234 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1892- 



cut off obliquely at the extremity. The straight edge is the cutting 

 edge. The Japanese knife (see Fig. 1) at first sight seems to be simi- 

 larly constructed. Its blade is, indeed, heavier, but it is mounted in 

 a somewhat similar handle, not split, however, but with only a slit 

 in it, into which the blade is wedged, and in which it is 

 held in place by a ferrule.* it is furthermore beveled 

 on oue side like Papillon's knife; but the bevel is on 

 the opposite side, and there is a bevel also along the 

 edge which forms an angle with the long edge of the 

 knife. This is necessary, because the cutting edge is 

 the short oblique one and not the long edge. That 

 this is so is apparent from the way in which the Japa- 

 nese wood-cutter holds the knife on PI. vi. 



It is worth remarking that Papillon's way of hold- 

 ing the knife differed radically from that of his Euro- 

 pean predecessors and of the Japanese wood-cutters 

 of to-day. Pig. 4, also taken from Papillon's second 

 «/W.^^^ ^» volume, illustrates this point. 



In the method of transferring the design to the 

 plank, we again find a close analogy; for although the 

 early wood-cut draftsmen of Europe in most cases, 

 probably, drew their designs directly on the wood 

 with pen and ink, it is well known also that some- 

 times the drawing was made on a sheet of paper and 

 pasted on the plank, face downward, in precisely the 

 way which is practiced in Japan at present. 



Still more curious, however, is the similarity be- 

 tween the instrument, "baren," used by the printers 

 of Japan, and the earliest contrivance for taking im- 

 pressions from cut blocks, of which mention is made, 

 so far as at present known, in a European book. The 

 " bareu " has the form of a little shield. In the treatise 

 on painting, written by Cennino Cennini da Colle di 

 Valdelse, towards the close of the fourteenth century, 

 chapter 17.3, entitled "How to paint on cloth with a 

 form," the following directions are given: A wood 

 block upon which the design has been cut is to be 

 charged with color. For this purpose a glove is to be 

 worn on the left hand, the color to be used is to be 

 spread on the palm of the hand, and the block is then 

 to be charged with the color, '•carefully, so that the 

 parts cut out do not fill up," the gloved hand doing 

 from h» -'Traite,- wee.) the office of a printer's ball. The cloth is now to be 

 laid on the block charged with color, and then, continues Cennini, "take 



A 



A 



IB 



Fig. 3. 

 The Knife used 

 Papillon. 



* Papillon also describes this arrangement, but prefers tbe one shown in Fig. 3. 



