Yoshihisa, Prince of Satsuma, on his return to
Japan from an invasion of the Corea, brought along with him
seventeen celebrated Corean potters, and settled some of them
at Kagoshima, in Satsuma, and others at Chiusa, in the adjoin-

ing province of Osumi, and at a subsequent period brought

them together at the village of Nawashirogawa. These
Coreans, who were accompanied by their families, made
themselves comfortable homes amongst their new friends,
and speedily set to work, experimenting on the various
materials obtainable in their neighbourhood. In the first

instance they made a species of brown pottery, but after

repeated trials, and on the

discovery a white clay in of
the neighbourhood of Nawashirogawa, these ingenious work-
men succeeded, about the year 1630, in producing the
164 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

faience which is now known by the name of Satsuma

ware, and about the same time gold and colours were
first used in the decoration of Satsuma pottery. The
Coreans were, up to a comparatively recent date, kept
entirely distinct from the Japanese population, and they
accordingly retained, to a considerable extent, their native

language and national manners and customs. They were

prohibited from intermarrying with the Japanese, and
did not enjoy the full
rights and privileges of the
natives. The descendants of these Corean potters are

now, under the central government, treated as Japanese

subjects.
The earliest trustworthy examples of Satsuma pottery
which we know to have come to this country are of rather
rude manufacture. One, which is in the possession of James
Walter, Esq., is of a coarse dark-coloured clay, rudely
modelled to imitate basket work, and bearing no indication
of a feeling for art of any kind save that of the most primi-
tive nature. This piece was sent direct from Japan, and is

described as being of considerable antiquity. Another is in the

Bowes Collection, and is an authenticated piece of Satsuma
pottery, which evidently dates anterior to the introduction
of the cream-tinted faience. It is a jar of dark-brown
pottery, partly covered with glaze, and is stated by a
native authority to be one of the tea jars sent in ancient
times, full by the princes of Satsuma,
of choice tea,
as presents to the Mikado's Court at Kioto. This ware
appears to be highly prized and the specimen in question ;

has, at a later period, in all probability, been ornamented

with raised decorations in lacquer, clearly indicating a
value attached to it
beyond that created by any intrinsic
merit it
possessed either as an article of utility or beauty.
It is illustrated in the folio edition of this work, Plate
XIX. These pieces were probably amongst the earliest
efforts of the Corean potters to whom we have referred
above.
It is much to be regretted that, owing to the almost
 SATSUMA. 165

universal absence of marks, and the excessive scarcity of

early examples, impossible to trace the progress of the
it is

manufacture of this interesting ware. do not know of We

more than half a dozen examples which have been identified
as being made in the 17th century. Of these, four are in
the Bowes Collection ; three of them, the figures of two
warriors and a
long-necked bottle, are of fine light-brown
pottery, decorated with dark blue, green, and red enamel
colours and gold they have been recognised by Japanese
;

experts as the earliest productions of the period immediately

following the introduction of gold into Satsuma decoration
in 1630 ;
the fourth example is a water-pot of an exceed-

ingly soft and chalky faience, which is ornamented with a

simple spray of the wistaria, painted in low-toned colours
and gold ;
this piece dates from the close of the 17th

century, and is the earliest piece of faience with which we

are acquainted. In the South Kensington Collection there
are also two pieces of early faience. Examples of the
works produced in the first half of the 18th century are
also exceedingly rare, and we are of opinion that it is only
within the last hundred years that those exquisite specimens
of decoration which have given Satsuma ware its well-
deserved reputation, have been produced. We are, indeed,
told by Japanese connoisseurs that
early it was in the

years of the present century that the greatest perfection of

decoration was attained, and the beauty of several examples
in the Bowes Collection, identified as having been produced
at the factory of the Prince
seventy of Satsuma fifty to

years ago, confirms this view, and we are also told that up
to that time all Satsuma ware was made at the Prince's

factory. Amongst the productions of the Satsuma potters

may also be mentioned a glazed, but undecorated, white
faience, and grey pottery rudely ornamented with
light
designs inlaid in white clay, neither of which merit special
remark.
The ware known as Satsuma faience is of a very light
tint, ranging between greyish white and vellum. The old
l66 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

pieces which have not been much stained by use are usually
of a cold tint. The pate is generally hard and close in
texture, so much so that it be termed a semi-porcelain.
may
The employed in its
clay manufacture is evidently of a very
refractory nature, and therefore capable, under strong heat,
of resisting even a partial fusion. It is covered with a

glaze composed of feldspathic materials and lixiviated wood-

ash, but without the addition of borax or lead. The ware,
after it leaves the drying-sheds, is burnt at a moderate
heat into the "biscuit" state; it then dipped into the
is

glazing composition, and, lastly, fired, at a high tempera-

ture, in the grand oven. On cooling, unequal contraction

takes place between the body and the glaze, and the result
is, that the entire surface becomes covered with a minute
net-work of fine cracks. It has been a matter of wonder
to many why the Japanese should so consistently prefer
ware with crackled glaze
— why, in short, they should elect
to adopt that which is comparison
obviously imperfect, in
with that which European potters have taught us to look
upon as skilful manufacture. There is no reason, however, to
marvel at the fact, for, to any one with true artistic feeling,
the superiority of the broken surface, as a recipient for
coloured decoration, must be obvious. The crackling of the
thin transparent coatings presents countless angles of reflec-
tion and refraction to the light, and, as it were, retains it
within itself, gaining a depth and richness combined. We
can with assurance state, that in the entire range of

Keramic Art there has been no surface produced more

refined in treatment or more adapted to receive,
perfectly
and enhance the value of, coloured decorations, than that
presented by the best specimens of old Satsuma faience.
This faience is called by the Japanese Tsuchi-yaki, signi-
fying clay-ware, or earthenware, to distinguish it from
porcelain.
Several qualities of pate are met with in the Satsuma
manufactures : in some of the pieces it is of intense hard-
ness, with a surface somewhat resembling ivory, covered
 SATSUMA. 167

with a waxy glaze rather boldly crackled. In others all

varieties of hardness and compactness are met with, and

they range from a soft chalky faience to a pate which

closely resembles porcelain.
This variety very materially complicates the task of the
collector in pronouncing on the genuineness of any reputed
specimen of Satsuma faience.
There is still another fact which renders the task of
attempting to classify Japanese Keramic wares a difficult
one to the collector ;
that is, the peculiarity of their
decorations. We are informed that in ancient times it

was a common custom for the

productions of the provincial
potteries to be sent to Kioto, to be decorated by the dis-
tinguished artists there and it is reasonable to suppose
;

that, as the faience produced by the Corean potters in

Satsuma was always highly esteemed throughout Japan,
numerous pieces of the manufacture reached the Kioto studios
in the undecorated state.
The decoration met with on works in Satsuma faience
may be classified under three styles. The first
comprises
simple floral designs, in low toned with gold
colours

sparingly introduced ;
this is met with on the rarest ancient
pieces only. The second consists of diaper work, medal-
lions, and conventional ornamentation, usually executed,
in goodspecimens, with great accuracy and beauty of
colouring, and with a lavish use of gilding, both burnished
and mat, and in this class are found the choicest and
most highly valued examples of the ware. The third com-
prises floral compositions and birds. This is decidedly the
most common of all the styles of decoration, and was at
one time supposed to be the distinguishing characteristic
of Satsuma ware now we know that flowers and birds
;

are common decorations throughout the entire range of

Japanese Keramic Art.

The designs in the best specimens are treated
floral

with great freedom, not overcrowded with detail, and

most artistically disposed and coloured. The colours used
l68 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

are generally low toned, and peculiar dull red enamel,

a
with very little gloss, is frequently introduced. In later
works the floral devices are of the most complex descrip-
tion, and colours of intense richness are employed. It

is not to be understood by our attempt at classification

that the styles are commonly kept distinct, by for such is

no means the case ;

numerous transitional examples are
continually met with, in which two or more of the methods

above described are combined, with a skill peculiar to the

native artists of Japan.
A
ware, of Satsuma faience, has, during
in imitation
the last few years, been manufactured in Ota, a suburb of
Yokohama, by a potter named Kozan, and sometimes it
bears his impressed mark in a gourd-shaped cartouch. The
pate is not so close an imitation as to deceive any one
experienced in Japanese wares but it may be said to generally
;

resemble genuine Satsuma, so far as its external appearance

goes. not so hard as Satsuma usually is, and accord-
It is

ingly is more easily scratched with a steel instrument, or

fractured by a blow. It is usually whiter in tone than the

genuine ware, and is not so minutely or regularly crackled in

its glaze.
We may also mention
examples, in that numerous
the form of vases and hibatchi of important size and beau-
tiful decoration, have been sent to this country during the

last five years as Satsuma ware of great antiquity, accom-

panied by fanciful historical legends they are ornamented ;

with exquisite figure subjects, religious processions, and so

forth, painted in quiet toned enamels, with a free use of
gold, and have an appearance of great age. There is not
the slightest doubt, these pieces are modern
however, that
Tokio work, produced at the factory of Shiba, and although
interesting as specimens of Japanese skill and cunning, they
are in no sense imitations of ancient Satsuma faience, for it

is known that such ware was only made in small pieces,

well
and was never decorated with figure subjects. More recently
still, large quantities of somewhat similar ware, decorated
 SATSUMA. l6g

with figure subjects, but of a very inferior description, have

been received. This ware does not bear the mark of the
maker.
The ignorance of European dealers and the want of
accuracy on thepart of the traders in Japan, have done
much to confuse the popular mind in the West relative
to the Keramic productions of the country, and especially
so with regard to Satsuma faience.
Large quantities of
modern Kioto ware, made by a well-known living potter,
and bearing his impressed mark, are shipped to this country
as Satsuma faience, and sold as such. The dealers in

Japan, knowing that the productions of the Satsuma potteries

are highly esteemed here, and that the generality of buyers
are but little skilled in the subject, forward inferior ware,
made to order or otherwise easily procured, under the name
of Satsuma. The modern Kioto ware to which we have
alluded is, however, easily distinguishable from Satsuma
faience,being of a full buff tint, light and porous in its

body, and covered with a bright glassy varnish, crackled.

 SATSUMA,

PLATE XV.

Oblong Tray, in hard pate of warm buff tint, with crackled

waxy glaze. This specimen of Satsuma faience is in itself a

perfect illustration of the treatment
of flowers, birds, and con-
ventional designs adopted by the Japanese artists in decorative
art works. The colouring throughout is rich and harmonious ;

and, in combination with the gold outline and dot-work, forms

a study well worthy of the careful attention of the European

porcelain painter and decorative artist. The perfect manner

in which this work is represented in the Plate,
interesting
both as regards design and colouring, renders any detailed
description unnecessary, beyond stating that, in addition to
what is shown, a tasteful and appropriate fringe border, in
quiet colours, ornaments the outside of the raised rim. Length
of tray, 15^ inches ; width, 12^ inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.
 =& /
[4 r
in
 x
ETL515rL5TS151S1515TSl5T^1515lSl^^

-
<d

O h3

BJHJ^i^JIBJ^JBraj^JHJcLJHJHJSJHJ^JHJHJSrE
SATS U MA.

PLATE XVI.

I
3 ffi
 -fr 3
*~ri.%- 173 /no
5
SATS U MA.

PLATE XVII.

A
X
 -r\S.

il5
,14-

^r
 SATSUMA.

PLATE XVIII.

A — Seated
Figure, in faience, of light tint, covered with
thin glaze, crackled, and decorated with quiet-toned enamel
colours and gold. The figure represents WU, a very KAN
brave warrior and patriot, who is said to have distinguished
himself in fighting for the restoration of the Chinese dynasty
of Kan. He is usually to be distinguished by the
in art

great length of his beard, which is reputed to have measured

four hands. Height, inches. n
B — Figure of a Goat, standing against the stump of a
tree, in faience. This composition has all the appearance of
having been copied from an European design. The goat is

not a native of Japan, but Kaempfer informs us that both

sheep and goats were kept by the Portuguese and Dutch

at Hirado. Height, 10 inches.
C — Figure
of a Crane at the trunk of a tree, apparently
the pink ume, modelled in light tinted faience, and cleverly
coloured with quiet -toned enamels, and hatched with gold.
Height, 13 inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

Note. — In the folio edition these examples were illustrated as Kioto ware, but they have
since been identified as old Satsuma faience.
 X

otf ^

5 <
 1-7 -^
'-16
kd'
X
 SATSUMA.

PLATE XIX.

DIVISION i . A A— Pair of Vases on stands, with

globular bodies and trumpet necks decorated with flowers,
;

birds, and conventional borders in colours and gold. Height,

13 £ inches. Modern ware.
In the possession of G. A. Audsley, Esq.

B — Vase of hard pate Satsuma, brightly glazed and

crackled decorated with elaborate floral sprays and golden
;

pheasants, and with fret and fringe border round the mouth.
Height, 12 inches. Middle period ware.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

DIVISION 2. A A — Pair of cylindrical Vases on stands,

with elephant head handles, decorated with flowers, birds
z
178 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

and geometrical borders. Modern ware. Height, 16

inches.

B — Vase, of with trumpet neck

globular body, deco- ;

rated with delicate floral designs and with severe bands of

geometrical forms, and deep pendant fringe round neck. The

vase is of hard pate with crackled waxy glaze. Middle
period ware. Height, 13 inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

DIVISION 3. A A— Small Vases, with floral handles,

from which extend sprays of ume in raised work, relieved
with colour. Pate of cold grey tint, with bright glaze,
crackled. Modern ware. Height, 6 inches.
In the possession of Joseph Beck, Esq.

B — Tripod Perfume Burner, surmounted by the Japanese

lion holding the ball. The pate is of light grey tint, deco-
rated with red and gold kiku flowers, slight spray work, and

diaper borders. Late period ware. Height, 11 inches.

In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

DIVISION 4. A — Perforated cylindrical Vase, hard pate,

of warm tint, and covered with bright crackled glaze. The
floral decoration and gold dot-work are of the most beautiful
description. Late period ware. Height, 5 J inches.
In the possession of James Walter, Esq.
 ine-'lf
<^
 SATSUMA. 179

B — Hibachi, in the shape of the Japanese purse of

plenty, and with handles in the form of DaikokiCs hammer.
The decoration is elaborate, and executed in rich colours and
gold. Late period ware. Height, 10 inches.
In the possession of W. J. Audsley, Esq.

C — Vase,
of globular body and cylindrical neck, taste-

fully decorated with flowers and diaper work. The vase is

of hard pate, covered with richly crackled smooth
glaze.
Late period ware. Height, 5 inches.

In the possession of James Walter, Esq.

CREST OF THE PRINCE OF KAGA.
From a Natn* Roll 0/ F/afs.

KAGA.
 KAGA.

Province of Kaga is situated in about a central

on the north-west coast of the island of
THE position
Nippon, or due north of the provinces of Ise and
Owari.
The earliest record of the existence of potteries in
this province to be
Japanese found in
that chronicles is

which states that a factory was established about the 16th

century by Tamora Gonzayemon, a Hizen potter, who made
a ware decorated with dark green, purple and yellow he ;

was assisted by a painter named Kuzumi Morikage. It was

not, however, the year 1650 that the ware decorated
until
with gold upon a red ground, now considered characteristic
of Kaga, was made it was then that Godo Saijiro
;
estab-
lished a kiln at Kutani, where the clay is found from
which the greater part of Kaga pottery is made. Kutani
signifies, literally, the nine valleys, and it is by this name
that the ware generally known. is Of examples produced at
this period few now exist, and the manufacture practically
ceased about the close of the last century.
The oldest examples known to us are two pieces in the
Bowes Collection one of these is the dish illustrated in Plate
;

XXII, and the other a water pot to which we refer below. The
dish is of a semi-faience, of rather crude manufacture, denoting
its early date, decorated with archaic figures and conventional
ornaments in a peculiarly dull red, without any trace of gold or
184 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

metal. It is most difficult, and indeed unadvisable,

anyone, for
with the present limited knowledge of their history, to attempt
to fix dates to Japanese works of art, but we may safely

say that this piece is one of the earliest examples of Kaga

ware, and was fabricated long before the Kutani potters
either attempted to approach the excellence of porcelain in
their pates, or introduced the rich gold ornamentation in
combination with their favourite red. The water pot is also
of a rough semi-faience, but it differs from the dish in its

decoration, forit is painted with the

deep green, purple and
yellow colours associated with the works of Tamora Gonza-

yemon, of which it is said to be an example.

About seventy years ago a kiln was erected at Yamashiro
by a potter named Yoshitaya, who rapidly developed the
trade, and twenty years later the style of painting originated

by Morikage was revived by the artist Shiozo, and it is

probable that the finest examples of ware decorated with

gold outline upon red grounds date from this period. The
manufacture has since been carried on at the towns of Terai
and Kanasawa, as well as at Kutani and Yamashiro.
There is a total absence of works showing the intermediate
steps of progress from the archaic period to the finest old
ware, produced during the early years of the present century,
which first found their way to Europe, through the agency
of the Shogun's Commissioners, for exhibition at Paris in
1867. Since then but few representative specimens have
come from Japan, and at the present time we
are justified
in saying that of all the Keramic productions of Japan,
fine old Kaga ware is the most scarce. Most of the best
early pieces in the hands of collectors may be traced to
the Paris Exhibition, where they were certainly the most
remarkable specimens of the Keramic productions exhibited.
A beautiful example of this period, in possession of
the
H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, is illustrated in Plate XXI.
The pates are hard, and apparently between faience and porce-
lain, in some instances inclining to one and in some instances
to the other. The tone in the choicest examples is of an ivory
 KAGA. I8 5

tint, and the glaze both to the eye and touch.

is soft The deco-
rations are executed in a red of singular depth and refinement
of tone, slightly hatched with gold. The term gold is used
to clearly express the appearance of the metallic application ;

it is, however, not real gold, as the gradual tarnishing of

the surface proves. What the material is has not yet been
ascertained, but it is in all probability one of the
copper alloys
or yellow bronzes for which the Japanese
metallurgists are justly
celebrated. Unlike the true gilding on certain other Japanese
wares, this metallic application appears to be fixed by fire, and
bears continued polishing without showing much injury. It is a

fact well known to collectors that the gold upon the faiences of
Satsuma and Kioto is of a very tender description, and can be
altogether destroyed by anything approaching rough usage.
The next description of ware, of what we may term the
middle period, differs from the preceding in the quality or
variety of its pate, which is of a hard and close-grained
material, very nearly a perfect porcelain ;
it
appears, how-
ever, to have no tendency towards translucency like the fine
porcelains of later works. It was to this period that the

greater number of the Paris Exhibition pieces belonged. The

decorations are of a deep full-toned red, in some instances

approaching a ruddy brown, and richly wrought with gold.

They are
very various in their artistic treatment, though
from the universal use of red and gold a certain monotony
appears to obtain. Overlapping medallions of different shapes,
containing figure-scenes, landscapes, and floral compositions ;

belts composed of continuous figure subjects, or of compart-

ments variously filled up dragons coiling on grounds of
;

minute and laboriously worked spiral-pattern fish and sea- ;

weed on net-work grounds, and conventional and geometrical

designs, are amongst the styles of decoration most frequently
met with. Solid grounds of red, decorated with gold scroll-
work or diaper, are also commonly introduced round the
medallions ;
and leaf-borders are found almost invariably
round the stands of basins and cups. In Plate XXIII we
give several examples of this period.
A A
1 86 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

We now come to the late period ware, which bears

unmistakable evidences of a falling off in artistic excellence.
This, however, is accompanied with greater perfection of
potting and the employment of good porcelain. The red and
gold decorations do not appear so refined and harmonious
on the highly-finished and cold-looking surface of the pure
white pate as they do on the early ivory-tinted materials,
and this probably induced the Kaga artists to introduce an
additional colour —a —
warm brown which appears for the first

time in the late period works. The brown, undoubtedly does

much to the pronounced and rather staring effect of
soften
the red on the pure white, but it altogether destroys the
marvellous richness obtained by the simple use of deep red
and gold on the warm-toned pates. Much of the drawing of
this period is characterised by great dexterity and laboured

accuracy and masses of minute dot-work are distributed over

;

the white grounds, with a view to a softening effect. We

may remark that the dot-work is occasionally met with
in earlier specimens. In addition to those we have above
enumerated, another class of decoration sometimes
appears
on the works of this period it consists of grounds of red;

covered with scrollwork and other designs executed in rather

a solid manner in gold, similar in style to the celebrated
works of Yeiraku, of Kioto. A member of the family of
Yeiraku settled in Kaga about twenty years ago, and proba-
bly introduced this mode of decoration. Pieces are occa-

sionally met with bearing marks signifying Made in Yeiraku

fashion in Kutani.
We are led to understand that porcelain articles, manu-
factured other districts,
in are sent to the Kaga workshops
to be decorated this may
;
account for the fine quality
of much modern of marked Kutani, and some-
the ware
times with an additional inscription giving the painter's name.
Specimens of egg-shell porcelain with Kaga decorations are
also to bemet with, but they rarely present any remarkable
features they are probably of Hizen manufacture sent to
;

to be painted.
 KAGA. 187

Up to this point we
have, for the sake of clearness,
confined our remarks to the wares decorated with the charac-
teristic and gold paintings of Kaga we have now to
red ;

pass a few remarks on what we venture to designate Poly-

chromatic ware, a term which clearly explains the distinctive
nature of the decorations, for they differ from those executed
in red and gold, chiefly in the number and variety of the
coloured enamels introduced. Considerable artistic feeling is
displayed in this branch of Kaga pottery, and much
of the refinement and subdued richness shown is due to
the neutral tones of the pates employed. These are of
the nature of stoneware, fired at a moderate heat, and
covered with feldspathic glazes. The enamels used are

frequently laid on in considerable body, and produce details

in relief which contrast in a highly effective manner with
the flat
painting. A good illustration of this is given in the
complete dish on Plate XXII, which, taken altogether, is

a truly representative specimen of the polychromatic ware,

and shows the several modes of treatment cleverly combined.
A common ware, devoid of artistic interest, is now made at
the factory of Ohi, in the neighbourhood of Kanasawa, which
was established at the close of the seventeenth century the ;

were of the rough and undecorated ware

earlier productions
which was then so greatly in favour for the ceremony of
Chanoyn.

Ik*
KUTANl.
Nine Valleys.

Old Style. New Stylt.

 KAGA.

PLATE XX.

Large Vase of polychromatic ware, elaborately decorated

with conventional designs, and medallions containing figures
and flowers. The lower portion is divided into two zones,
one of which has a pattern, in red, blue and green, of a
severe classic style, and the other a zigzag border of Gothic
treatment above these, the main body of the vase is grounded
;

with red, relieved with masses of interrupted diaper and gold

scrollwork. On ground are placed four overlapping medal-
this

lions, two containing figures, flowers, etc., as shown on the

Plate, and two filled in with conventional clouds and fish-

scale diaper. The principal medallion contains a representa-
tion of the game Kagura, which is much in favour
called
with Japanese children, who go from house to house with
masks of lions, bears and other animals with which they
disguise themselves and amuse their neighbours. At the

starting line of the neck are

cusped compartments
eight
filled with different diaper
patterns and the neck and bell
;

are tastefully enriched with botan flowers, leaves, and gold

scrollwork, and with one of the pendant fringe borders, in

the treatment of which the Japanese artists are so successful.

Height, 20 inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.
PLATE XX.
 A4i i S3 4*1

-c
PLATE XX.
 KAGA.

PLATE XXI.

Basin of early red and gold ware. Careful and minute as

the drawing in the Platescarcely conveys an idea of
is, it

the perfect workmanship of the original. The belt of figures

round the interior of the basin forms one of its most striking
and characteristic features ; but, unfortunately, it has to be
much foreshortened in the representation, and accordingly
loses in effect. The narrow border above the figures is

ornamented with flying cranes ;

and the medallion in the
bottom is with tortoises, disporting themselves in water.
filled

Chimerical animals amidst clouds, and compartments contain-

ing cranes, decorate the exterior of this interesting piece.
The whole decoration is executed in the deep red only
met with in the finest quality of Kaga ware, and is richly
wrought with gold. Diameter, gj inches. Height, 4J inches.
In the possession of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh.
 1"
rmp.Pirmin-Didot & C
:

Durin kth

PLATE XXL
 7 ~~??

0\
(\(j~
[;,:• F rrn

PLATE XXI.
 KAGA.

PLATE XXII,

A — Large Dish of polychromatic ware. This example is

thoroughly representative of the highest class of this ware. In

design and in the arrangement of the decorative features it is

strictlyJapanese and, indeed, more characteristic of native

;

art than are the

generality of the red and gold works. The
coloured enamels used are brilliant in tint, and are laid on
with great body, so much so as to impart a decided relief to
the ornamentation this is particularly the case with the white
;

enamel, the high relief of which is cleverly represented by

our artist.
The pate, drab in tint, is apparently a sort of stoneware,
covered with a thin bright varnish, and the entire colouring
is over the
glaze. The ornamentation, which consists of an
irregularly-shaped medallion containing fighting cocks and
bold masses of flowers, and of marginal spaces covered with

diaper work, is in every respect characteristic of Japanese

ig2 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

art, and is executed in the free and untrammelled style

peculiar to the artists of Japan. Diameter, 16 inches.

B — Large
Dish of ancient ware, of rather crude manu-
facture, and decorated with archaic figures and conventional
ornaments in dull red only. This is an interesting piece,
being a well-preserved and important specimen of the oldest
Kaga ware with which we have met. This example is referred
to at length in our chapter upon Kaga wares. Diameter,
17 inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.
 j4-P + / f

'«?- 193
 x

IMMMBBBMI
 KAGA.

PLATE XXIII.

DIVISION i . A— Cover of a Rice Dish, of the finest

middle period red ware ;
decorated on the exterior with medal-
lions of flowers in red and gold, irregularly disposed on a
ground of gold, relieved with scrollwork in red. On the
inside is a
figure scene, in brilliant enamel colours. Diame-
ter, g inches. The dish is decorated in a similar manner.
B — Cover of a Rice Dish, of middle period polychro-
matic ware. The ground is red, with gold scrollwork pattern,
and the irregularly disposed medallions are filled in with
humorous figures, and flowers, birds, &c, executed in
colours upon white grounds. On the inside of the cover is
a grotesque figure subject drawn in colours. Diameter, io£
inches. The dish is treated in a similar way to the cover.

In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

b B
194 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

DIVISION 2. A — Covered Jar, of middle period ware,

soft pate, elaborately decorated with deep red and gold. The
medallions or panels round the body are filled with landscapes,
flowers and birds. The bands above and below are of diaper
work. The lid is partially covered
green and black
with

sparkling lacquer, leaving a centre panel of the ware decorated

with kiku flowers, in red and gold. The handle is in the form
of a fir cone. Height, 7J inches.
B — Dishof middle period ware, soft pate, decorated with
a centre subject, of a poetess surrounded by priests and kuge,
in colours, with a margin of red, relieved by gold scrollwork,
and containing four medallions of scenery. On the under-
side of the rim are fifteen medallions of birds, animals,
flowers and trees, upon a clouded red ground. Diameter, 15
inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

C — Bottle of middle period ware, soft pate, decorated

with red and gold. The designs are of a conventional nature,
with the exception of the medallions, which are filled with

landscapes and figures. Height, 10J inches.

In the possession of Ernest Beck, Esq.

!
X
X
g
 *H /9S

/4</-/9fT
X
X
 KAGA. 195

are four medallions containing figures. The whole is executed

in deep red and gold. Diameter, 9 inches.
B — Bowl of early ware; soft pate, decorated with vari-
ously shaped medallions, containing landscapes, in red and
gold. Diameter, 8f inches.
C — Bowl of early ware, hard pate, beautifully decorated

internally with zones of red and gold and white and red, '

upon which are disposed circular medallions of various sizes,

filled with figures, flowers and animals.
in Externally it is
ornamented with medallions of figures, and flowers and bands
of delicate diaper work, upon a ground of bright red scrolled
with gold. Diameter, 9 inches.
D — Bowl of early ware, hard pate, decorated with flowers
and figures in red and gold. Diameter, 9 inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

DIVISION 4 . Pair of Dishes, of the finest middle

period ware, soft pate, red and gold Kaga ware, very boldly
crackled. The decorations are taken from a temple scene
or religious dance, and are manipulated in the most careful
manner. The clouds are rendered by minute red dot- work.
Diameter, 14 inches.
In the possession of Ernest Beck, Esq.
THE KIKU CREST OF THE MIKADO.

KIOTO.
 KIOTO.

the student of Oriental Art the City of the Mikados

TO must ever remain invested with a peculiar charm

it

from
must always be a centre of profound
;

interest to

him, for it
sprang the poetical and artistic inspiration
which formed the basis of the national art an art which, —
as we have before remarked, stands distinct from that of

any other Oriental people. In looking upon Kioto from this

point of view we merely follow the Japanese, who have

evidently held it as the centre from which all national enter-

prises must motion, and around which they

receive their
must revolve in the general order of things. In our Essay
on Keramic Art we gave a quotation from Kaempfer, in
which he speaks of Kioto in a manner which clearly points
to it as the heart of the empire, active and impulsive, sending
its thoughts and creations through all the great arteries of
the country. There is scarcely a house in the streets in
which there not something bought or sold it is the great
is ;

magazine of all Japanese manufactures and commodities, and

the chief mercantile town in the empire. Such is the strain
in which Kaempfer speaks of the capital of and such
his day,
it was centuries before, as it unquestionably has been since,
his time.
To describe the Art of Kioto fully is to write an
exhaustive dissertation on the Art of Japan and to enlarge ;

adequately upon the Keramic Art of that city is practically

to leave but little to be said about its development elsewhere.
200 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

Unfortunately we are not yet perfectly familiar with the art-

wealth of Kioto, for it is only recently that it has been at
all accessible to Europeans, and as yet no native books (if

such exist) have been translated which would give us accurate

information concerning the artists and artistic productions of
this interesting city during its best days.
There can be little question that Kioto is one of the
oldest seats of the potter's art in Japan and the earliest
;

efforts of its artisans, of course, like the first works of all

nations, would be in clay, baked in rudely constructed ovens ;

but both hopeless and useless for us to go back many cen-

it is

turies to such a beginning, with a view to trace the development

of the potter's art in the country. Centuries before the art
of porcelain making was introduced into Japan, there is no
reasonable doubt that pottery was thoroughly understood and
practised for the purpose of furnishing articles for domestic
use ;
and in of the Imperial Court and the
Kioto, the seat
centre of religion, philosophy, and the arts, we may naturally
conclude that the potter's art was not allowed to confine
itself tothe construction of water pots and cooking vessels
devoid of form and decoration, but was called upon to pro-
duce articles of beauty and luxury for courtly and religious
ceremonial. True it is that little effort appears to have been
made to furnish the palace of the Mikado with rare and
choice services. The religious laws enacted that the Mikado,
whom one could scarcely look upon and live, should never
eat or drink twice from the same vessel, and that when once
used it should immediately be destroyed. Speaking of this

custom, Kaempfer says

— " His
victuals must be dressed every
time in new pots, and served at table in new dishes both ;

are very clean and neat, but made only common

of clay,
that, without any considerable
expense, laid they may be
aside or broke after they have served once. They are gene-
rally broke, for fear they should come into the hands of

laymen, for they believe religiously that if any layman should

presume to eat his food out of these sacred dishes it would
swell and inflame his mouth and throat."
 KIOTO. 20I

Notwithstanding this custom obtaining at the Dairi, or

Court of the Emperor, we have no reason to suppose that
the Kuge or nobles in any way followed the extravagance
set forth in the breaking of all vessels once used, or the
humility in having vessels of the commonest description at
their History supplies us with numerous instances
tables.
where wealthy nobles vied with, or even surpassed, the Court
of their reigning Sovereigns in grandeur and luxury and ;

such was no doubt frequently the case in Kioto, notwith-

standing sumptuary laws, and prescribed ceremonies
strict

for all occasions. Customs similar to those followed at the

Court of the Mikado appear to have existed in other nations.
Prescott, in his history of " The Conquest of Peru," says :
—
" No
garment or utensil that had once belonged to the
Peruvian Sovereign could be used by another. When he
laid it aside, it was carefully deposited in a chest kept for
the purpose, and afterwards burned. It would have been

sacrilege to apply to vulgar uses that which had been con-

secrated by the touch of the Inca."

Although definite instructions were given that every

vessel used by the Mikado was to be immediately broken,
and notwithstanding the common belief referred to by
Kaempfer as to the danger of using this ware, some of the
consecrated pieces escaped destruction, and became the
prized possessions of those who looked upon their Emperor
as the son of heaven.
We have already quoted Kaempfer's remarks, wherein
he assures us that the dishes and other articles in use at
Kioto were very clean and neat, but made of common clay ;

he, however, does not vouchsafe any further particulars,

for lack of which we are left to grope about amidst all
the specimens of Japanese Keramic Art which have reached
us, in the hope of meeting, by dint of comparison and deduc-
tion, with something which may prove to be the Imperial
ware. It would be presumptuous to be dogmatic in this
matter, for we have absolutely no authentic information ; yet
perhaps we may say that, in our opinion, our search has
c c
202 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

not been altogether fruitless. We discovered two small

sake bottles of clean make, of common clay, and decorated
simply with the kiku crest of the Mikado, painted in

black outline. These, we at once presumed, were the

vessels used at the Emperor's table, and having since proved
them to be Kioto ware, and having failed to discover any
further specimens of like manufacture, we have reason to

fancy our surmise is correct. These two bottles are in the

Bowes Collection.

Yamashiro, the province in which Kioto is situated, was

one of the five in which history records that pottery was
made as early as the century, but the
fifth first kiln we find
named is that established named Ameya,
by a potter,
who came from the
Corea, and settled in Kioto in 1550,
a.d. ;
he originated the manufacture of Raku ware, which,
although not in itself at all beautiful, is highly interesting
from its association with the ceremony of Chanoyu, or tea-
drinking, which is one of the observances peculiar to Japan,
and so characteristic of the nation. We are indebted to a
report issued by the Japanese Government for the following
account of this interesting ceremony, and although the subject
has been referred to cursorily in our Introductory Essay, we
venture to give this fuller description :
—
" Ever since the earliest of its cultivation tea
periods
has been very highly esteemed in Japan, on account of its
beneficial effects on the mind and body of man, and soon
became one of the necessaries of life, as well as the indispen-
sable accessory of any friendly gathering. It is immediately

offered to welcome the visitor in any Japanese house, and

from morning to night everything is kept ready for its prepa-
ration. As it possesses no intoxicating properties, it consti-
tutes the most suitable beverage for a quiet party, whose
members desire to unite in peaceful and intimate conversa-
tion. From the ceremony of Chanoyu tea may even be said
to have had a certain influence in history. The Shogun
Yosi-Massa, who was in power from 1443 to 1473, a.d.,
having succeeded in establishing peace, instituted the custom
 KIOTO. 203

of assembling small parties of friends, and framed certain

rules concerning the etiquette to be observed on such
occasions, in order to avoid all excitement, and to bring
people into as close relations with one another as possible.
At a later custom was especially favoured by
period this

Hideyoshi, (otherwise called Taiko Sama), who lived from

1536- 1598, a.d., whose personal friend and follower, Rikiu,
amended the rules framed by Yosi-Massa, and established
the ceremonial which is still observed at these parties. At
first they were held on a veranda, facing some retired
corner of the garden, and the space where the guests sat was
enclosed by screens. The number of guests to be present
on such occasions was fixed at the celestial number of five ;

and consequently the space required was limited to three

mats, each six feet by three feet. Afterwards particular rooms
of similar size, or separate spaces in larger rooms, were set

apart for the purpose. A small garden, arranged so as to

resemble as closely as possible a natural landscape, giving an
idea of peacefulness and seclusion, constitutes the scenery

indispensable for the ceremony. When the guests assemble,

the house is kept entirely quiet, the servants are all sent

away, and the master of the house himself waits upon the
guests and prepares the tea. The room is without any kind
of ornament, with the exception of a scroll of silk, on which
some sentence is written in large characters, and which is
suspended on the wall. The guests leave their swords out-
side and after they have been welcomed by the master of
—
;

the house, he brings in all the utensils required the bag of

charcoal, the fire-pot, tea-kettle, etc. Whilst he is preparing

the tea, with boiled the previous day, the
water already
guests are allowed to inspect the various implements, namely,
the box containing perfumes, to be thrown on the fire, the

tea-bowls, etc., which are often things presented to the

owner, as a reward for some meritorious action. The tea
used is in powder, and is prepared both as a thick and
a thin beverage. The bowl out of which all the guests
drink is merely of common pottery. Old earthenware of
204 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

unknown imported from Manilla or Siam, was highly

origin,
valued, and similar utensils, named raku, were manufactured
for the same purpose. This kind of vessel is still used, and
foreigners are often surprised to find in shops such rough-
in beautiful
looking articles, surrounded by rich silk brocades,
boxes. When the thick beverage has been served to the guests,
the bowl is handed around, and care is taken that it should
not come around empty to the last guest. The symbolical
meaning of this ceremony is, that during the party a perfect
equality, without distinction of rank, prevails amongst
the

guests, and that they are united in perfect harmony

and
friendship. Afterwards the thin beverage is served out and ;

in this case each guest empties the bowl and hands it back
to the master, who refills it for the next person. The con-
versation, according to the rules, may only have reference
to the ceremony itself any departure from truth, even
;

flatteries, must be avoided, and the guests must enter the

house with a pure heart and a sincere mind. It is to be
supposed that Taiko Sama, when he attached such great
importance to these tea parties, had in view the object of
awakening more peaceful sentiments in the minds of the

gentle class of people, who had for a long time been accus-
tomed only to struggles ;
and also to bring together persons
of different factions, under circumstances which would remove
all new discord. It may also be noticed that he
causes of
very shrewdly made use of the peculiar utensils used at
these ceremonial tea parties for rewarding meritorious actions,
instead of giving more substantial presents, in the shape of
land or treasures. The importance of the ceremony of the

Chanoyu has been somewhat diminished however, ;

it still

occasionally takes place, and special teachers instruct those

interested in the ceremonies and manipulations, which are

strictly prescribed, even down to the smallest details."

It is reported that shortly after Ameya settled at Kioto
he changed his name
Sasaki Sokei, and, assisted by his
to
son, Tanaka Chojiro, produced tea-bowls and other articles
which are now called These wares
Kiyo-yaki d'lmaraku.
 KIOTO. 205

were so highly esteemed by the hero Taiko Sama, that he

gave to the son of Sasaki a gold seal, upon which was
engraved the character Raku, signifying enjoyment, and directed
him to impress it upon each piece which he made it is from ;

this circumstance that the ware takes its name. For eleven
generations the family have pursued the manufacture of this
ware, but as the second Chojiro lost the seal given by Taiko
Sama, each maker has used a stamp of his own one of ;

them, Tanniu, the tenth in descent, received a seal from the

Prince of Kii, and there has, no doubt, been some slight
difference in those used by each succeeding generation for ;

instance, we find on some examples the character surrounded

by a single circle, whilst on others a double circle is used.
The names of the eleven generations are as follows :
— 1.

Chojiro. 2. Chojiro. 3. Nonko. 4. Ichiniu or Sahei. 5.

Soniu. 6. Saniu. 7. Choniu. 8. Tokoniu. g. Riyoniu. 10.

Tanniu. 11. Kichizayemon, who is now living.

This ware is of greater interest from an archaeological
point of view than from an artistic one ;
it is in nearly all

cases rudely potted by hand, and is made of coarse earthen-

ware, or stoneware, each piece being baked separately and
covered with monochrome glazes, in the composition of which
lead frequently used.
is The great charm which the Chajin,
or connoisseur in the ceremony of tea drinking, finds in the
ware is the softness and smoothness of the glaze, and the
pleasant flavour which tea has when drunk out of it it ;

has also the property of keeping fluids hot. Few objects

are produced except those which are used in the ceremony,
namely, tea-bowls, dishes, napkin-stands, and similar articles,
but in Plate XXVI we have been able to illustrate a
perfume-burner in the form of a boat, a bottle and also

two tea-bowls. Raku is occasionally covered with lacquer,

and it is made in other places than in Kioto, namely, in
Kaga, Tokio, Owari, and Setsu, but none of these produc-
tions merit special remark.
The production of artistic pottery in Kioto was ori-
ginated by Nonomura Ninsei, who established himself at
206 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

Kioto, about 1650 a.d., and constructed kilns at various

places in the neighbourhood ;

he used clay brought from
districts in the amongst which may
vicinity, be mentioned
Shigaraki, in the province of Omi, and he also originated
the manufacture of faience in Awata, a district in the
eastern part of Kioto. The productions of Ninsei occupy
the foremost placeamongst the works of the Japanese potter.
Few examples have come to Europe, and all these are small
in size, and in the form of tea-bowls, small boxes, and
other articlesused in the ceremony of Chanoyu, or for the
purpose of containing incense or perfumes. Amongst the
examples in the Bowes Collection is an incense box of
faience, covered with a black leather-like glaze, of singularly
soft texture, upon which are displayed the two Imperial crests,

rendered in whiteenamel, outlined in gold, and also a tea-

bowl of the same material partially covered with a similar
glaze,and decorated with a band of geometrical ornamenta-
tion coloured enamels.
in Specimens are also to be found
in the interesting collection of pottery presented by Mr.
A. W. Franks to the British Museum, and in the South

Kensington Museum. Clever imitations of Ninsei ware were

made during the first half of the eighteenth century by
Shisui Kenzan, at the Narutaki kiln, and these also are
much prized by the Japanese, and have always been esteemed
by the Chajin. Modern imitations abound, and are chiefly
in the form of tea-bowls, with a nick cut out of the
rim at the foot. They are made of a red-brown pottery,
partially covered with glaze, and decorated with numerous
figures
— in some instances with groups of ancient philoso-
phers, and in others with bands of boys playing with
a gigantic snowball. All the pieces of this class which bear
the impressed mark of Ninsei are modern forgeries, and
indeed Japanese experts inform us that all such ware decorated
with figures has been made for export.
Prior to the beginning of the present century the porce-
lain produced in Kioto was inferior in quality to that made
in Hizen and Owari. In 1670 Otowaya Kurobe carried on
 KIOTO. 207

this branch of manufacture at Chawangaha de Higashi yama,

in the province of Yamashiro ;
later on,
1750, the potters
in
who were engaged in the districts of Kiyomidzu and Gojozaka,
in Kioto, commenced the manufacture of porcelain, and in 1800
severalpotters, including Takahashi Dohachi, Waka Kitei,
and Midzu Koshi Yosobe, began to make Sometsuke, in imita-
tion of the Hizen and Owari wares, from clay brought
from Idsumi yama, in the former province. Considerable
progress has since then been made, and we are informed
that there are now twenty-one kilns in operation in the
districts named, fifteen being in Gojozaka and six in

Kiyomidzu.
The articles produced are chiefly of small size ; indeed,
we have not seen any example exceeding eighteen inches
in height, affording in thismarked contrast to the
respect a
gigantic size of the pieces produced in Hizen and Owari,
amongst which are vases measuring seven to eight feet in
height they consist of vases, plates, hibatchis, tea sets and
;

other articles for domestic use. Up to recent times the

makers, with one or two exceptions, contented themselves
with decorating their porcelain in blue, and gained a high
reputation by the freedom and grace of their drawing, and
the beauty and purity of the cobalt colour employed.
Amongst those who now produce this ware are Shimidzu
Shichibei,Shimidzu Rokuzo, Shimidzu Dohachi, Shimidzu
Kisui, Shimidzu Bumppei, Kanzan Denshichi, Seifu Yohei,
Mashimidzu Zoroku and Maruya Sahei. Of late years,
however, coloured enamels have been introduced in the
decoration of this porcelain, but not always with a satis-

factory result. To this, however, the works of Yeiraku, of

Gojozaka, afford a striking contrast, for whether we look
at his porcelain decorated with coloured enamels, his

Sometsuke, his pottery, or his faience, we find all to be

worthy of unqualified admiration. The present representa-
tive of the family is named Tokusen Yeiraku, the thirteenth
in descent from Zengoro, the founder of the family and
the inventor of the special processes which have been used
208 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

by his descendants, and his productions are said to rival

the finest efforts of his predecessors.

The name of Yeiraku was assumed by Riozen, of the
tenth generation, who, in 1800, discovered a method of
imitating the ancient works of the Chinese keramic artists,

especially those which were decorated with patterns of gold

upon a ground of bright red. The beauty of his produc-
tions excited the admiration of a member of the Tokugawa

family, who gave to Riozen the name of Yeiraku, which

signifies perpetual enjoyment, and this cognomen was hence-
forward assumed as the family name. He called his most
characteristic decoration, that in gold and red, Kinrande,
which name is derived from the word kinran, signifying
gold brocade ; just as Nishikide, already referred to as the
name for porcelain painted in many colours in Hizen, is
derived from nishiki, meaning andrich silk in flowers
various colours. But Kinrande is one only of the numerous
beautiful styles of decoration practised by the Yeiraku family,
who make porcelain, faience, and pottery, all of which are
distinguished by beauty of workmanship. Several examples
are illustrated in Plates and XXVI. XXV family also The
deserve the credit of having improved the productions of the

Kaga and Owari factories, for the father of the present repre-
sentative in Kioto went first to Kaga and afterwards to Owari,
with the view of educating the painters in those provinces and ;

we are told that the beautiful red, named Bengara, which

gives the charm to the best Kaga painting, and which is

used in the kinrande decoration, was introduced into Japan

from China by the eleventh Zengoro.
Although our information about the other productions
of the Kiyomidzu and Gojozaka districts is neither very
abundant nor very definite, we may refer to the figures
made by Takahashi Dohachi, about which there
1820, of
are a few examples in the South Kensington Museum and
in the Bowes Collection ; they generally of faience,
are

painted in bright colours, and are modelled with infinite skill

and humour ;
in stoneware also his work is equally clever,
 KIOTO. 20g

and a figure of Girogin, in this material, is illustrated in

Plate XXXII. Imitations of the Kinrande work of Yeiraku
are now made by Kanzan Denshichi, and many of the

specimens in the possession of collectors, and attributed to the

former, are the work of Kanzan, who also decorates porce-

lain with designs gold in upon a dull brown ground, in

imitation of inlaid metal.

We think we may safely conclude that the curious

examples of the potter's art, distorted into the most fanciful

shapes, and enamelled in the most eccentric fashion, which
occasionally find their way from Japan to this country,
emanated from the Kiyomidzu and Gojozaka factories and ;

we can easily picture the scene, which has frequently had

its parallel in the West, in which a dandy of Kioto,
wearied with ever-recurring pleasures, finds a few moments'
enjoyment in examining and purchasing some unusually
malformed and otherwise unique piece of pottery which
has been handed to him by the self-complacent and lucky
artist.

We now turn to the productions of the district of

Awata, where, as we have already said, the manufacture of

faience was originated by Ninsei in 1650, and where, as we
know, it still flourishes. It is from this district that the
immense quantities of faience have been sent with which,
during the last ten or twelve years, the western markets
have been flooded, and although its distinctive character-
istics becoming well understood, we fear that much
are
of the ware treasured by European collectors as Satsuma
is really only Awata faience ; during the earlier years of

our communication with Japan, when the true Satsuma

ware was Europe, and so highly appreciated by
sent to

connoisseurs, merchants, finding the supply exhausted, sent

forward Awata ware under the name of Satsuma. But it
the two
is now very easy for us to distinguish between
wares, for Satsuma is somewhat roughly potted, and is

hard and rather whilst

generally of a greyish-white body,
the faience of Awata is most carefully manipulated, is of
DD
2IO KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

a fine and soft texture, a warm cream or pale yellow tint,

and is covered with a thinner and more minutely crackled
glaze than that applied to Satsuma ware.
The older examples of Awata
generally in faience are
the form of hibatchi, tea-bowls, perfume boxes, and small
articles of a similar character, which are decorated with

simple ornamentation, such as the Imperial or other crests,

and delicate scroll and leaf work. The modern produc-
tions, notably those which have been made for foreign
markets, are more
profusely decorated, being painted with
floral and conventional designs, storks, tortoises, and birds,
and symbols of various kinds, in gold and enamel colours,
flat and raised, often in gaudy tints these are generally ;

in the form of vases, dishes, and figures and the most ;

recent examples of the shape of plates and tea

all are in
services for
European domestic use.
The manufacture is at present carried on by ten or
twelve families, who each have their own kiln, and work
alone ;
and said that they still follow the processes
it is

of their ancestors in the preparation of the faience and the

glaze. The principal makers are Kin Kozan, sometimes
called Nishiki Kozan, Tanzan, and Hozan, who are
descendants of the original potters, and Taizan, Iwakurazan,
Matsmoto and Tsuji.
The foreign demand has been almost exclusively supplied
by Taizan, Tanzan, and Kin Kozan, and to some extent
by Matsmoto and Tsuji, but it is the first-named three
makers who continue to send forward immense supplies of
the commonest ware, manufactured expressly for export.
Earlier andexamples of finer the productions of these
manufacturers are by no means unknown in the cabinets
of collectors, and some of these are illustrated in our Work ;

the hibatchi in Plate XXIV made by Taizan

was the ;

large flower jars in Plate XXVII were made by Kozan ;

these were painted in Kioto, and in the same Plate ware

of more modern manufacture is also illustrated.
It is not at all unusual for the Awata potters to send
 KIOTO. 211

their productions to Tokio for decoration examples of this ;

are shown in the basin in Plate XXIV, and in various

specimens in Plate XXVII.
Our remarks up to this point have had reference to the
cream-tinted faience, which is the most generally known of
Awata wares western countries, but we have every reason
in
to suppose that a great variety of other wares were and are
still made there, and some of these we have been able to
illustrate in Plate XXV, amongst which may be seen a
vase, made by Taizan, of elegant form, covered with designs
in gold, upon a brown ground, resembling inlaid work of
that metal there ;
is also a water-pot formed of clay of a
close-grained quality, covered with floral ornamentation in
highly relieved enamels, or, we should rather say, the grounds
are enamelled in relief, leaving the scrollwork and flowers
sunk, or as if they were incised in the ware this vessel is ;

the work of Kozan, and is evidently of considerable age.

Numerous other varieties of the earlier works of the Awata
potters might have been illustrated had the space at our
command permitted.
Of the productions of Iwakurazan, Hozan, and of the
other manufacturers we cannot speak with
in this district,

any authority, because so few of their works have come

before us we may, however, remark that we have seen
;

examples of faience covered with lacquer, and others coated

with patterns formed by metal cloisons, the interstices being
filled in with soft enamel pastes and we may also say that
;

of all the Awata potters the only one who produces porce-
lain is Tanzan, but his efforts in this direction lack the

vigour displayed in the more legitimate branch of his trade,

faience, and are not of sufficient importance to call for special
mention.
 KIOTO.

PLATE XXIV.

A — Hibatchi of faience, manufactured by Taizan of

Awata, and decorated there. The pate is of a warm cream

colour, of fine quality, and covered with a bright glaze,
crackled. This piece is decorated with powderings of the
Imperial kiku and kiri crests, in red, buff, and white, and
flowers and leaves, upon a ground pattern of scroll work,
somewhat similar in treatment to that introduced in ancient
Japanese cloisonne enamels. Height, 8£ inches.
B — Basin, of Awata ware, exhibited by the Japanese
Commissioners at the Vienna Exhibition. It is of fine

cream-tinted faience, covered with a bright glaze, crackled.

The decoration of this piece is highly interesting, displaying
the taste and skill of the native artists in grotesque. The
subject is one for which it is difficult to find an expressive
name ;
it
appears to represent a mythical warfare between
214 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

the dragon of the deep and the fishes and other marine
creatures, conspicuous amongst which the terrible octopus,
is

brandishing a weapon with its pliant tentacles.\ All the fishes

are clothed in rich garments, and carry spears or other
weapons, and each has a characteristic expression given to
it
by the artist. It is to be regretted that the whole of this
conception could not be given on the plate, and that so
little of it, indeed, could be shown distinctly. The entire
painting is carefully executed, and the colouring is at once
rich and harmonious. On it an inscription stating that
is

it was painted by Hoyen Matsumoto, of Tokio. Diameter,

12^ inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.
Imp. Firmin-Didot St C ie Paris

Bauer, lith

PLATE XXIV.
 4- vr/
/r

4r- 3lW\-zi£
Imp. Firmin-Didot & C ie Paris
Bauer, lith

PLATE XXIV.
 KIOTO.

PLATE XXV.

A — Small Koro of Kioto faience, made by Yeiraku ;

decorated with Chinese ornament in relief, filled in with

pink, brown, purple, and cold blue enamel colours. The
cover is surmounted with a rather quaintly modelled Japanese
lion, in yellow and green. Height, 8£ inches.
B —Vase of faience, made by Taizan the pate is of
;

a dark brown tint, somewhat resembling old iron, and the

principal decorations consist of diaper patterns and medallions,
containing fruit and foliage, executed in fine gold and silver
linework, doubtless in imitation of the ancient Japanese inlaid
ironwork. The
otherwise heavy effect of this treatment is
skilfully relieved by the delicate inlaid white lines on the
neck, and the sparing introduction of red and green ornaments
on the upper and lower portions. Height, 10 inches.
—
C Water-pot of unglazed faience, of a dark brown tint,
made by Kin Kozan. The decorations of this beautiful piece
consist of conventional scrollwork and flowers of bold design,
executed in raised enamels and cream-coloured lines. The
effect is most refined and pleasing. Height, 6J inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.
 X
ft}

a t
 / ^ 7** J

-
P-H ?X\ *
X
X
X
X
 -> ,a -?*<(

. xnB
HHHMHHHHBM
 KIOTO.

PLATE XXVI.

DIVISION i . A—Perfume burner, modelled in the form

of a boat, of old Kioto Raku ware, decorated with blue,
green, yellow, and purple enamels. Length, y% inches.
B — Tea-bowlof the choicest old Kioto Raku ware, of

irregular form, covered with a soft green glaze, speckled, as

shown. This is a specimen of the old bowls so highly prized
by the Chajin for use in the ceremony of Chanoyu. It has
been pronounced by a native collector to be an example of
all that is good and perfect in Raku ware, and it is stated

that such a piece would have realised 700 yen (about £140)
when the ceremony of Chanoyu was in the height of its
popularity. It bears the impressed stamp of the Chojiro

family. Diameter, 4^ inches.

C —Tea-bowl of old Kioto Raku ware, roughly manipu-
lated, covered with a warm brown glaze, speckled and decorated
with white storks, drawn with a few telling brush strokes.
Diameter, 3^ inches.
E E
2l8 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

B
A
DC ] A

DIVISION 2. A A— Small cup of the choicest porcelain,

made by Yeiraku, shown in two positions, exterior and interior.

The exterior is painted with under-glaze blue of the greatest

intensity and purity ;

and the interior has a central medallion
of the same colour, surrounded with Chinese scrollwork in

deep red and gold. This exquisite specimen is inscribed

with six characters in " made by Yeiraku,
gold, signifying
in Great Japan." Diameter, 2f inches.
B — Tea-bowl of grey pate, made by Yeiraku; boldly
decorated with leaves, in dull red and brown, artistically

disposed on the exterior, and carried over the rim into the
interior in the manner resorted to by the Japanese artists.

Diameter, 5J inches.
C — Tea-bowl of light fawn-coloured faience, made by
Yeiraku, decorated with simple conventional ornamentation,
executed in black. Diameter, 4 inches.
D — Vase of Raku ware, splashed with green and decorated
with a dragon incised in gold. Made by Kiuraku. Height,
7! inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.
Jt —
~>
/<?
X
X
w
X
X
ft!
 KIOTO.

PLATE XXVII.

DIVISION i. A A — Covered jars, of fine quality

faience, tastefully and artistically decorated with ume trees
and bamboos in low-toned colours. The drawing is charac-
terised by great freedom of execution. The upper part of
the jars and the sides of the covers are painted with
diaper work borders. These beautiful pieces bear painted
marks showing that the ware was manufactured by Tanzan,
of Kioto, and decorated in Tokio by Chogetsu. Height,
y\ inches.
In the possession of Enoch Harvey, Esq.

B — Vase of faience, of cream colour, and covered

with a thin varnish, minutely crackled. The decoration is

richer in colour than that of the previously described jars,

and is executed in a more minute and laboured manner.
Highly raised enamels are introduced in the larger flowers.
The birds are skilfully depicted, and the conventional orna-
220 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

mentation round the base and neck well designed.

is This
piece bears the impressed seal of Taizan of Kioto, and
an inscription in red, stating it to have been painted in
Tokio. Height, uf inches.

In the possession of G. A. Audsley, Esq.

DIVISION 2. A A — Flower
cream tinted faience, jars of
artistically painted with boys and cows and with flowering
trees. Flat enamels are for the most part used, the flowers
of the trees only being raised. Round the bottom edges
of the jars is a broad diaper work band in colours and gold.
The mark on these pieces states them to be made by
Kozan of Kioto. Height, n inches.

B B — Tall flower jars of fine quality faience, of a

delicate cream or vellum tint, and covered with an even
waxy glaze, minutely crackled. A very unusual treatment
is observable in the bodies of these pieces, the surface of
which is kneaded, as it and
were, all over, left undulating,
apparently for the purpose of producing an effect of light
and shade. Upon this artistic groundwork are raised
branches of trees and circular flowers. Hanging from a
main branch in each jar is a monkey in relief, grotesquely
treated, with an unnaturally elongated arm. Bold masses
of flowers and gold clouds make up the decoration. The
effect of the whole
composition is novel and most pleasing.
These pieces are amongst the best specimens of this ware
we have met with, and bear the impressed seal of Kozan.
Height, 15 inches.

In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

 KIOTO. 221

DIVISION 3. A A — Figures of man and woman in

the ordinary costume of Japan, of common Awata faience,
painted with colours. Height, 10J and g£ inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

B B — Flower jars of faience, decorated in rather a

rough style with bamboos The enamels used
and birds.
are light green, dark green, brown, and grey. Some of
the leaves are in gold. Made by Taizan. Height, 11
inches.
In the possession of T. F. Grimsdale, Esq., M.D.

DIVISION 4. A A — Bottles of cream tinted faience,

treated on the surface like the flower jars (B B Division 2)
before described. These are boldly decorated, and of the
modern Kioto manufacture produced to meet the demands
of the exporters. Made by Kozan. Height, 12 inches.

In the possession of R. Phene Spiers, Esq.

B — Figure of a Court Lady, in fine vellum tinted

faience, with crackled glaze. This characteristic piece is

elaborately decorated with coloured

enamels and gold ;
the

various portions of the robes are covered with rich floral

222 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

and diaper designs artistically wrought, no doubt representing

the silk and gold brocades worn by titled personages in

Japan. This is a perfect specimen of middle period Kioto

faience. Height, 13^- inches.

In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

CREST OF THE PRINCE OF OWARI.
From a Native Roll o/ Flags.

OWARI.
 OWARI.

records that Pottery was made in the

province of Owari in the year 920 a.d., but it is
TRADITION
not until early in the thirteenth century that we
find any definite information on the It was then
subject.
that the factories which still exist at the town of Seto were
established, and it
may fairly be assumed that the industry
attained important proportions, for the word
Setomono,
meaning articles made at Seto, has been accepted throughout
Japan as the general term for all kinds of pottery.
Seto is situated twelve miles inland from the port of
Nagoya, the chief town in Owari. It was here that Kato
Shirozaimon, otherwise known as Toshiro, settled, in 1225
a.d., on his return from China, where he had acquired a
knowledge of the potter's art, and the trade which he then
originated is still carried on by his descendants, who are
amongst the chief potters of Japan at the present day.
Numerous examples of the wares reputed to have been
made from the thirteenth to the middle of the eighteenth
century have been sent to this country, and some of them
may be seen at the South Kensington Museum, and in other
Collections. They comprise vessels for the purpose of holding
incense or powdered tea, and tea-bowls, and they are generally
of small size, seldom exceeding a few inches in height.

Amongst them wares named Kara -mono and Ko-Seto,

are
attributed to Toshiro, and his immediate descendants, and so
called from the former having being made of clay brought from
F F
226 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

China, whilst the latter name signifies that clay found at

Seto had been used. Other descriptions are called Genpin,
Seto-Suke, Seto-Kuro, and Shino, after the makers or admirers
of the wares ; Ki-Seto, or yellow Seto, after the colour of
the glaze used ;
and Oribe, from the name of a town where
a kiln is situate. Although these productions appear to have
been highly appreciated Japan, they are entirely devoid of
in

artistic interest. They are rudely formed of earthenware or

stoneware, wholly or partially glazed, and when ornamented
the designs are of the crudest description. They afford, indeed,
no evidence of such progress as that which was made by the
Hizen potters during the two centuries following upon the
introduction of the art of making porcelain into that pro-
vince ;
and although this movement no doubt extended to
Owari, we are inclined to think that it is only in compara-
tively recent times that the Seto potters have equalled the
works produced in Hizen. It is probable that, besides the
wares to which we have alluded, only an inferior porcelain
was made prior to the present century, for we are told, in
a Report issued by the Japanese Government, that in the year
1800 a descendant of Toshiro, named Kato Kichiyaemon, wish-
ing to ascertain the processes employed in the Arita factories,
sent his brother Tamikichi to Hizen for the purpose of obtaining
the desired information. It was only by marrying the widow

of one of the Arita potters that Tamikichi accomplished his

purpose. After four years' sojourn in Hizen he returned to
Owari, and, having discovered at Seto the necessary materials,
he initiated a notable improvement, not only in the process
of potting, but also in the decoration, and laid the foundation
for the pre-eminence which the Seto potters and painters have
since achieved in the production of porcelain decorated with
blue under the glaze, known as Sometsuke, which forms the
bulk of the ware produced in Owari.

Amongst the principal contemporary makers in Seto are

the following members of the Kato family, all descendants of
Toshiro :
— Hansuke, Gorobei, Gosuke, Gantaro, Shigezero,
Kishitaro, Kenjiu, Jiukichi, Matsuzaimon, Kanshiro, Monzai-
 OWARI. 227

mon, and Hanjen. Besides these, there are numerous others,

the most distinguishedamongst them being Kawamoto Han-
suke and Kawamoto Masukichi, who occupy the foremost place
amongst the potters of Owari. The former, indeed, enjoys
the highest reputation in Japan but although the examples ;

of his works which we have seen are decorated with much

taste and care, they, in these respects, do not excel those
of Masukichi, which are of a much more important size, and
which, we think, entitle him to the first rank, not only as
a potter, but also as an artist. The choicest specimens of
his which have come to Europe are the large plaques
skill

exhibited at the Vienna Exhibition in 1873 viewed as ;

examples of the potter's art, or as triumphs of decorative

skill, they are perfect. It is quite impossible to do full justice,

in a description, to these superb specimens of the potter's

art ;
the skilldisplayed in the preparation and successful firing
of such large slabs surpasses that shown in any branch of
European pottery remarkably flat and true throughout, these
;

plaques show no flaws of any kind. The porcelain itself

is of the
purest and most translucent quality, covered with
a fine glaze of great brilliancy. The decorations are painted
in a blue of remarkably rich and pure tone, skilfully graduated

to suit the exigencies of the subjects. The decorations, for

the most part, consist of landscapes, birds, and flowers, drawn

boldly in the leading lines and with great delicacy in the

details. Several of these plaques are now in the Bowes
Collection, and the one we have illustrated in Plate XXVIII
will serve, though inadequately, to give our readers an idea
of their characteristics.
Since the Vienna Exhibition, Masukichi, Hansuke, and
the various members have supplied im-
of the Kato family,
mense quantities of the sometsuke ware, with which all western
countries are now so familiar. The ordinary productions are
form of tea and dinner services,
in the vases, dishes, and slabs.

They are decorated with diaper patterns, foliage, flowers,

fishes, spiders, beetles, wasps, and other insects of various
kinds, with tortoises, and occasionally with human figures.
228 KERA.MIC ART OF JAPAN.

The Seto factories also produce large numbers of circular

flower-pots, of thick porcelain, partly covered with a very
deep blue enamel glaze ;
the decorations are modelled in

relief, in the white porcelain enamel, and consist of storks,

flowers, and waves. The decorations are sometimes coloured

the natural tints of the objects represented, a sickly green
being occasionally used.
The Owari artists have lately introduced a greater variety
of coloured enamels into their decorations, and a considerable
quantity of vases, jars and other articles painted in pink, red
and green, of European tints, have been produced, but the
generally highly unsatisfactory, and altogether inferior
effect is

to the sometsuke decoration, with which the Seto artists will

always remain identified. More

recently still, the European
influence is shown by the imitation of Greek forms in vases
made by Kato Shigezero, who has also introduced various
combinations of brown and blue, which are somewhat effective.

The kinrande style of decoration is practised by a member

of the Yeiraku family, but not with the happy effect which
distinguishes all the works of his Kioto relative. Successful
imitations of inlaid metal are made by patterns being out-
lined in gold and silver upon imitation bronze and iron

grounds. Celadon is not generally made, and the examples

we have seen are much inferior to the old ware of this class

produced in Setsu and Hizen. Porcelain is occasionally

decorated in red, after the Kaga fashion, and on some pieces
the Kutani mark is forged.
The art of cloisonne enamelling upon porcelain is of
recent origin, dating only from 1870, when it was com-
menced at Shortly before that year, and following
Nagoya.
upon the revolution in 1868, which led to the deposition of
the Shogun, and the
disorganization of society, the superb
ancient examples of cloisonne enamelling upon copper, which
had previously been preserved in the storehouses and palaces
of the princes, were brought to and fired the Owari
light
workman with the desire to imitate them. The experiment
was made at Nagoya, upon grounds of thin copper, as well
 OWARI. 220,

as porcelain. Large vases and dishes, made upon the former

plan, were produced in abundance and sent to Europe, but
the impossibility of successfully imitating the marvellous works
of the artists of the mediaeval ages was quickly recognised,
and the manufacture has been discontinued at Nagoya.
It is still pursued to some extent at Tokio, under the
direction of French artists, but the work there done is
upon heavy cast copper and brass foundations after the
Chinese method, and the colouring is European, no attempt
being made to copy the ancient Japanese models in this or
in any other respect.
On the other hand, the comparatively distinct process
of enamelling upon porcelain has been carried on to a large
extent, and at the Paris Exhibition, in 1878, vast numbers
of vases, bowls, slabs, and other articles decorated in this
fashion were shown. The enamel pastes used in this process
are of a vitrifying at a much lower temperature
soft nature,
than those which were employed in the old work upon copper,
and not susceptible of the fine polish which distinguishes the
latter. The decoration consists chiefly of birds, foliage, and

diaper patterns, outlined by brass or white metal cloisons,

and rendered in very bright colours, generally upon a pale
blue ground, differing in these respects from the earlier efforts,
which were executed in dark green and other low-toned
colours, manner of the ancient works.
after the The prin-
cipal maker is named Takeuchi Chiubei.
Another method of applying cloisonne decoration to
porcelain is to use lacquer instead of vitreous pastes, for
the purpose of filling in the patterns formed by the cloisons.
We do not know whether this work is done at Nagoya or
at Seto, but we have before us an excellent example in

the form of a tray of considerable size, the decoration of

which consists of a composition of birds, flowers and shrubs,
very freely and correctly outlined by metal cloisons, the
patterns being filled in with rich but low-toned green, brown,
red, and silver lacquers. This tray is the work of Acano
Zittei, and is in the Bowes collection.
23O KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

At Nagoya, Toyosuke ware is also made it takes its ;

name from Hoki Toyosuke, the inventor, and is of light

buff faience, made in the form of dishes, vases, sweetmeat

boxes, and other articles for domestic use the outward ;

surface, partially in some cases and wholly in others, is

coated with black or dark green lacquer, whilst the interior

is covered with an opaque crackled glaze, upon which are
splashes of green enamel, or rude sketches of floral sprays
or pendant flower baskets the lacquer coating is orna-
;

mented with various designs traced in gold, silver, and

colours. Toyosuke also makes graphically modelled figures
of the household gods, but lacquer is not employed in the
decoration of these works.
At the village of Inaki, in close vicinity to Nagoya, is
the factory of Inuyama, where a grey stoneware, covered
with opaque white glaze, is made
a thick the decoration ;

generally consists of foliage and trees, painted over the

glaze, in green, brown, and bright russet, all of peculiarly
vivid tints. This factory was established at the beginning
of the present century, and the earlier works, an example
of which appears in Plate XXX, are much superior to
those now produced.
Factories Tokonabe, on the coast, and at
also exist at

Akazu, about two miles from Seto. At the former, flower-

pots and sake bottles are made of a reddish-brown unglazed
stoneware ;
the decoration, in some cases, consists merely
of birds or trees, rudely incised, whilst in other examples
the surface is partly covered with black lacquer, and partly
with minute spots of black enamel, in imitation of shark-
skin. At Akazu, both stoneware and a soft faience are

made, chiefly in the form of figures of the gods of good

fortune, or of the numerous saints and personages celebrated
in Japanese mythology a striking example of the vigorous
;

but somewhat broad humour which is the characteristic of

the Akazu artist, is furnished by the figure of Hotei, illus-

trated in Plate XXXI.

;kW^
 X
X

5 C5
 OWARI.

PLATE XXVIII.

Large oblong Plaque of Owari

porcelain elaborately
painted in blue. The scene represented is taken from one
of the Japanese dramas, and is termed the " Pine Wind."
The artist has most skilfully conveyed the leading idea by
the vigorous action he has imparted to the pine trees,
and by depicting a strong breezy ripple on the water.
The figures introduced are, on the one hand, enjoying the
health-giving wind from the sea, and, on the other hand,
are engaged collecting water for the purpose of making
salt, which is to be evaporated by the " Pine Wind." For
this information we are indebted to a Japanese friend, but
unfortunately we have not been able to obtain any further
particulars regarding the drama into which the "Pine Wind"
scene enters.
The drawing and general execution, considering the
nature of the material used, are remarkably good, and much
force has been imparted by the adoption of many shades
and gradations of stain. It is most unusual to meet with
plaques of porcelain anything approaching dimensions
the
or perfection of this specimen and indeed
;
we have only
seen them at the Vienna Exhibition, where the present
plaque was procured, and where it formed one of the most
interesting pieces in the Japanese Keramic Section. It is
232 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

perfect in colour throughout, and without flaw or crack

in its material.
The plaque bears the following inscription in blue on a
sunk panel behind, Set Kawamoto Masukichi, Seto, Nippon,
meaning, Made by Kawamoto Masukichi, at Seto, Japan.
Length, 31^ inches ; width, 22 inches.

In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

 CREST OF THE LATE SHOGUNATE.
(Tokugawa Family.)

MINOR PROVINCES.

G G
 AWAGI.
principal kiln in the island of Awagi is situated
THE atIganomura,* and was established about fifty years
ago by Kashiu Minpei the examples of his productions
;

which have been received in Europe are in the form

of dishes and saucers of a fine faience, hard in texture,
and glazed with bright orange and yellow they are orna- ;

mented with slightly impressed designs of Chinese character,

and are good in shape, well made, or "potted," and rich
in colour. The manufacture has been continued by his
son Kashiu Sampei, who
numerous pieces of similar
exhibited
ware at the
Philadelphia Exhibition, in 1876, and large
quantities produced by this maker, and by Sumato Tomihei,
have since then been imported into Europe ; they are all

of small size, and are covered with green, brown, yellow

and mottled enamel glazes, and upon many of them are
stanzas of Chinese poetry in raised characters.
At the Vienna Exhibition, in 1873, we saw some
specimens of faience which bore a strong resemblance
to Satsuma and Awata wares, both in colour, pate, and
decoration ;
such ware as this is very uncommon. An
admirable example is illustrated in Plate XXIX.

BIZEN.
province was one of the earliest seats of the
THIS manufacture of pottery in Japan, but the factories with
which we have to deal were not established until shortly after
*
The village of Igano, mura meaning viilage.
236 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

the introduction of the potter's wheel into

country the
in a.d. 720. The earliest productions were merely of the
rudest earthenware, and it was not until 12 10 that the
stoneware, with which the name is now especially associated,
was made.There are three descriptions of this ware :

Bizen, Imbe and Hitasuki, all of which were probably made

at the village of Imbe. To the casual observer the various
wares resemble each other closely, but Japanese connoisseurs
detect important differences between them, and estimate their
value accordingly.
The ware is generally of a dark reddish tint, but
occasionally a bluish-grey clay is used ;
it is exceedingly
dense and hard, and is found glazed and unglazed, or, in

some partly glazed and partly plain

instances, the glazes ;

vary in
quality and tint, but in nearly all cases the colour
is a very dark and bright brown occasionally we find a ;

drab glaze used, as on the flower-pot illustrated in Plate

XXXI, but this is quite exceptional.
It is made
a great variety of forms, including small
in

jars for holding the powdered tea used at the ceremony of

Chanoyu, grotesque figures, images of the Japanese saints
and household gods, lions, horses and birds. A great deal
of power and spirit is frequently to be observed in these
productions, and some of the humorous figures are so
expressive that they provoke laughter.
The works produced between 1210 and 1580 are known
as Ko Bizen, or old Bizen, to distinguish them from those
made subsequently, which are simply called Bizen ware.
Amongst the latter is the Hitasuki ware, which is made
of a porous clay. A very solid stoneware, named Migakite,
which is often splashed with red and green enamels, is
occasionally seen, but this is probably of more modern
date than the description to which we have referred, and
of which various examples are illustrated in Plates XXXI
and XXXII. The ware produced during recent years is of
a coarser texture, and in colour than the older
lighter
works, and the modelling also is not nearly so clever.
 MINOR PROVINCES. 237

CHIKUZEN.
two are factories in this province, one at

THERE Sobaramura and the other at Foukowoka ; at the

latter statuettes presenting no features of interest are pro-
duced, but at Sobara a ware is made
Takatori, named
which is
highheld
estimation in
in Japan. This kiln was
established towards the close of the fifteenth century by a

potter named Hachizo, who devoted himself to the imitation

of ancient Chinese wares. The productions of this period are
known as Ko Takatori, and a water-pot of this date is to
be found in the Bowes Collection ;
it is of brownish-grey stone-
ware ornamented with a pattern of Chinese character in
relief, and covered with a glaze of metallic lustre. Ware
made subsequently to 1644 is called Yenshiu Takatori, after
a noted Chajin, who originated its manufacture in the year
named ;
the clay is of a lighter colour than that used for
Ko Takatori, but a similar metallic glaze is used ;
an
example is illustrated XXXII.
in Plate
The factories we have named still exist, but the wares
now produced do not merit special mention.

HARIMA.
wares are made at the town of Himeji, in

VARIOUS
this province, in imitation of Arita porcelain and
celadon; they are known as Tozan ware. The manufacture
is still carried on, but the now produced
articles are of an
inferior character.
238 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

HIGO.
all ancient wares there is none more rare or more
OF
The
highly prized in Japan than that known as Yatsushiro.
choicest examples were made at the kiln of Shirno

Toyohara shortly after it was established at the close of

the sixteenth century ;
it is situated in the village of that

name, which is in the neighbourhood of Yatsushiro, the

principaltown of the province of Higo.

In Plate XXX we have illustrated an example which
unites in itself all the beauties and characteristics which
commend this ware to the love of the Japanese, and entitle
it to the admiration of the Western connoisseur. The
pate, or body, of this specimen is of a dense reddish-grey
faience, or
semi-porcelain, upon of which there the surface
is spread a thin film of grey clay by immersion in slip,
or a coat of enamel colour is painted by hand upon this ;

beautifully toned grey surface are engraved delicate diaper

and other designs, which are filled in with white clay,
and it is this treatment which is the characteristic of the
ware ;
the whole is covered with a thin varnish very
minutely crackled. The ornamentation in gold and enamel
colours with which this
example is decorated has been
added since it left the Shirno Toyohara kiln, and, although
of great beauty and not inappropriate, it forms no part
of the original design.
Other specimens, of little importance and of more recent
manufacture, have been received in Europe they are gene- ;

rally of a clay not so red in colour and less dense and close
in the decoration, in consists of
quality ; many instances,
flowers and shrubs, and is not of so severe a character as
that of the example which we have illustrated. They have
been sent forward as Mishima ware, and generally bear a
 MINOR PROVINCES. 239

small impressed mark, of oval form, signifying Gen, the maker's

name. Ware of a similar style is still produced, but it is
inferior in all respects to the older works.

IDZUMI.
province of Idzumi is rendered interesting chiefly
THE because it was the Giyogi, who intro-
birthplace of
duced the potter's wheel into Japan he was born during ;

the latter part of the seventh century, in the district of Otori.

A factory exists at the town of Sakai, at which the ware
known as Minato is made ;
it is a coarse faience, covered
with yellow or green glazes, and often ornamented with
designs in relief; an example is shown in Plate XXX.

IDZUMO.
chief kiln in this province is situated at the town
THE of Madsuye, where it was established in 1660 by a
Nagato potter, named Gonbei. We are not aware that
any of the earlier productions of this factory have reached
Europe we are informed that only articles suitable for the
;

use of tea-drinkers were made, and these, no doubt, would

be of the rude ware which was so generally made at that
period.
commencement of
Since the the present century a faience
has been made which is known as Fujina ware it is of a
;

close-grained quality, and very similar in this respect, as well

24O KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

as in its careful potting, to the faience produced in Awagi.

It is made in small pieces, chiefly for domestic use, and is
covered with a very transparent glaze, which has a highly
satisfactory effect upon the fine yellow faience occasionally ;

brown and green glazes are used, the vessels being entirely
covered, or, other cases, boldly splashed with them.
in In
some instances we have seen the ware decorated with insects,
butterflies, and symbols of various kinds, rendered in enamel
colours, but the result has been unsatisfactory in all respects.

IGA.

A
that
Factory exists at Uyeno, in this province, where rude
stoneware is made somewhat after the fashion of
produced in the adjoining province of Omi, at the

Shigaraki kiln.

ISE.
manufactories of Ise produce several varieties of
THE faience and stoneware ;
and certain descriptions of
the latter are perhaps amongst the most characteristic of

Japanese Keramic productions. Beginning with the more

important manufacture, we have to treat of that com-
monly known as Banko. There appears, even amongst
the skilled Japanese, to be some little uncertainty about
the derivation of this name, but it is generally believed
to have originated in the name of its first maker or
inventor. Banko literally signifies ancient ten thousand —
ban, ten thousand ; ko, old or ancient. Some maintain,
 MTNOR PROVINCES. 24I

however, that the name refers to the ware itself, which,

from its intense hardness and perfect vitrification, is prac-
tically indestructible by the influence of time alone.
The manufacture Banko ware in Ise is said to have
of
been originated by a potter named Yu-usedzu, who settled in
the town of Kuwana about the year 1845. He
copied the
productions of the factory established at Tokio, towards the
close of the seventeenth century, by Banko Kichibeye, and
assumed the name of Banko. The hard stoneware potted by
hand with which the name of Banko is now commonly asso-
ciated does not appear to have been made at Tokio, and we
think that it was invented by Yu-usedzu. The industry,
commenced at Kuwana, is now chiefly carried on at the
town of Yokkaichi, where numerous small kilns exist.
Banko ware is usually potted by hand (that is, not
thrown on the wheel or moulded), and fired at a great
heat. The specimens which have come to Europe, as well
as those which were exhibited at the Philadelphia Exhibi-
tion,, are of small size, and commonly in the form of

teapots. The pate is of various low-toned colours, such

as drabs, browns, and dull reds, manipulated by the fingers
to great thinness, and finished without glazing, the perfect
vitrification in the rendering the protection of a varnish
kiln

unnecessary. Other varieties are met with, notably those

which display a variegated or mottled appearance by the
admixture of pates of different tints. This description is called

by the Japanese mokume, which signifies the graining of wood.

In some specimens of Banko ware, porcelain plaques are
inserted in
perforations made through the thickness of the
body. Inscriptions are frequently accentuated by this means.
The thinness to which the Banko pate can be reduced in the
manipulation of vessels is remarkable and, even when not
;

much thicker than an ordinary playing card, it is of great

strength and toughness.
* In the numerous specimens of tea-
pots, we meet with some ingenious devices, which display
considerable skill in potting, and show the peculiar capabilities
of the material. Minutely perforated handles, slender chains
H H
242 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

of many links, and knobs which revolve in their sockets, are

amongst the most common.

The principal feature of this ware is its decoration by
means of numerous stamped seals or marks. Two or more
of these are to be seen upon almost every piece. On a small
teapot, for instance, made by Mori, of Yokkaichi (illustrated
in Plate XXX), fifteen impressed marks appear, amongst
which we note four of the word banko in different styles ;

five of sen-shu, which signifies one thousand years one of ;

Mori uji, the

Mori family and one of Nippon.
;

Painted marks are very rare on this manufacture ; only

one example has come under our observation on which the
word banko is so presented such words as those signifying
;

long and happiness are, however, sometimes met with.

life

Quaint and careful modelling is to be seen in some

pieces, and particularly in their handles, which are often intro-
duced as bent or twisted pieces of bamboo, upon which small
birds are perched. Cleanly cut and perforated patterns, usually
diapers, are favourite decorations.
In addition to the impressed and inlaid marks, and the
perforatingand modelling, this ware is occasionally painted
with flowers, birds and figures in highly-raised opaque
enamels but this style of decoration does not accord well
;

with the
general spirit of the manufacture, agreeing better
with the less severe treatment of the faience of the province,
which is profusely painted with raised
bright enamels of
colours. Specimens displaying various methods of treatment
are illustrated in Plate XXX.
We stated that the ware was not glazed
thin as a ;

rule it is not, but we have met with a few pieces, evidently

of modern manufacture, which are not only glazed, but
have metal cloisons applied to them.
The Ise faience is a very inferior production to that
of Satsuma or Kioto, both in point of material and artistic
treatment. It is
generally of a red or brown colour, glazed
with a
whitish semi-transparent varnish, which imparts a
grey tone to the ware. On this varnish, bold flowers and
 MINOR PROVINCES. 243

figures are painted in very thick opaque enamels, producing

designs in relief. Numerous specimens of this faience have
come to Europe in the shape of dishes, jars, covered bowls,
and similar articles, but, presenting little that is either artistic
or pleasing in colour, they have failed to commend themselves
to collectors.

IWAKI.
ware is made at Nakamura, in this province.
SOMA It is a kind of brown or grey stoneware, roughly
manipulated, in nearly all cases by hand, quaintly shaped,
and covered with a greenish and grey speckled glaze.
The ware derives its name from that of one of the princes
of the province in which it is made, and the older examples
bear his crest, a circular device of nine balls, and it is

probable that they were made by his order.

Specimens made at a later period bear this cognizance

as well as the second crest of the Soma family, which is
a vigorously drawn horse tethered to a stake, or, in some
cases, to two stakes.
The older ware comes forward in the form of tea-bowls,
and the more recent and inferior productions take the form
of teapots and plates.

IWASHIRO.
for local use is made at the villages of Hongo
WAREwe
so far as
and Keizan, but no examples have reached Europe,
know. At Nihomatzu an imitation of the
Banko ware made in Ise is manufactured, which is very
popular in Japan.
244 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN,

KII.
ware produced in this province is generally known
THE as Kishiu ware, and is made at the factory of

Wakayama, which was established two hundred years ago.

A fair example of the most popular description is illustrated
in Plate XXXit is;
in the form of a dish of hard

faience, decorated with purple and blue enamel colours,

in the manner which characterises nearly all the work
produced at this factory. Another beautiful specimen may
be seen in the Franks Collection. The older specimens,
chiefly dishes, are often decorated with ornamentation in

relief; the modern work, of which large quantities are

now exported, is in the form of small vases and bottles,
which are splashed with turquoise and other brilliant glazes
in imitation of Chinese ware. Occasionally flower vases
of stoneware are received, and these are partially covered
with grey and speckled glazes.
One remarkable specimen of celadon, in the form of a
large vase, has reached this country, and is now in the
Bowes Collection ;
the body is entirely covered with floral

ornamentation in relief, which is in all respects most

admirably rendered. It bears an impressed mark stating
that it was made at the factory of Zuisi, in the province
of Nanki, which is the Chinese name for Kii.

MINO.
province is one of the most active seats of the
THIS
manufacture of porcelain in Japan. The industry
was introduced in the year 1810, by members of the
Kato family, who left Owari for that purpose, and settled
 MINOR PROVINCES. 245

at the village of Ichinokura their ; descendants still carry

on the trade at that place, and at numerous factories
in the vicinity of the town of Tajimi. Amongst the most
extensive makers we may mention Kato Gosuke, Kato
Mosuke, Kato Kohei, and Kato Heizaimon, all of whom
export large quantities of their wares to Europe and the
United States. Other kilns are situated at Tsumakimura,
where Kumagai Yakichi is the leading potter.
The staple product consists of the eggshell porcelain
sake cups, the exterior of which is covered with a minute
basket work of bamboo, and which are now
finely split
to be seen in almost every town and village in western
countries. The ware is sent in its undecorated state to
Tokio, where it is ornamented with landscapes, portraits of
warriors or other celebrated painters of
characters, by the
that city it;
is afterwards sent to the province of Suruga,

where the bamboo covering is applied and the ware com-

pleted for export. Occasionally pieces of a larger size are
made in the form of sake bottles and flower vases, and
sometimes lacquer is used in the decoration. A small
quantity of ware decorated in blue and white is also made.
Prior to the introduction of the manufacture of porcelain

only rude earthenware vessels were made.

MUSASHI.
earliest mention of the industry in this province which
THEwe find in Japanese chronicles is the establishment
of a kiln at
Kummumenura, near Tokio, then known as Yedo,
by Banko Kichiheye, in 1680. His earliest efforts were in

imitation of the pottery then produced in Kaga, but he after-

wards made a faience, of a light colour and rather soft
body, in imitation of that for which Satsuma was becoming
246 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

celebrated. Of this faience several examples have reached

Europe; decorated with landscapes, sketchily drawn in
it is

faint colours, and occasionally the specimens are ornamented

with the crests of daimios and with characters signifying

happiness, riches, longevity and so forth. This ware is known
as Yedo Banko. The
no longer exists.
kiln
In Imado, a district in Tokio, faience was a century made
ago, and we have before us an early example in the form of
a square basket for holding flowers it is of buff pate, ;

covered with a dark green glaze, and on each side of the

basket are stanzas of Chinese
poetry in raised characters.
This factory is still in existence, but we believe that only tiles
for roofing houses are now made there.

During the twenty-five years numerous kilns have

last

been established at Asakusa, on the banks of the river Sumida,

and in other parts of Tokio, and
at which faience, porcelain

pottery have been made. Amongst the potters may be men-

tioned Kozawa Benshi and Miura Kenya.
But the most notable of all the factories in Tokio are
those which have been established at Shiba, one of the burial

places of the family of the late Shogun, since the temples

there were destroyed by fire in 1874. It was at these
factories that the imitations of old works, to which we have
referred in our chapter upon Satsuma faience, were made
and decorated ;
the earlier specimens were so cleverly stained
to give an appearance of age, and so beautifully decorated,
that they were well calculated to deceive European collectors,
who were not then acquainted with the simplicity which charac-
terises the decoration of all ancient Japanese faience. The
production of these beautiful objects appears to have ceased,
and more recently large quantities of vases, hibatchi and other
objects of inferior workmanship have come forward ; these,
like the former, are decorated with figure subjects, but the
execution is
exceedingly poor; we understand that most of
them are the work of Naruse Waruku.
Another kiln, at which large quantities of Keramic wares
have been made for export, was established in i860 at Ota, a
 MINOR PROVINCES. 247

suburb of Yokohama, by Suzuki Yasubeye, a Tokio merchant,

who induced a clever potter, named Kozan Miyakawa, of
Makudzu, in Kioto, to undertake the direction of it. He
obtained clay from Satsuma, and his earlier productions were
imitations of that faience it is, however, easy to detect the
;

difference between these counterfeits and the real Satsuma,

as we have pointed out in our chapter on the latter ware.
More recently, Kozan has produced some very remarkable
works of a different style; Philadelphia in 1876, and also
at

at Paris in 1878, he exhibited a great variety of faience

decorated with ornaments in full relief,many of them certainly
not of artistic value, but all of them notable examples of
skilful potting.

A numerous body of painters reside in the city of

Tokio, and are justly celebrated for the beauty of much of
their work. They are remarkably skilful, and much of their
work is characterised by great freedom and high artistic
feeling. In purely ornamental designs they form quite a
school, and so marked are their designs in character and
treatment that they furnish a ready clue to the locality of
their painters. Large quantities of porcelain and faience
are sent from Hizen, Mino, Owari, Kioto and Satsuma for

decoration, and amongst the specimens illustrated in this

Work we may point to the basin in Plate XXIV as an
instance of Kioto faience painted in Tokio.

MUTSU.
in the form of cups and teapots, known
PORCELAIN
as Aidz ware, is made in this province ;
it is

generally decorated in blue upon a white ground, but

occasionally we find examples with white flowers upon a

blue ground, after the fashion of the "hawthorn" porcelain;
in the earlier and better works a reddish brown is introduced.
248 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

NAGATO.
this province there are factories at the towns of

IN Hagi, Toyourayama, and Matsumoto. The kiln at

Hagi was founded early in the sixteenth century, and

ware of a hard faience, or fine stoneware, was produced ;

it is covered with grey and bluish glazes, under which are

sometimes traced designs in darker colours. Articles made
before 1644 are known as Ko Hagi, and an example
of this ware may be seen in Plate XXX. Early in the
seventeenth century a Corean, named Rikei, settled at this
kiln, and made a faience in the form of cups, the rim at
the foot of which was notched after the Corean fashion.
At Matsumoto, ware similar to that made at Hagi is
pro-
duced. The factory of Toyourayama was established in

1720, but it has never produced any works of importance,

the best examples which we have seen being vessels of
stoneware covered partially with brown and partially with
white glazes. At the present time the Nagato factories
make a faience in imitation of that of Satsuma, which is
sent to Tokio for decoration.

OMI.
is said that the followers of the Corean prince who
IT came to Japan in the year 27 B.C., to whom we
have referred in our general remarks, settled in this

province ;
but however that may be, we find nothing
definiterespecting the manufacture of pottery here until the
year 1300, when the Shigaraki kiln was established at
the town of Nagano. The earliest productions of this
kiln of which we find any record in Japanese reports, are
 MINOR PROVINCES. 249

those made for the ceremony of Chanoyu, in the fifteenth

and sixteenth centuries these were of the rudest character,

;

and of small size, comprising tea bowls and small vases,

or jars, for holding rice or powdered tea. These early
wares are known by the following names :
— Those made in

the fifteenth century, as Ko Shigaraki those produced during ;

the early part of the sixteenth century, as Shoou Shigaraki,

after anoted Chajin ; whilst the ware made subsequently
is called Sotan and Getaha. It is all of coarse earthenware,

rudely fashioned, either partially or wholly glazed, and splashed

with green and brown, but none of it is noteworthy from
an artistic point of view. The kiln is interesting chiefly
from its association with Nonomura Ninsei, the celebrated
Kioto potter, who procured his clay from the neighbourhood.
Factories also exist at Seiko, Kameyama, and Teshi, and
Ztz^ on Lake Biwa, at all of which pottery of a common
description is made. At a small kiln at Koto, which is

now extinct, a buff faience was made, one example of which

we have seen in the form of a figure of Hotei, whose
garment is splashed with a glaze of a bright enamelled
green.

SETSU.
Sanda kiln was established by the Prince of
THE Setsu, in province, in
this 1690, and it was here
that the best specimens of celadon were made. They
are of light brown pottery, and are in the form of

vases, statuettes, animals and perfume burners, all of which

are of small size. They are often ornamented with designs
impressed, or in relief; in some instances the vases have
an outer skin, which is pierced, and occasionally the
faces and members of the figures are left unglazed. The
earlier are in Japan at present,
examples highly prized ;

and for some time past, common ware only has been made.
1 1
25O KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

At Osaka and Mito common grey stoneware is made,

some specimens of which are decorated with rude designs
in white slip.

TAMBA.
is one of the provinces in which pottery is said
THIS to have been made as early as the year 400 a.d.,
but we find no record of the existence ofany factory
until the sixteenth century, when the manufacture of stone-
ware was commenced at the town of Sasayama. In Plate
XXXI we have illustrated an example of the earlier works
of this factory, in the form of a lion made of light brown
stoneware covered with bright drab glaze. At the present
time nothing but common porcelain is made.

TOSA.
A KILN was established
seventeenth century by a pupil of Nonomura Ninsei,
and a coarse faience, known as Odo ware, was produced
in this province in the

it is covered with
opaque white glaze, and decorated with
rude ornaments traced in black.

TOTOMI.
for local use are made at a factory
ARTICLES
situated at the town of Shitori ; they are chiefly
in the form of vessels for use in the ceremony of tea
drinking, and are of stoneware and rude earthenware.
 MINOR PROVINCES. 25T

YAMASHIRO.
chapter upon Kioto wares has exhausted almost
OUR all that is interesting in connection with the
Keramic productions of this province, for nearly all the
factories are situated in or around that city. may,We
however, briefly refer to the kilns at the towns of Uji and
Tawara. That was established in the middle of
at Uji
the seventeenth century, and has long been celebrated for
the manufacture of a ware named Asahi, which was so
called from its resemblance to a renowned Corean tea-bowl
known by the same name, which signifies " morning light."
The specimens we have seen do not, to the western eye,
convey the idea indicated, but still the ware is curious and
the decoration effective ;
the body
pottery, upon is of brown
which are traced floral designs in brown, blue and white,
and the whole is covered with glaze of a greenish-grey tint.
A similar ware is made at Tawara.

YAMATO.
earliest traditions connected with our subject are

THE naturally associated with this province, for it was

here that the seat of government was situated from the
commencement of the Japanese historical era, in b.c 660,
until it was removed in the eighth century to Miaco, or
as it is now styled, Kioto.
It is related that Jimmu Tenno, the founder of the dynasty
which still
reigns in Japan, who lived from b.c 660-581,
ordered one of his officials, named Wakanetsu hiko no
mikoto, to manufacture various articles of pottery for temple
use, and it is not surprising to find the Japanese, with
252 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

their love for all that is ancient, giving implicit credence

to this and many other legends. They assert, indeed, that
examples of the vessels period we have
produced at the
named still exist, and the collection made by a Japanese
connoisseur for the South Kensington Museum is rendered
complete by the addition of a vase to which the date of
b.c. 640 is attached. We must, however, express our
opinion that this date, as well as those assigned to numer-
ous other specimens in that Collection, should be received
with the utmost reserve ; indeed, with our present imperfect
knowledge of the ancient manufacturing industry of Japan,
it is necessary to exercise considerable caution in accepting

statements which assign definite dates to examples of

Japanese pottery unless they are accompanied by corobora-
tive evidence.

Coming to more recent times, we find that a factory

was established at the village of Koriyama in 1640 a.d.,
which, we believe, is still in existence. The ware produced
is known by the name of Akahada, and is of the rudest
possible description ;
it is a coarse yellow earthenware,
splashed with red and brown glazes ;
the articles are
of small size and for domestic use.

The industry is also carried on in the provinces of Awa,

Buzen, Chikugo, Iyo, Mikawa, Rikuzen, Sado,
Echigo,
Sanuki, Shimodzuke, Shinano and Tajima, but we are led
to understand that the wares
produced do not present any
features of interest, and are intended only for local use.
Tmp.Firmin-Didot &C ie
Pans.
B auer, li+Y>

PLATE XXIX.
Trnp.Firmm-Didot
&C ie Paris
Bauer, lit"h

PLATE XXIX,
 AWAGI.

PLATE XXIX.

Flower Vase, of fine cream-coloured faience, covered

with a thin varnish, minutely crackled. The most striking
feature of this piece is the deep fringe-work which hangs
from the rim of the mouth. This is formed of numerous
rings, lozenge-shaped links, and pendants, which are all of
faience, placed in position while in the plastic state, and
burnt with the vase. The difficulty of
keeping all portions
of the fringe detached and free to move has been skilfully
overcome. The decoration throughout is of the most elaborate
character, and, with the exception of the medallions containing
figures, is entirely of a conventional nature. The accurate and
painstaking manner in which every detail is represented in the
Plate renders any further description unnecessary. The pair
of vases to which this one belongs are executed in all respects
accuracy, and every ornament being in
with almost faultless

bright enamels and gold, an effect of the greatest richness

is produced. Height, i6£ inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.
YATSUSHIRO & OTHER WARES.

PLATE XXX.

13
hi

Oh
 «uy ^^"5"

^5
ii^s5
si
 MINOR PROVINCES. 255

pate, covered with a great number of impressed marks,

signifying happiness, health, long life, and such like. Made
by the Mori family. Height, 2f inches.
D — Dish of Kishiu ware, in purple and blue. This piece
was made at the factory of Sanraku. Diameter, 8f inches.
E — Dish of Idsumi faience, covered with a
yellow
glaze. Modelled in the form of a leaf on its inner surface.

Original Minato ware, made by Kichiyemon, at Sakai, in

Senshiu. Length, inches. n

F — Teapot of Ise Banko ware, of a drab body,
decorated with
gold ornamentation, and semi-transparent
panels of white pate, decorated with designs in coloured
enamels. Height, z\ inches.
G — Teapot of Banko
ware, of thin grey pate,
Ise
almost entirely covered externally with poetical sentences in
incised letters. Made by Gando gin. Height, 2\ inches.
H — Dish of Ko Hagi ware, of cold tinted pate,
modelled in a rather unusual and irregular shape. This
piece was made at the factory of Hagi, in the province
of Nagato ;
and having been fabricated prior to the year
1644, is designated Ko Hagi, or Old Hagi ware. Length,
6$ inches.
I — Leaf-shaped Dish of Inuyama ware, of cold tinted

pate, covered with bright glaze, and decorated with foliage

in rich autumnal tints. This ware is made at the factory
of Inuyama, in the province of Owari. Diameter, 7J inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.
 STONEWARE
AND

EARTHENWARE FIGURES,

PLATE XXXI.

DIVISION I. A— Figure, of dark brown Bizen stone-

ware ;
a curious representation of the god GIROGIN.
Height, 7J inches.
B —Stag, in Kioto modelled, and
faience, beautifully
coloured in exact resemblance living animal.to Fromthe
an inscription underneath we learn that it is the work of
Nagami Iwao. Height, 12^ inches.
—
C Figure of HOTEI, in yellow glazed faience. Akazu
ware, made in Owari. This is a graphically modelled
piece, and represents the god of contentment enjoying the
fun of tossing a child in a sack. The face is rendered
with great power, but the representation of the piece here
X
X
X
 *i> £l
^5(*.
 X
X

'
m

*y
>

Sa*
\lwJ
 MINOR PROVINCES. 257

given is too small to do justice to the original. Height,

8£ inches.

DIVISION 2. A— Figure of a Buddhist SEN N EN, in

dark brown Bizen stoneware. Height, g£ inches.

B — Flower-pot of stoneware, covered with drab glaze.
Bizen ware. It is modelled in the form of two broken
pieces of bamboo, round which coils a large dragon.
Height, 19 inches.

C— Figure of FUKUROKUJIN, in brown Bizen stone-

ware. Height, g£ inches.

DIVISION 3. A — Crane, in brown Bizen ware.

Height, gj inches.
B — Figure of DAIKOKU, in dark brown Bizen ware.
He is seated on two rice bags, and is evidently in great
good humour with his votaries. The miner's hammer he
usually carries has been broken off from the uplifted hand.
Height, 13^ inches.
C — Figure of GAMA-SENNEN, or the Frog Saint,
in earthenware, glazed, and partially draped in a robe and

garland of leaves, painted in colours and gold. This mytho-

logical personage has a Chinese origin, and is, in accordance
K K
258 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

with the popular legends of Japan, supposed to be the

emblem of long life. Ohokawachi ware, made by the founder
of that factory in the middle of the 17th century. Height,

DIVISION 4. A — Horse, upon a gourd, probably

used as a perfume-burner, in brown Bizen stoneware.
Height, 10J inches.
B — Lion, in hard stoneware, covered with a grey
glaze. Tamba ware. Height, 14 inches.

C— Two Japanese Lions fighting ; carefully modelled in

dark brown Bizen ware. Height, 7! inches.
In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.
i ss-zsl-?
X
X
X
X
X

ft.
 STONEWARE
AND

EARTHENWARE FIGURES.

PLATE XXXII.

DIVISION i.
Figure of a Buddhist SENNEN, holding
a book or roll, seated on the back of a fish represented
as rising from the waves of the sea. Executed in brown
glazed stoneware. Kioto ware. Height, I2£ inches.

DIVISION 2. A—
Figure of DA IK OKU, in stone-
ware, glazed with various colours. Takatori ware. Height,
y\ inches.
B — Figure of TETSKAI, one of the imaginary beings
of the Japanese. Executed in rough brown earthenware, the
body and members being glazed and the garments unglazed.
One of the earliest productions of the Ohokowachi factory,
260 KERAMIC ART OF JAPAN.

dating from the middle of the 17th century, and highly

prized by connoisseurs in Japan. Height, 12 inches.
C — Figure of SHOIKI vanquishing the ONI, or

demon, in ancient Ohokowachi stoneware, unglazed. 17th

century. Height, 6 inches.

DIVISION 3. A— Figure of TOSHI-TOKU, in dark

brown glazed Bizen stoneware. Height, g£ inches.
B — Figure of GIROGIiV, in brown glazed Kioto
stoneware. Modelled with great skill and humour ;
the
work of Takahashi Dohachi. Height, 10 inches.

DIVISION 4 . A— Figure of GAMA-SENNEN, in

grey glazed and crackled Kioto stoneware. Height, 8J

inches.

B — Lion, in grey glazed and crackled Kioto stoneware.

Height, g£ inches.

In the possession of James L. Bowes, Esq.

MARKS AND MONOGRAMS

L L
 HIZEN 263

Symbols " "

: Painted upon Old Japan ware.
264 HIZEN.

*e
Painted upon one of the basins illustrated in
Plate XIV. A forgery of the Chinese mark
of the Ching-noa period, a.d. 1465-1487.

Painted upon another of the basins illustrated

f in the same Plate.

mark of the
A forgery of the Chinese
Kea-tsing period, a.d. 1522-1566.

Painted upon the finest "Old Japan" ware:

Sei nen Genki, meaning, made in the Japanese
period of Genki, a.d. 1570-1573.

Painted upon one of the basins illustrated in

Plate XIV. A forgery of the Chinese mark
of the Wan-leih period, a.d. 1573-1619.
 HIZEN. 265

Painted the finest

" Old "
upon Japan
ware. A forgery of the Chinese mark of
Kea-tsing period.

5BL -

* ^ Painted upon " Old Japan " ware. Fuku

Chio-shun, meaning, Fortune and lon-

gevity.

Painted upon a modern imitation of

OTl " Old
Japan
"
ware. A forgery of the
Mm HSU! Chinese seal of the Keen-lung period,
nnl a.d. 1736-1795.
m ill

Painted upon " Old Japan " ware of fair

age and excellence. Fuku, meaning,

Fortune and longevity.

" Old "

Painted upon Japan ware of
moderate excellence. Zb Zo-shun-tei, San
ft Ho, meaning, made by San Ho at the
factory of Zoshun.
266 HIZEN.

*_
Painted upon modern porcelain decorated in

# 4fl
blue. Sei nen Kea-tsing Tai Ming,
of the Chinese mark
A forgery
of the Kea-tsing period.

Painted, in the position shown, but in a com-

plete circle, upon the smaller of the circular
dishes illustrated in Plate XIII. Sei Ki-so
Zo-moku an, meaning made by Kiso at the
factory of Zomokuan.

ft
Painted upon the square dish illustrated in
Plate XIII. Zo Hi-guchi Nan-sen-zan, mean-
!')
ing, made by Higuchi at the factory of
Nansenzan.

*L *»
 HIZEN. 267

Painted upon the largest of the circular

dishes illustrated in Plate XIII. Zb Ki-so
Zo-moku-an, meaning, made by Kiso at the
factory of Zomokuan.

* 4
 268 HIZEN.

Painted upon Nagasaki porcelain of moderate

age and excellence. Zb Hi-chio-zan Shin-po,
meaning, made by Hichiozan Shinpo.

Painted upon modern Arita porcelain. Sei

Yamaka, Arita, Hizen, meaning, made by

Yamaka, at Arita, in Hizen.

Painted upon modern Arita porcelain. Zb

Ki-so Zo-moku-an, Kan-koro, Hizen, meaning,
made by Kiso at the factory of Zomokuan,
in the public kiln of Hizen.

Painted upon Nagasaki porcelain of the com-

monest description. A maker's mark.

JR

'I
A Painted upon ware of the same description.
Zb Hi-chio-zan Shin-sen, meaning, made by
Hichiozan Shinsen.

<b
 KAGA. 26g

Two renderings of the word Kutani, meaning the Nine Valleys.

These characters are generally painted upon Kaga ware, either
alone or in combination with other marks.
270 KAGA.

Painted upon the basin illustrated in

Plate XXI. Ku-tani, Hokufo, the latter
being the name of the maker the ;

square mark is the maker's monogram.

Painted upon the dishes illustrated in

the fourth division of Plate XXIII.
Ku-tani, To-zan, the latter being the
name of the maker.

Painted upon the choicest middle period

ware. To-zan, Tozan being the name
of the maker.

Painted upon choice middle period ware.

Kio-ku-zan, Kutani, Kiokuzan being the
name of the maker.

QH^v
 KAGA. 27 I

Painted upon good middle period ware. Dai

Nip-pon, Ku-tani, Kachio ken, meaning,
Sei,
made at the Kachio factory, Kutani, Great Japan.

*f

Painted upon polychromatic ware. Fuku, mean-

ing prosperity, luck, fortune, longevity, wealth
and so forth.

Painted upon middle period ware. Dai Nip-

pon, Ku-tani, Zb Kio-ku-zan, meaning Great
Japan, Kutani, made by Kiokuzan the square ;

character is the name of the maker.

272 KAGA.

Painted upon the dish illustrated in the second

division of Plate XXIII. Dai Nip-pon, Ku-tani, Sei
Ku-roku ga, meaning, made in Kutani, Great Japan,
painted by Kuroku ;
the square mark is the mono-
gram of Kuroku.

Painted upon choice middle period ware. The two

square characters are the monogram of Tozan, the
maker, and the three upper marks signify Shiorei

do, his professional name.

Painted upon late period ware. Commencing with the right-

hand character the inscription reads thus : Dai Nip-pon, Ku-
tani, Kinoshita Naomasa Sei, meaning, made by Kinoshita
Naomasa, in Kutani, Great Japan the seal character
;
is the

monogram of the maker's professional .name, Shiozo.

 KAGA. 273

Painted upon good late period ware. The characters in the

centre are Zb Yei-raku ;
those to the left, oite Ku-tani ; and
those to the right, Dai Nip-pon, meaning, made by Yeiraku, in

Kutani, Great Japan.

Painted upon good late period ware. Dai Nip-pon,

Ku-tani, Kama-no-kin ka, Shio~rei do,, To-zan, mean-
ing, that it was made by the old-established potter
Shiorei do, Tozan, Kutani, Great Japan.

Painted upon common modern porcelain. Ku-tani

Sei Itsu-kio do, meaning, made in Kutani by Itsukio do.
274 KAGA.

1L *
Painted upon late period ware. Nip-pon, Ku-tani,
>x> U-zan made
Sei, meaning, by Uzan, Kutani,
Japan.

Painted upon good middle period ware. Ku-tani

Sei; it is not clear whether the lower charac-
ter signifies the name of the maker or whether
the mark should read — made in Kutani.

ft
^h
Painted upon modern egg-shell porcelain. Dai
yg>* q Nip-pon, Ku-tani Sei, meaning, made in Kutani,
jjbfe. Japan.

«_
** Painted upon good late period ware. Ku-tani,
Iwazo Sei, meaning, made by Iwazo, Kutani.

Painted upon good middle period ware. Kutani,

Kio-ku zan Zo, meaning, made
t by Kiokuzan,
Kutani.
 KAGA. 275

Painted upon middle period ware. Ku-tani,

U-zan, meaning, Uzan, the maker, Kutani.

Painted upon choice late period ware.

Ku-tani, Sei-kan Zo, meaning, made by
Seikan, Kutani.

Painted upon modern polychromatic ware

of inferior character. Ku-tani, Shio-zo, Shiozo

being the maker's name.

Painted upon modern ware of inferior

character. Dai Nip-pon, Ku-tani, Tin-zan
Zo, meaning, made by Tinzan, Kutani,
Great Japan ;
the character at the foot
of the inscription is the monogram of the
maker.
 SATSUMA.
276

Painted upon the tray illustrated in Plate XV. Fu-

ha-so-do Hitsu, meaning, painted by Fuhaso do the ;

character at the foot is the painter's monogram.

I Engraved upon faience of fair age. To-gan, the

JJLl name of the maker.

Painted upon the choicest faience. Ran-zan, the

name of the maker.

>>\

iT Painted upon choice faience. Matsu-daira, Satsu-ma

Kami, being the name of the Prince of Satsuma,
Matsudaira Satsuma no Kami.

f
 KIOTO. 277

Impressed upon the green teabovvl of Raku ware

illustrated in Plate XXVI. Raku, meaning enjoy-
ment, comfort, ease and pleasure.

Another rendering of the word Raku, impressed

upon the brown teabowl in the Plate named.

Another rendering of the word Raku.

Impressed upon the koro illustrated in Plate

~2>fCm\
i&^jj XXV. Yei-raku, the name of the maker.

Impressed upon the teabowl A, illustrated in

Division 2 of Plate XXVI. Yei-raku, the name

of the maker.

Painted upon the cup D, illustrated in the same

division as the preceding example. Zb Yei-raku,
Dai Nip-pon, meaning, made by Yeiraku, Great
Japan.

Painted upon Kioto porcelain decorated in the

Kinrande fashion. This mark is the same as the
preceding one.

Impressed upon the vase of Raku ware illustrated

in Plate XXVI. Kiu-raku, the name of the maker.

M M
 KIOTO.
278

Painted upon ware made

half of the
during the first

Shisui
eighteenth century by
Kenzan of the Narutaki Kiln,
in imitation of the celebrated

productions of Nonomura
Ninsei. Ken-zan, the name
of the maker.

Painted upon modern faience

of the most ordinary descrip-
tion. Nip-pon, Kio-to, Kin
Ko-zan Zb, meaning, made by
Kin Kozan, Kioto, Japan.

upon the stag,

Engraved
illustrated in Plate XXXI.
Nagami Iwao Kore wo tsukuru,
meaning, Nagami Iwao made
this.
 KIOTO.
279

Impressed upon faience of great excellence.

Usetsu, the name of the maker.

1 Impressed upon faience of various kinds.

zan, the name of the maker.
Tai

Impressed upon the hibatchi illustrated in Plate

XXIV. Tai-zan, the name of the maker.

Impressed upon faience of high class. Tai-zan,

Awata, the name of the maker and of the
district in which he resides.

Impressed upon the water-pot illustrated in

Plate XXV. Kin Ko-zan, the name of the
maker.

Painted upon faience of various kinds. Set

Tan-zan, Nip-pon, meaning, made by Tanzan,
Japan.
280 KIOTO.

^ Impressed upon the highly-prized faience made

iC by Takahashi Dohachi about the year 1820.
Do-hachi, the name of the maker.

¥ Impressed upon faience of fair style. Bi-zan,

the name of the maker.

Impressed upon faience made by Nonomura

i£ Ninsei during the latter half of the seventeenth

century. Ninsei, the name of the maker. This

mark has been extensively forged lately.

Impressed upon common faience. Matsu-moto,

*k
the name of the maker.

Impressed upon common faience. Kin-un-ken,

jfe^
the name of a factory.

Impressed upon pottery. Kio-midzu, the name

of one of the districts of Kioto in which pottery
is made.

<** Dai
3^ Painted upon porcelain decorated in blue.
H Nip-pon, Shichi-bei Sei, meaning, made by Shichibei,
Great Japan.

Painted upon modern pottery. Zo Shu-hci, Dai

Nip-pon, meaning, made by Shuhei, Great Japan.
 OWARI. 2i>I

Painted upon porcelain decorated in

colours. Dai Nip-pon, Rokn-be-ye Sei,
meaning, made by Rokubeye, Great
Japan.

Painted, in a sunk panel, upon

the plaque illustrated in Plate
XXVIII. Nip-pon, Se-to, Kawa-
moto Masu-kichi Sei, meaning,
made by Kawamoto Masukichi,
Seto, Japan.

I ft Painted upon porcelain decorated in

odours. O-chi Ken, Na-go.ya, Fuji-

1 %
sima Sen-ta-ro Sei, meaning, made
by Fujisima Sentaro, Nagoya, Ochi
Ken the latter words probably are
;

the name of the factory at which the

o ware was made.
282 OWARI.

Painted upon porcelain decorated in blue. Masu-

kichi Sei, meaning, made by Masukichi.

Impressed upon porcelain decorated in the

Kinrande fashion, Yei-raku, the name of the
maker.

Painted upon porcelain decorated in blue. Masn-

kichi Sei, meaning, made by Masukichi.

Painted upon porcelain decorated in blue. Nip-

pon, Se-to, Kawa-moto Han-suke Sei, meaning,
made by Kawamoto Hansuke, Seto, Japan.

ft *f ft Painted upon porcelain decorated in blue. Kawa-

moto Masu-kichi sei, Sei, meaning, made by
Kawamoto Masukichi, best make.

Painted upon porcelain decorated in brown and

blue. Dai Nip-pon, Se-to, Ka-to Han-jen Sei,
meaning, made by Kato Hanjen, Seto, Great

^7 Japan.

Painted upon porcelain decorated in colours.

Nip-pon, Se-to, Ka-to Kishi-ta-ro Kore zvo tsukuru,

meaning, Kato Kishitaro made this at Seto,
Japan ;
the mark at the side reads, O-nono Ko-
machi no-zu, meaning that the subject depicted
is a portrait of Onono Komachi, a celebrated

poetess.
 BANKO. 283

Painted upon faience. Jiu, meaning, lon-

93 gevity.

Painted upon faience. Fuku, meaning,

prosperity, luck, and so forth.

Painted upon faience. Roku, meaning,

happiness.

Painted upon faience. Jiu, meaning, lon-

gevity.
Note. —The three words, Fuku, Roku, Jiu,
together, signify Good fortune.

Painted upon faience. Another form of

Fuku.
284 BANKO.

Impressed upon Banko ware. Ban-ko, the name

of the ware.

Impressed. Another form of the word Banko.

Painted upon the ware, but this method is seldom

used. Ban-ko.

Impressed upon one of the teapots illustrated in

Plate XXX. Gan-do Gin Zb, meaning, made by
m Gando Gin the small square marks signify Banko,
m ;

and the larger one is the monogram of the maker.

Impressed upon the teapot made by Mori, illustrated

in Plate XXX. Ban-ko Senshu Yo-fu ken, meaning,
Banko made at the Yofu factory ;
the word Senshu

signifies permanency.

Impressed upon the Mori teapot referred to above.

Yo-fu ken Shu-zin, meaning, that the article was
made by the Master of the Yofu factory. The
character at the foot of the stamp is the monogram
of the maker.

Impressed upon pottery. The upper mark is Ban-ko,

and the lower one, Nip-pon, Yu-han ; the whole
meaning that the article is Banko ware, made by
Yuhan, in Japan.

Impressed upon the teapot referred to above. Mori

uji, meaning, the Mori family, by whom the article

was made.
 TOKIO. 28=1

Painted in Tokio upon porcelain made in Mino.

The characters to the right signify Tokio, those
*!•**
rt %>$
in the centre state that the painting represents
A view of Atagoyama, and the seal to the left
is the monogram of the painter.

This mark is of a similar character, the view

represented being that of the Sumida river at
Tokio.

Painted upon Hizen porce-

lain. Dai Nippon, Tokio,
Ginkoshia Otagi Kowsai
oite

saigas, meaning, painted by

Otagi Kowsai, in the Gin-

koshia workshop, Tokio,
Great Japan.

Painted upon egg-shell porcelain made at Arita.

% To-kio, Yama-moto Shu-gets ga, meaning, painted

1 by Yamamoto Shugets, Tokio.

ft Painted upon Owari porcelain. To-kio, O-ka-wa,

Ichi-raku ga, meaning, painted by Okawa, Ichi-

raku, Tokio ;
the character at the foot of the
mark is the monogram of the
& painter.
286 TOKIO.

n
& Painted upon modern faience. To-kio, Oka-tada Zo,
meaning, made by Okatada, Tokio.

%
%
Painted upon modern faience. To-kio, Sei Simauchi
I Shin-zan ga, meaning, made in Tokio, painted by
Simauchi Shinzan.

^ Painted upon the jars illustrated in Plate XXVII.

To-kio, Cho-getsu ga, meaning painted by Chogetsu,
2 Tokio.

>7s

- v Painted upon the basin illustrated in Plate XXIV.

—^ : To-kio, Matsu-moto Ho-yen ga, meaning, painted by
Matsumoto Hoyen, Tokio.

f-
 VARIOUS FACTORIES. 287

Engraved upon Bizen ware. Kichi, the name of

the maker.

Engraved upon Bizen ware. Chio, the name of the

maker.

Painted upon Mino porcelain. The mark of the

maker.

Impressed upon Idzumo faience. Ungsui, the name

of the maker.

3 Impressed upon Asahi ware. Asa-hi, meaning, Morn-

ing light, the name by which the ware is known.

Impressed upon Soma ware. So-ma, the name of

the ware.
>j?>

Impressed upon Soma ware. Kin-sige, the name

of the maker.

Impressed upon the dish of Kishiu ware illustrated

w in Plate XXX.
at the factory of
San-raku ken Sei, meaning, made
Sanraku.

Impressed upon choicest Celadon ware. Nanki, Zui-si

Dd, meaning, made by Zuisi, in Nanki, which is the
Chinese name for the province of Kii.

Painted upon Aidz porcelain. Fosei ken Zo, meaning,

made at the factory of Fosei.

Impressed upon the dish of Idsumi ware illustrated

in Plate XXX. Senshu, Sa-kai, Hon Minato yaki
Kichi-yemon,meaning, Original Minato ware, made
by Kichiyemon, Sakai in Senshu.
SETOMONO.
 INDEX.
Abino Jassima, 44. Awagi, 235.
Seimei, 44. at Philadelphia Exhibition, 235.
Absence of date or reign marks, 137. illustrated, Plate XXIX.
Acano Zittei, cloisonne tray by, 229. Satsuma and Awata ware resembles, 235.
Accentuation of floral designs, 25. Awata, 206, 209.
Aidz ware, 247, 287. large exportation of its ware, 209.
Akahada ware, 252. sent to Tokio for decoration, 21 1.

Akaye-machi, 148. specimens of, Plates XXIV and XXVII.

Akazu, 230, 256. principal makers of, 210.
figure illustrated, Plate XXXI. ware thought to be Satsuma, 209.
Akita crest, 12. ware with metal cloisons, 211.
Amakusa clay, 153.

Amateratzu-ogami, 88. Badger, 46.

Ame-no-minaka-nushi, 88. Baking pottery, 123.
Ameya settled in Kioto, 202. time required for, 123.
changes his name, 204. Bamboo, 19, 35.
Anatomical studies proved, 65. flower-pots, 23, 35.
Ancient blue and white, 125. longevity of, 35.

examples of Japanese ware, 251. ornamental uses of, 35.

Ancient Japanese chronicle, 121, 147. Banko, 240, illustrated, Plate XXX.
Ape, 46. Kichibeye, 241, 245.
Applied decoration of pottery, 130. marks, 283.
Arita, see Hizen also. pate, qualities of, 241.
discovery of clay at, 113. ware imitated at Nihomatzu, 243,
district of, 124. Bartlett, W. Esq., Kiku ware, 144.
noble specimens of ware, 152. Beasts in Japan, Kaempfer on, 42.

temple lamps, from, 124. Beauty, goddess of, 98.

vases, from, 124. Beck, Ernest, Esq., Kaga, 194, 195.
wares made at, 135. Beck, Joseph, Esq., Hizen ware, 158.
imitated in Himeji, 237. Satsuma, 174, 178*.
Art of Kioto, 199. Bengara red, introduced from China, 208.
Artists of Kioto, 119. Benshi, Kozawa, 246.
Artistic treatment of
" Old
Japan," 141. Benten, 98.
Asagao, 28. Benzaiten, 90, 98.
Asakusa, 246. Bimsio, 98,
Asahi, 251. Bird, fabulous, Ho-ho, 60.
Asiu crest, 12. Birds, favourite subjects, 72.
Athletic sports, 65. illustrated, Plates IX and X.
Audsley, G. A., Esq., Satsuma, 177. skill in representation of, 37.

Kioto, 220. Bisjamon, 90, 10 1.

Audsley, W. J., Esq., Satsuma, 179. Biwa, lake, 249.
August II., King of Poland, 115. Bizen, antiquity of manufacture at, 235.
Awa, 252. different wares made at, 236.
2go INDEX.

Bizen, illustrated, Plates XXXI, XXXII. Chinese Kylin or Kirin, 57.

old, 236, 256, 257, modern, 236. blue, 126.
Black cap of rank, 95. ware imitated, 208.
Blue and white china. 32. Chiubei, Takeuchi, 229.
decoration, 1
13. Chiusa, settlement of Corean potters in, 163
Hawthorn ware, 145. Chogetsu, 219.
Hizen ware, 145. Chojiro Tanaka, 204.
nature of, 124. descendants of, 205.
ware of Arita, 124. Choniu, 205.
Book of New six seasons, 76. Chronicle, ancient Japanese, 121, 147.
Botan, 26. Chrysanthemum, 19, 24.

Bouquets, 21, illustrated Plate VII. Clay props, 145.

Bowes collection — Arita, 160. Amakusa, 153.
Awagi, 253. various, used in Owari, 226.
cloisonne tray of Acano Zittei, 229. Tsuchi, 166.
early Satsuma, 164. Cloisonne enamel at Paris Exhibition of 1867, 1.

figures by Takahashi Dohachi, 208. on porcelain at Nagoya, 228, 229.

Hizen, 155. practised at Tokio, 229.
Kaga, 183, 188, 191, 193, 194, 195. tray, by Acano Zittei, 229.
Kioto, 202,206,213,216,217,218,220,221,222. Cocks, 42.
Kishiu, 244. Collection of dishes at Dresden, 143.
Ko Takatori, 237. Coloured enamels on Owari ware, 228.
Ninsei ware, 206. Comb-teeth ware, 155.
plaques of Owari, 227, 23 1. Contentment, god of, 96.
Satsuma, 170, 172, 174, 176, 177, 178. Convolvulus, 19, 28.
stoneware and earthenware figures, 256, 259. Coral, 51.
Yatsushiro and other wares, 254. Corea, probable existence of pottery in, 129.
Boys, festival of, 76. Corean origin of Japanese pottery, III.
Buddha, representation of, 69, 101. potters, 163, 164.
Buddhism introduced into Japan, 112. Rikei, 248.
Buddhist Inferno, 102. Costume in Japan, 68, 69.

Bumppei, Shimidzu, 207. Crackled porcelain of Hizen, 153.

Butsu-dan, 96. Crackling of Satsuma ware, 166.
Button, illustrated, 49. Crane, 37, 73, 257.
Buzen, 252. Ksempfer's account of, 38.
Creation depicted, 87.
Caricatures, 50. of Japan, 88.
Carnation, 19. Creeping plants, 19.

Carp, 51. Crests of Japanese Princes, 12.

Celadon ware, 113. Hizen, 133.
Ceremony of tea drinking, 21, 187 202, 203, 236. Kaga, 181.
Ceremonial bouquets, 21, drawings of, Plate VII. Kiku, 191.
Chajin, 205. Kiri, 30.

Chanoyu, 21, 187, 202, 203, 236. Owari, 223.

Charm of Raku ware in tea drinking, 205. Satsuma, 161.
Chatsworth, Kiku ware at, 144. The Shogunate, 233.
Chawangaha de Higashi yama, 207. The Tenno, 25, 30.

Cherry blossom, 76.

Chikugo crest, 12. Daiboudhs, statue of, 69.

factory at, 252. Daikoku, 90, 94, 257, 259.

Chikuzen, 237. Dai-Nippon, 107.
ware illustrated, Plate XXXII. Daily food, god of, 95.
Chimerical animals, 53, illustrated Plate VIII. Dairi, costumes of, 201.
China and Japan, difference of art of. 4, 129. Dalgetty, F. G., Esq., Arita ware, 152.
similarity of blue ware, 126, 129. Date marks, absence of, 137.
Chinese art, foundation of Japanese, 112. Decoration, applied, 130, 142.
 INDEX. 291

Decoration, Kinrande, 208. Egg-shell ware, how made, 122.

of Banko, 242. at Vienna, 153.
of Japanese ware, 129. clay used in, 153.
of old Hizen, 142. made at Mikawachi, 153.
of Satsuma, 167. made at Mino, 245.
Sometsuke, 227. painting of, 153.
various styles of, 113. manufacture commenced, 153.
when applied, 123. Elephant, a Buddhist emblem, 47, 58.
Decorative art, 61, 62. Embassy, presents made to Dutch, 139.
altar painting, 68. Emblems of longevity, 59.
Ruskin on, 63. Emma-oh, 103.
Deities of good fortune, 89. Emperor's crests, 25, 30.
Delineation, graphic, 61, 77. Enamels, cloisonne made at Owari, 228.
of the nude, 68. Hizen, 127.
Demons portrayed, 102. Kioto, Kaga, and Satsuma, 128.

Demonology of Japan, 105. Owari, 228.

Denshichi, Kanzan, 207. Experiments of early potters, 163.
Deshhna, Dutch confined to, 114, 137. Expressiveness of Japanese art, 66.
Devil fish, 51. Expulsion of the Portuguese, 114, 137
Devonshire, Duke of, Kiku ware, 144. proclamation of, 138.
Dexterity of Japanese artists, 43. Extirpation of Christian religion, 1 14.
Diapers, Japanese 8. European influence on Owari ware, 228.
specimens of, Plate II.
Differences between Chinese and Japanese decora- Fabulous animals, 53.
tions, 128. bird, Ho-ho, 60.
Dishes at Dresden, 143. Factory, Dutch removed to Deshima, 137.
Districts, best producing, 124. Factories :
—
Dohachi, Takahashi, 207. Akayemachi, 148.
figures made by, 208, 260. Akazu, 230.
Domestic fowls, 42. Arita, 113, 124, 125, 135, 268.
Doubtful antiquity of some Japanese wares, 252. Asakusa, 246.
Dragons, 53. Awa, 252.
Japanese and Chinese, 53. Awagi, 235, 253.
Kaempfer on, 54. Awata, 206, 209.
Dresden Palace, Japanese collection, 2, 115. Bizen, 235, 256, 257.
Hizen ware in, 140, 156. Buzen, 252.
specimens of applied decoration, 130. Chawangaha de Higashiyama, 207.
Dress, Japanese costumes in, 69. Chikugo, 252.
New Year's sermon on, 41. Chikuzen, 237.
Dried fish, presented, 47. Chiusa, 163.
Ducks, 40. Echigo, 252.
Dudley, Lord, Arita ware, 152. Fosei. 287.
Dutch trade, 1 14. Foukohira, 148.
confined to Deshima, 114, 137. Foukowoka, 237.
embassy, physician to, 139. Ginkoshia, 287.
indignities suffered by, 139, Gojozaka, 207, 208, 209.
trade in pottery from Deshima, 139. Hagi, 248, 255.
trading settlement in Hizen, 137. Harima, 237.
Dwarfing trees, 20. Higo, 238.
Himeji, 237.
Eagles, 40. Hinekoba, 148.
Earliest importations of pottery from Japan, 140. Hirado, 135.
Early Satsuma ware, 164. Hirose, 135, 148, 149.
Earthenware figures and stoneware, 256, 259. Hizen, 113, 115, 116, 127, 135, 263.
Echigo, 252. Hokao, 135, 148.
Edinburgh, H.R.H. the Duke of, 184, 190. Hongo, 243.
292 INDEX.

Factories — continued : Factories — continued :

Ichinokura, 245. Nansenzan, 266.

Ichinose, 135* 148. Narutaki, 206, 278.
Idsumiyama, 148. Nawashirogawa, 163.
Idzumi, 239. Nihomatzu, 243.
Idzumo, 239. Ochi, 281.
Iganomura, 235. Ohi, 187.
Imado, 246. Ohokawachi, 135, 148, 155, 258, 259.
Imbe, 236. Ohotaru, 135, 148.
Inaki, 230. Omi, 248.
Inuyama, 230, 255. Oribe, 226.
Ise, 240. Osaca, 250.
Itsukio, 273. Ota, 168, 247.
Iwaki, 243. Owari, 117, 124, 225.
Iwashiro, 243. Rikuzen, 252.
Iwaya, 148. Sado, 252.
Iwayagama, 155. Saisin, 267.
Iyo, 252. Sakai, 239, 255, 287.
Jeetsju, 120, Sanda, 249.
Kachio, 271. Sanraku, 287.
Kaga, 120, 127, 183. Sanuki, 252.
Kagoshmia, 163. Sasayama, 250.
Kameyama, 249. Satsuma, 120, 128, 163, 276.
Kanasawa, 184. Seiko, 249.
Kankohira, 148. Senshiu, 255.
Karatszu, 154. Seto, 124, 125, 225.
Keizan, 243. Setsu, 205, 249.
Kii, 244. Shiba, 168.
Kinun, 280. Shida, 135.
Kioto, 118, 124, 125, 127, 199. Shigaraki, 248.
Kiyomidzu, 207, 208, 209, 280. Shimodzuke, 252.
Koriyama, 252. Shinano, 252.
Ko-Shida, 135. Shiragawa, 148.
Koto, 249. Shirno Toyohara, 238.
Kummumenura, 245. Shitori, 250.
Kuromouda, 135, 148. Sobaramura, 237.
Kutani, 183, 269. Suwota, 147.
Kuwana, 241. Tajima, 252.
Madsuye, 239. Tajimi, 245.
Matsumoto, 248. Tamba, 250, 258.
Mikawa, 252. Tawara, 251.
Mikawachi, 135, 148, 154. Terai, 184.
Minamikawara, 148. Teshi, 249.
Mino, 244. Tokio, 205.
Mito, 250. Tokonabe, 230.
Musashi, 245. Tosa, 250.
Mutsu, 247. Totomi, 250.
Nagahira, 148. Toyourayama, 248.
Nagano, 248. Tsumakimura, 245.
Nagasaki, 153, 268. Uji, 251.
Nagato, 248. Ureshino, 147.
Nagoya, 229, 230. Uyeno, 240.
Nakamura, 243. Wakayama, 244.
Nakanohira, 148. Yamashiro (province), 202, 251.
Nakataru, 148. Yamashiro (town), 184.
Nangawara, 135. Yamato, 251.
 INDEX. 293
Factories — continued :
Fukurokujin, 257.
Yofu, 284. Fusiyama, 80.
Yokkaichi, 241. illustrated, 82.
Yokohama, 168, 247.
Yoshida, 135. Gama-sennen, figure of, 257, 260.
Zeze, 249. Gan, 42.
Zomokuan, 151, 266, 267, 268. Gando gin, 255.
Zoshun, 265. Gantaro, 226.
Falcons, 40. Gardening, 20.
Fans, drawings on, 78. Gen, 239.
Favourite subjects of artists, 48. Genius and talents, god of, 97.
Festival of boys, 76. Geometric patterns, 12.
of Tenabata, 76. Getaha, 249.
of girls, 76.
Genpin ware, 226.
of happiness, 24, 76.
Gilding of Kaga ware, 185.
of Saibo, 77. Girls, feast of, 76.
of the new year, 76. Girogin, 93.
of the seasons, 75.
figure of, 209, 256, 260.
Fifteen sons of Benten, 99.
Giyogi, birthplace of, 239.
Figures on Hizen and Kaga ware, 68. inventor of potter's wheel, 113.
Fir tree, 19, 32. Glaze of Satsuma ware, 166.
and tortoise, 34. Glazed pottery first made, 154.
Firing pottery, 123. Glory, god of, 101.
First corporation of potters, III. God of contentment, 96.
Fish, dried, 47. of daily food, 95.
eaten alive, 48. of genius and talents, 97.
illustrated, Plate IX. of glory, 101.
representation of, 49, 73. of long life, 93.
Fishermen, a nation of, 47. of punishment, 102.
Flat surfaces, ornamentation of, 10. of riches, 94.
Floral decorations of Owari ware, of thunder, 106.
125.
Flowers, use of in decoration, 19. of war, 106.
Fonblanque, E. B., quoted, 80, 83. of wind, 106.
Foo, 60. Gods, household, 89.
Forgeries of old works at Shiba, 246. illustrated, 90.
Forty- leg, 54. Goddess of love, beauty, and wealth, 98.
mountain, 55. Godo Saijiro, 183.
Foukohira, 148. Goeku-do-gen-y6, 76.
Foukowoka, 237. Gojozaka potters, 207, 208.
Fourth festival, 76. Gonbei, 239.
Fowls, domestic, 42. Gonzayemon, Tamora, 183.
Fox, 43. Good fortune, 283.
demons, story of, 44. seven deities of, 89.

Franks, A. W., Esq., Kiku ware, 144. Goose, wild, 42.

Hizen ware, 159. Gorobei, 226.
Ninsei ware, 206. Gorodayu Shonsui, 113.
Kishiu ware, 244. Gosai, 113.
French direction of cloisonne enamel, 229. Gosuke, 226.
Fret patterns, 6. Kato, 245.
illustrated, Plate I. Gonbei, 239.
Frog saint, figure of, 257. Government, Japanese, Reports, 121.
Fudo, 102. Graesse, Dr., 115.
Fuji, 27. Grapes, bunch of, 78.
Fujina ware, 239. Graphic delineation, 61.
Fuku marks, 265, 283. Grasses, 19.
Fuku-ju so, 76. artistic delineation of, 36.

N N
294 INDEX.

Grained wood decoration, 241. Hizen, paper weights of, illustrated, 150, 151.
Great Japan, 107. principal factories, 135, 147, 148.
Greek fret pattern, 7. productions of, 117.
vases imitated in Owari, 228. ports of, 135.
Grimsdale, Dr., Kioto jars, 221. settlement of Dutch in, 137.

Grotesque in Japanese art, 6. Tamikichi's visit to, 226.

transparent porcelain of, 152.

Hachi kan zigoku, 104. ware at Dresden, 115.
Hachizo, 237. wares, illustrated, Plates XII. to XIV.
Hagi, 76, 248, 255. Hoffmann, Dr., translation by, 121, 147.
Hampton Court Palace, old Japan at, 126. Ho-ho, 60.
Hanjen, 227. and Kirin, 57.
Hansuke, 226. Hokao, 135, 148.
Kawamoto, 227. Hoki Toyosuke, ware by, 230.
Happiness, festival of, 76. Hongo, 243.
Hara Kari committed by Kanyemon, 115. Horse, 43, 71, 79.
Harima, 237. figure of, 258.
Harvey, Enoch, Esq., Kioto jars, 219. Hotei, 90, 96, 230, 249, 256.
Hasu, 28. Household gods, 89.
Hawthorn pattern, 32, 126, 145. Hoyen Matsumoto, 214.
origin of, 126. Hozan, 210.
Heizaimon, Kato, 245. Human figure delineation, 64.
Hena, 76. Humorous in Japanese art, 6.

Henderson collection, Hizen ware illustrated, Hydrangea, 19, 28.

ISO. I 5 I-
Heraldic badges of Daimios, 12. Ichiniu, 205.
Hibi yaki, 113. Ichinose, 135, 148.
Hicone crest, 12. Ichinokura, 245.
Hideyoshi, 203. Idzumi, 239.
High reputation of Kawamoto Hansuke, 227. ware illustrated. Plate XXX.
Higo, 238, 254. Idsumiyama, 117, 121, 148.
ware, plate XXX. Idzumo, 239.
Himeji, 237. Iga, 240,
Hine koba, 148. Iganomura kiln, 235.

Hirado, first settled, 1 14. Ikeda Yasujio, 153.

ware, 154 Imado, 246.
Hiro-se, 134, 148. Imari, a principal port of Hizen, 135.
ware made at, 149. different factories of, 135.
Historical records, 32. plaque, 9.
History of Japan, 88. ware, 117.
Hitasuki, 236. yaki or work, 147, 148.
Hizen, basins of, illustrated, Plate XIV. Imbe ware, 236.
blue and white, 145. Imitation of old Hizen, 144.
crackled porcelain, 153. of Satsuma, 168, 169, 209, 246, 247, 248.
crest of Prince of, 133. Imperial crests of Japan, 24, 25, 30, 142.
dishes of, illustrated; Plate XIII. Inaki, 230.
egg-shell ware, 150, 152. Inari, god of foxes, 44.
enamels used, 127, 152. Incrusted ornamentation, 143.
factories founded, 113. Indignities suffered by Dutch, 139.
gourd-shaped bottle, illustrated, Plate XII. Inferno, Buddhist, 102.
hawthorn ware, 145. Inlaid metal pattern, imitated, 228.
its geographical position, 135. Inscriptions on Banko ware, 241, 254, 255.
marks, 263. Insects, 51, 74.
modern, decorated with lacquer, 152. Intercourse between Japan and China, n 2.
" Old "
Japan made in, 140. Introduction of pure porcelain, 113.
paintings on, 68. Inuyama factory, 230.
 INDEX. 295

Inuyama ware, illustrated, plate XXX. Kaempfer, on dragons, 54.

Inventor of potter's wheel, 113. on ducks, 40.
Iris, 19, 28. on first settlement, 1 14.
Ise, 240. on foo or ho-ho, 60.

Ivory skeleton, 65. on god of daily food, 95.

Iwaki, 243. on Hizen, 136, 147.
Iwakurazan, 210. on Kaga, 120.
Iwao, Nagami, 256. on Kioto, 118.
Iwashiro, 243. on kirin and kylin, 57.
Iwaya, 148. on seijin, 56.

Iyo, 252. on suugu and kait su, 58.

Iza-na-gi, 88. on tailed tortoise, 59.

Iza-na-mi, 88. on Yebis, 95.

Kaga, position of, 120, 183.

Jacquemart, quoted, 140, 146. Bengara red, 208.

on " Old Japan," 141. crest of Prince of, 181.

Japan, creation of, 88. egg-shell porcelain, 186.

Buddhism introduced into, 112. gilding of, 185.
China, difference in art of, 4. manufactures commenced, 120, 183.
keramic art of, III. marks, 269.
real history of, 88. paintings on, 68.
red sun of, 131. polychromatic ware, 187.
Japanese art, almost a thing of the past, 52. red enamel of, 127.
artists, dexterity of, 43, 78. scarcity of old, 184.
at Paris, exhibition of 1867, I. ware, 120, 181.
in 1878, 229, 247 ware, first made, 183.

blue, 126. ware improved by Yeiraku, 208.

characteristics of, 4. wares, illustrated, Plates XX to XXIII.
chronicle, old, 131, 147. Kagoshima, settlement of potters in, 163.
decorative, 61. Kagura, 188.
delineation of drapery, 69. Kait su, 58.
early knowledge of, 2. Kakitsubata, 76.
expressiveness of, 66. Kama Koura, temple of, 69.
introductory essay on, 1. Kame, 59.
irregularity in, 23. Kameyama, 249.
mythological or religious aspect of, 85. Kami, 88.
palace at Dresden, 115. Kami-dan, 96.
proclamation expelling Portuguese, 138. Kaminari saraa, 106.

quadrupeds, scarcity of, 42. Kanasawa, 184, 187.

sale of the Paris collection, 4. Kankohira, 148.
wares, first importations of, 114. Kashiro, 226.
Jarves, quoted, 69, 71, 86, 92, 96, 97, 99, 105. Kanyemon, his death, 115, 141.
Jebisu or Yebis, 95. Kanzan Denshichi, 207.
Jeetsju, 120. imitation of Kinrande work by, 209.
Jesuits, mission of, 1 14. Kaolin, 121.
Jimmu Tenno, 251. Kara-mono, 225.
Jiu, 285, Karatzu kiln, 154.
Jiukichi, 226. Karatzumono, 118, 154, 304.
Kashiu Minpei, 235.
Kaempfer, physician to Dutch embassy, 139. Sampei, 235.
fox legend from, 44. Kato Kichiyaemon improves Owari ware, 226.
on annual export, 139. family introduced porcelain in Mino, 244.
on beasts of Japan, 42. Shigezero makes imitation Greek vases, 228.
on Benten, 98. Shirozaimon, 113, 225.
on cranes, 38. Kawamoto, Hansuke, 227.
on Daikoku, 94. high reputation of 227.
2g6 INDEX.

Kawamoto, Masukichi, 124, 227, 232. Ko Hagi, 248, 255.

Kaze no kami, 106. illustrated, Plate XXX.
Keizan, 243. Seto, 225.
Kenjiu, 226. Shida, 135.
Kenya, Miura, 246. Shigaraki, 249.
Keramic art of Japan, 109. Takatori, 237.
Chinese origin of, III. Kohei, Kato, 245.
introduction of, III. Koi, 51.
wares, first importation of, 1
14. Koriyama, 252.
Kichiheye, Banko, 241, 245. Kosai, 28.
Kichiyaemon, Kato, 226. Koto, 76.
Kichizayemon (Chojiro family), 205. factory, 249.
Kii, 244. Kozan, Kin, 210.
Kiji, 40. Miyakawa, 168, 247.
Kiku crest, 25, 197. Nishiki, 210.
flower of happiness, 76. specimens of his work, Plates XXV and XXVII.
ware, 143, 160. Kozawa Benshi, 246.
Kiku-dzuki, 24. Kujaku, 41.
Kiku mon, 24, 25. Kumagai Yakichi, 245.
on old Japan, 142. Kummumenura kiln, 245.
Kilns, description of, 123. Kuni-soko-tatsino-mikoto, 88.
Kin Kozan, 210. Kurobe, Otowaya, 206.
Kinmodsui, 40. Kuromouda, 135, 148.
Kinrande decoration, 208. Kushide, 155.
derivation of name, 208. Kutani, 183.
style practised in Owari, 228. mark, forged in Owari, 228.
Kioto, productions of, 118. mark of, 187.
blue and white ware of, 125. Kuwana, 241.
establishment of potteries in, 118,200. crest, 12.
extent of trade, 118, 199. Kuzumi Morikage, 183.
faience, tray of, 90. Kylin, Chinese, 57.
Ksempfer's description of, 118.

marks, 277. Lacquer ware, fish in, 49.

red enamel of, 127. ornamentation of pottery by, 130, 152.
shipped as Satsuma, 169. Lake Biwa, 249.
specimens, 213, 216, 217, 219. Leather ornamentation, 13.
ware, 197. illustrated, Plate III.
illustrated, Plates XXIV to XXVII, XXXI, Legends of the dragon, 54.
XXXII. of foxes, &c, 45.
Kiri, 29. Lespedza, 76.
mon, 30. Lily, 19, 28.
Kirin, 56. Lion, 57.
illustrated, Plate VIII. figures of, 258, 260.
Ki-seto, 226. Live fish eaten, 48.

Kishitaro, 226. Lobster, new year delicacy, 76.

Kishiu ware, 244. Longevity, emblems of, 59.
illustrated, Plate XXX. Long life, god of, 93.
Kiso, 151, 266, 267. Love, goddess of, 98.
Kisui, Shimidzu, 207. List of factories (see Factories).
Kitei, Waka, 207. of potters and painters (see Potters).
Kitsune, 43. of wares (see Wares).
Kiusiu, Portuguese landed at, 113.
island of, 135, 163. Madsuye, 239.
Kiyomidzu potters, 207, 208. Makaddo Yama, 55.
Kiyo-yaki d'Imaraku, 204. Makudzu, 247.
Ko Bizen, 236. Manufactories once unknown, 52.
 INDEX. 297

Manufacture of porcelain, 121. Mountain, sacred, 80.

March emblem, 76. Mushashi, 245.
Marks and monograms, 261. Mutsu, 247.
Banko, 283. Mutzubi-no-kami, 88.
Hizen, 263. Mythological aspect of Japanese art, 85.

Kaga, 269. roll, 56.

Kioto, 277. tales, 45.

Owari, 281.
Satsuma, 276. Nabeshima, Prince, 155.
Tokio, 285. Nagahira, 148.
Various, 287. Nagami Iwao, 256.
Maruya Sahei, 207. Nagano, 248.
Mashimidzu Zoroku, 207. Nagasaki, a principal port of Hizen, 116, 135.
Masks, theatrical, 66. exports from, 135.
Masukichi, Kawamoto, 124, 227, 232. inferior, 153.

Matsmoto, 210. modern, 117, 153.

Matsu, 32. removal of factory to, 1 14.
Matsumoto, 248. ware, paintings on, 69.
Matsuzaimon, 226. Nagato, 239, 248, 255.
Matsura, 147. Nagoya, port of Seto, 225.
May emblem, 76. Nakamura, 243.
Medallions, use of, 17. Naka-no-hira, 148.
illustrated, Plate VI. Naka-taru, 148.
Medicine from foxes' lungs, 44. Nangawara, 135.
Miaco, Ksempfer's description of, 118. Nanki, 244.
Midzu Koshi Yosobe, 207. Nankin ware, 126.

Migakite, 236. Nanbu crest, 12.

Mikado, city of, 119, 199. Naruse Waruku, 246.

presents, 116, 155. Narutaki kiln, 206.
pottery made for, 202. Native account of Japanese religion, 88.
religious laws concerning, 200. Nature, study of by Japanese artists, 5.
Mikawa, 252. Nawashirogawa, settlement of Corean potters
Mikawachi, 135, 148, 153, 154. at, 163.

Minato, 239. New year sermon on dress, 41.

Minami-kawara, 148. festival, 76.
Miniature gardens, 20. Nihomatzu, 243.
Mino, 244. Nine valleys, 183.
Minogame, 59. mark of, 187.
Minor provinces, 233. Ninigi-no-mikoto, 88.
Minpei, Kashiu, 235. Ninsei, 205, 209.
Mishima, 238. forgeries of his mark, 206.
Miszho-no-Kuni, 88. source of his clay, 249.
Mito, 250. Nishiki Kozan, 210.
Miura Kenya, 246. Nishi-no-miya, temple of, 96.
Miyakawa, Kozan, 247. Nishikide decoration, 113, 141, 143.
Mokume, 241. derivation of, 208.

Monkey, 46. Nonomura Ninsei, 205, 209, 249.

Monzaimon, 226. pupil of, 250.
Monograms, marks and, 261. Nonko, 205.
Mooke, 59. Nude figure drawing, 68.
Moonlight, studies of, 75.

Mori, 242, 255. Octopus, 51.

uji, 242. Odo, 250.
Morikage, Kuzumi, 183. Ohi ware 187,
" "
Morning light bowl, 251. Ohokawachi, 135, 148, 155, 258, 259, 260.
Mosuke, Kato, 245. illustrated, Plates XXXI, XXXII.
298 INDEX.

Ohotaru, 135, 148. Personification of the sea, 98.

Old Bizen, 236. Peony, 19, 26.
Oldest Japan ware in Europe, 137. Petrosilex, 121.
Old Japan, 1 16. Pheasants, 40.
at Dresden, 115, 125, 140. Philadelphia Exhibition, Awagi ware at, 235.
at Hampton Court, 126. Banko ware at, 241.
illustrated, Plates XII, XIV. Physician to Dutch embassy, 139.
made at
Hizen, 140. Pierced ornamentation, 143.
peculiar artistic treatment of, 141. Pine-wind plaque in Bowes collection, 231.
quality of, 126. Pipe-case holder, illustrated, 49.
Omi, 248. Plaques of Owari, 227, 231.
Ondori, 42. illustrated, Plate XXVIII.
Oni, 260. Plum, 19.
Oosiu-Tsumi, III. Poetical inscriptions incised on Ise Banko,
Oribe, 226. 255-
Origin of Benten, 98. Polychromatic Kaga ware, 187.
Ornamentation of flat surfaces, 10. Porcelain, manufacture of, 121.
in lacquer, 130. cloisonne enamel on, 229.
pierced or reticulated, 143. how baked, 123.
Osaka, 250. painted or enamelled, 127.
Oshi kamo, 40. plaques inserted in Banko, 241.
Ota, 168, 246. Portuguese discoverers, 113.
Otaksa, 28. expelled from Japan, 114, 137.
Otori, birthplace of Giyogi, 239. factory at Nagasaki, 116.
Otowaya Kurobe, 206. proclamation of expulsion, 138.
Ovens,how heated, 123. Potters and painters :
—
Owadzima crest, 12. Acano Zittei, 229.
Owari, chief town in, 225. Ameya, 202.
coloured enamels, 228. Banko Kichibeye, 241, 245.
crest of Prince of, 223. Bizan, 280.
European influence in, 228. Chio, 287.
floral decorations of, 125. Chogetsu, 219, 286.
improved by Kichiyaemon, 226. Chojiro family, 205.
introduction of pottery, 225. Choniu, 205.
marks, 281. Fuhaso, 276.
potteries, 117, 223. Fujisima Sentaro, 28.
wares, how distinguished, 124. Gando gin, 255, 284.
wares illustrated, Plates XXVIII, XXX, Gen, 239.
XXXI. Giyogi, 113, 239.
wares improved by Yeiraku, 208. Godo Saijiro, 183.
Gonbei, 239.
Painters and potters (see potters). Gorodayu Shonshui, 113.
at Tokio, 247. Hachizo, 237.
Palm tree, 19. Hansuke, 226.
Pan-ko, 88. Hichiozan Shinsen, 268.
Paper weights of Hizen ware, illustrated, 150, Higuchi, 266.
»5«- Hoki Toyosuke, 230.
Paris Exhibition of 1867, Japanese art at, 1.
Hokufo, 270.
of 1878, 229.
Hoyen Matsumoto, 214, 286.
Kaga ware first shown, 120, 184. Hozan, 210.
sale of collection, 4. Ichiniu, 205.
Paste, how made, 121. Ide, 276.
of old Hizen ware, 142. Ikeda Yasujio, 153.
Paulownia imperialis, 19, 29. Itsukio, 273.
Peacock, 41. Iwakurazan, 210.
Peculiar artistic treatment of " Old Japan," 141. Iwazo, 274.
 INDEX. 299
Potters and painters —continued : Potters and painters — continued :

Kato Family of Owari: — Otowaya Kurobe, 206.

Gantaro, 226. Rikei, 248.
Gorobei, 226. Riozen, 208.
Gosuke, 226. Ki sampei, 1 13.

Hanjen, 227, 282. Riyoniu, 205.

Hansuke, 226. Rokubeye, 281.
Jiukichi, 226. Sahei, 205.
Kanshiro, 226. San Ho, 265.
Kenjiu, 226. Saniu, 205.
Kichiyaemon, 226. Sasaki Sokei, 204.
Kishitaro, 226, 282. Seifu Yohei, 207.
Matsuzaimon, 226. Seikan, 275.
Monzaimon, 226. Shimidzu Bumppei, 207.
Shigezero, 226. Shimidzu Dohachi, 207.
Shirozaimon, 113, 225. Shimidzu Kisui, 207.
Tamikichi, 226. Shimidzu Rokuzo, 207.
Kato Family of Mino :
— Shimidzu Shichibei, 207, 280.
Gosuke, 245. Shiozo, 184, 272, 275.
Heizaimon, 245. Shiorei, 272, 273.
Kohei, 245. Shisui Kenzan, 206, 278.
Mosuke, 245. Shuhei, 280.
Kashiu Minpei, 235. Simauchi Shinzan, 286.
Kashiu Sampei, 235. Sisi, 267.
Kawamoto Masukichi, 124, 227, 232, 281, 282. Soniu, 205.
Kawamoto Hansuke, 227, 282. Sumato Tomihei, 235.
Kanzan Denshichi, 207, 209. Taizan, 2IO, 213, 216, 220, 221, 279.
Kichi, 287. Takeuchi Chiubei, 229.
Kichiyemon, 255. Tanniu, 205.
Kichizayemon, 205. Tanzan, 210, 219, 28 1.
Kin Kozan, 210, 216, 220, 221, 278, 279. Takahashi Dohachi, 207, 208, 260, 280.
Kinoshita Naomasa, 272. Tanaka Chojiro, 204.
Kiokuzan, 270, 271, 274. Tinzan, 275.
Kiso, 149, 266, 267, 268. Togan, 276.
Kiuraku, 218, 277. Tokio painters, 247, 285.
Kinsige, 287. Tokoniu, 205.
Kozan Miyakawa, 168, 247. Tomimura Kanyemon, 115, 141.
Kozawa Benshi, 246. Tomora Gonzayemon, 183.
Kumagai Yakichi, 245. Toshiro, 225.
Kuroku, 272. Tozan, 270, 272, 275.
Kuzumi Morikage, 183. Tsuji, 210.
Maruya Sahei, 207. Ungsui, 287.
Mashimidzu Zoroku, 207. Usetsu, 279.
Matsmoto, 210, 280. Uzan, 274, 275.
Midzu Koshi Yosobe, 207. Waka Kitei, 207.
Miura Kenya, 246. Wakanetsu hiko no mikoto, 251.
Mori, 242, 255, 284. Yamaka, 268.
Nagami Iwao, 256, 278. Yamamoto Shugets, 285.
Naruse Waruku, 246. Yeiraku, 186, 207, 208, 216, 218, 228, 273,
Nishiki Kozan, 210. 277, 282.
Nonko, 205. Yoshitaya, 184.
Nonomura Ninsei, 205, 249, 280. Yuhan, 284.
Okatada, 286. Yu-usedzu, 241.
Okawa Ichiraku, 285. Zengoro, 207.
Oosiu-Tsumi, 3. Zuisi, 244, 287.

Otagi Kowsai, 285. Potter's wheel, inventor of, 113.

300 INDEX.

Potter's wheel, its use, 122. Royal Collection at Dresden, Hizen bottle from,
Pottery, applied decoration of, 130. 156.
Pottery, glazed, first made, 154. Rulers, spiritual, 88.
Prescott's history of Conquest of Peru, quoted, Ruskin, on decorative art, 63.
201.
Presents made to Dutch embassy, 139. Sacred Mountain, 80.
Primitive man, 88. Sado, 252.
Prince of Hirado, 154. Sahei. 205.
of Nabesbima, 155. Maruya, 207.
ol Sinra, III. Saijiro,Godo, 183.
Princes' crests, 12. Sakai, 239, 255.
Principal processes in manufacture, 147. Saibo, 77.
producing districts of Japan, 124, Sampei Kashiu, 235.
Proclamation expelling Portuguese, 138. Sanda kiln, when established, 249.
Profitable nature of Dutch trade, 139. Saniu, 205.
Props, clay, distinctive of Japan porcelain, 145. Sanraku, 255.
Prosperity, symbols of, 33. Sanuki, 252.
Provinces, minor, 233. San zu no Kane-baba, 103.
Punishment, god of, 102. Saru, 46.
Pure porcelain introduced, 113. Sasaki Sokei, 204.
Pythagorean doctrines, 42, 45. Sasayama, 250.
Satsuma crest, 12, 161.
Quadrupeds, representation of, 46. geographical position of, 120, 163.
Quickness of imagination, 78. manufacture commenced, 121, 163.
marks, 276.
Raised incrusted ornamentation, 142. Princes of, 121, 163.
Raku ware, 202, 204, 205. ware of, 161.
localities where made, 205 Awata mistaken for, 209.
Rawdon, Mrs., Kiku ware, 144. decoration of, 167.
Real history of Japan, 88. early, 164.
Red enamels of Kioto and Kaga, 127. imitations of, 168, 169, 209, 246, 247, 248.
Red sun of Japan, 131. illustrated, Plates XV to XIX.
Reeds, 19. Saxony, Elector of, 115.
Reign marks, rarity of, 137. Scarcity of old Kaga, 184.
Relief decoration of Hizen ware, 144. Scenery, drawings of, 84.
Religion of Japan, native account of, 88. Scolopendra, 54.
Religious aspect of Japanese art, 85. Seasons, Book of New six, 76.
laws respecting the Mikado, 200. festivals of, 75, 76, 77.
Removal of factory to Nagasaki, 114. illustrated, Plate XI.
Reports of Japanese Government, 121. Seaweed, 51.
Reptiles, 51. Seifu Yohei, 207.
Reticulated ornamentation, 143. Seiji yaki, 113.
Rhus vernix of Japan, 130. Seijin, 56.
Rice paste decoration, 130. Seiko, 249.
Riches, god of, 94. Sennen, 257, 259, 260.
Rikei, 248. Sermon, New year's, on dress, 41.
Rikiu, 203. Seto, 113, 124.
Rikuzen, 252. contemporary makers of, 226.

*Risampei, 113. exports cf, 227.

Riyo, 53- factories established at, 225.
Roku mark, 283. geographical situation of, 225.
Rokuzo, Shimidzu, 207. Kuro, 226.
Roll of flags, crests from, 133. settlement of Kato Shirozaimon, 225.
Royal collection at Dresden, 2, 115, 140, 141. Suke, 226.

Erroneously printed Risamper in the text.

 INDEX. 3OI

Seto, yellow, 226. Sotan, 249.

Setomono, 117, 154, 225, 288. South Kensington Museum, early Satsuma ware,
Setsu, 249. 1 55.
Settlement of Dutch in Hizen, 137. Collection, 252.
Seven deities of good fortune, 89. Dohachi figures, 208.
illustrated, 90. Ninsei ware, 206.
Shells, 51. Specimens, first arrivals of, 1 14.
Shiba, 246. Spiers, R. Phene, Esq., Kioto bottles, 221.
imitation Satsuma, 168, 246. Spiritual rulers, 88.
Shichibei, Shimidzu, 207. Sports, fondness for athletic, 65.
Shida, 135. Stag, figure of, 256.
Shigaraki, 206, 240, 248, 249. Stoneware, 117, 226, 236, 243, 248.
Shigezero, 226. illustrated, Plates XXXI and XXXII.
introduces Greek forms, 228. State tea drinking, 21.
Shimadzu Yoshihisa, 163. Statue of Daiboudhs, 69.
Shimidzu Bumppei, 207. Steenbrassem, 95.
Dohachi, 207. Story of origin of Benten, 98.
Kisui, 207. Studies of trees, 75.
Rokuzo, 207. of moonlight, 75.
Shichibei, 207. Sumida, 246.
Shimodzuke, 252. Sun god, 95.
Shinano, 252. of Japan, red, 131.
Shino ware, 226. Supernatural powers of animals, 45.
Shin Rokassen, 76. Suruga, 245.
Shiou-ro, 90, 93. Suugu, 58.
Shiozo, 184, 275. Suwota, 147.
Shirno Toyohara, 238, 254. Suzuki Yasubeye, 247.
Shiragawa, 148. Sweet flag, flower of May, 76.
Shirozaimon, Kato, 113, 225. Symmios Dai Miosin, 98.
Shisui Kenzan, 206.
Shishi, 58. Tai, 95, 96.
Shitori, 250. Taiko Sama, 203.
Shdgun, presents for, 155. crest of, 29.
burial place, 246. seal of, 205.
crest of, 233. Taizan, 210.
Taico Sama, 203. specimens of, Plates XXIV, XXV, XXVII.
Yosi Massa, 202. Tajima, 252.
Shoiki, 260. Tajimi, 245.
Shoou Shigakari. 249. Taka, 40.
Shuttlecock, used in new year's festival, 76. Takahashi Dohachi, 207.
Siebold on Japan, quoted, 2, 20, 33. figures made by, 208, 260.
Sigenari, Yasukawa, on Japanese religion, 8 ware illustrated, Plate XXXII.
Sinra, Prince of, III. Takatori, 237.
Skeleton, ivory, 65. ware illustrated, Plate XXXII.
Sketch books, Japanese, 84. Take, 35.
of manufacture of porcelain, 121. Takeuchi Chiubei, 229.
Skill, test of, 43, 78. Tako, 51.
Snakes, 51. Talents, god of genius and, 97.
sacred to Benten, 100. Tamba, 250, 258.
Sobaramura, 237. ware illustrated, Plate XXXI.
Soma crest, 243. Tamikichi's visit to Hizen, 226.
ware, 243. Tamora Gonzayemon, 183.
Sometsuke, 113, 154. Tanaka Chojiro, 204.
when first made in Kioto, 207. Tanniu, 205.
when first made in Owari, 226. Tanuki, 46.
Soniu, 205. Tanzan, 210.

O O
302 INDEX.

Tawara, 251. Variety in Japanese design, 52.

Tea drinking, ceremony of, 21, 187, 202. Various marks, 287. -

Temple of Yebis, 96. Vases from Arita, 124.

lamps from Arita,. 1 24. Vegetation, delineation of, 74, 78.
Tenabata, 76. Vienna Exhibition of 1873, 115, 125, 227.
Tenno, Jimmu, 251. Awagi ware at, 235.
Terai, 184. Votive pictures, 43, 71.
Teshi, 249.
Test of skill in drawing, 72. Wagenaar, his influence on early Japanese art,

Tetskai, 259. 141, 146.

Textile fabrics, 12. Waka Kitei, 207.
Theatrical masks, 66. Wakanetsu hiko no mikoto, 251.
Theological review, quoted, 103, 104. Wakayama, 244.
Three great producing districts of Japan, 124. Wall papers, 12, 15.
Thrower's wheel, 122. illustrated Plate V.
Thunder, god of, 106. Wares :
—
Tiger, 58. Aidz, 247.
Time required for baking pottery, 123. Akahada, 252.
" Illustrations of
Titsingh, Japan," quoted, 59. Akazu, 230, 256.
Todaiji, temple of, 113. Arita, 124, 268.
Tokio painted ware, 153. Asahi, 251, 287.
decoration of Awata ware, 211. Asakusa, 246.
marks, 285. Awagi, 235, 253.
painting of -egg-shell porcelain, 245. Awata, 206, 209, 213.
ware, copied at Kuwana, Ise, 241. Banko, 240, 254, 255, 284-
Tokonabe factory, 230. Bizen, 235, 256, 257.
Tokoniu, 205. Celadon, 117, 155, 228, 237, 244, 249, 287.
Tokugawa bestows name of Yeiraku, 208. Chikuzen, 237.
family crest, 233. Cloisonne, 211, 228.
Tokusen Yeiraku, 207. Corean, 251.
Tomimura Kanyemon, 115, 141. Egg-shell, 152, 186, 245.
Tortoise and fir-tree, 34. Faience, 165.
tailed, 59. Fugina, 239.
Tosa, 250. Gataha, 249.
Toshiro, settlement of in Seto, 225. Genpin, 226.
descendants of, 226. Gojozaka, 208.
Tossi-Toku, 90, 97, 260. Gosai, 113.
Totomi, 250. Hagi, 248.
Toyohara Shirno, 238, 254. Harima, 237.
Toyosuke, Hoki ware, 230. Hawthorn, 126, 145.
Toyourayama, 248. Hibi yaki, 113.
Tozan ware, 237. Higo, 238.
Transmigration, belief in, 45. Hirado, 154.
Trees, studies of, 75. Hirose, 149.
Tsuchi-yaki, 166. Hitasuki, 236.
Tsuji, 210. Hizen, 113, 135, 263.
Tsumakimura. 245. Idzumi, 239, 255.
Tsuru, 37. Idzumo, 239.
Iga, 240.
Uji, 251. Imado, 246.
Uma, 43. lmari, 117, 135.
Ume, 20, 31. Imbe, 236.
blue pattern, 146. Inuyama, 230, 255.
Ureshino, 147. Ise, 240, 254, 255.
Urushi-no-ki. 130. Iwaki, 243.
Uyeno, 240. Iwashiro, 243.
 INDEX. 303
Wares —continued : Wares —continued :

Jeetsju, 120. . Shiba, 168, 246.

Kaga, 120, 183, 269. Shino, 226.
do. Polychromatic, 187. Shitori, 250.
Kara-mono, 225. Shoou Shigaraki, 249.
Karatzumono, 118, 304. Siam, 204.
Kenzan, 206, 278. Soma, 243, 287.
Kii, 244. Sometsuke, 113, 226, 228.
Kiku, 143. Sotan, 249.
Kinrande, 208. Stoneware, 117, 226, 236, 237, 243, 248.
Kioto, 118, 199, 277. Takatori, 237, 259.
Ki Seto, 226. Tamba, 250, 258.
Kishiu, 244, 255. Tokio, 246.
Kiyomidzu, 208. Toyosuke, 230,
Kiyo-yaki d'Imaraku, 204. Tozan, 237.
Kushide, 155. Tsuchi-yaki, 166.
Kutani, 183, 269. Yatsushiro, 238, 254.
Ko Bizen, 236. Yedo-Banko, 246.
Ko Hagi, 248, 255. Yeiraku, 207, 208, 277.
Ko Seto, 225. Yenshiu Takatori, 237.
Ko Shigaraki, 249. Waruku, Naruse, 246.
Ko Takatori, 237. Washi, 40.
Lacquered, 130, 152,211,229. Walter, James, Esq., Satsuma ware, 164, 178, 179.
Manilla, 204. Water depicted, 85.
Migakite, 236. Waterlily, 19, 28.
Mikawachi, 153, 154. Wealth, goddess of, 98.
Minato, 239, 255, 287. White and blue ware, 125, 145.
Mino, 244. Wild goose, 42.
Mishima, 238. Wind graphically expressed, 77.
Mokume, 241. god of, 106.
Musashi, 245. Wistaria, 19, 27, 74,
Mutsu, 247. Wood, graining of, decoration, 241.
Nagasaki, 117,135,153,268.
Nagato, 248. Yakichi, Kumagai, 245.
Nihomatzu, 243. Yamashiro, 202, 251.
Ninsei, 206, 280. Yamato, 251.
Nishikide, 113, 208. Yasubeye, Suzuki, 247.
Odo, 250. Yasujio, Ikeda, 153.
Ohi, 187. Yasukawa Sigenari on Japanese religion, 88.
Ohokawachi, 155, 258, 259, 260. Yatsushiro, 238.
"Old Japan," 115, 116, 140, 263. illustrated, Plate XXX.
" Old
Japan," blue, 125, 145. Yebis, 90, 95.
Oribe, 226. chief temple of, 96.
Ota, 168, 247. Yeboshi, 95.
Owari, 117, 225, 281 Yedo Banko ware, 246.
Papier mache, 130. Yeiraku, 207.
Porcelain, 113, 121, 147, 206, 226, 245, 247. description of wares, 208.
Raku, 202, 205, 217, 277. illustrated, Plate XXVI.
Sanda, 249. imitated by Kanzan Denshichi, 209.
Satsuma, 120, 163, 276. influence upon Kaga ware, 186.
imitations of. 168, 169, 209, 246, 247, 248. influence upon Owari ware, 228.
Seiji yaki, 113. introduced Bengara red, 208.
Seto, 124, 125, 225. name first assumed, 208.
Seto-kuro, 226. red enamel, 127.
Setomono, 117, 225. Riozen, 208.
Seto-suke, 226. superiority of wares, 207.
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