JAPANESE ART. 337 



with gilded designs. Even the Munich Museum, 

 which justly prides itself upon the famous collection of 

 figures in ivoiy, produced in the last century by Simon 

 Troger, can show nothing to equal some of the old 

 Japanese carvings in character and execution. 



The silks of Japan are well known and appreciated, 

 although the Chinese perhaps surpass them in this 

 industry ; but in embroidery on silk, often grotesque 

 designs, Yeddo stands very high. 



Japanese conception of art is so unique that it 

 requires long study fully to appreciate their works ; 

 the designs, whether engraved or drawn, on silk or 

 paper, are always attractive, although they set to work 

 on quite a different principle to what our eyes are 

 accustomed to in Western Europe. They scout perfect 

 and pedantic symmetry, and rather delight in artistic 

 eccentricities. One of their favourite maxims of 

 decorating lacquer-ware, for instance, is to set the two 

 ends of a design play at hide and seek, by making it 

 turn a corner ; again, if two handles are required, as in 

 the case of the bronze vase already described, the 

 pattern being a dragon, one is adjusted head upper- 

 most, the other the reverse. In their pretty paintings 

 on silk we must not look for perspective; in all other 

 respects the designs are most life-Hke ; even their large 

 figures to cover screens are correct in outline, but 



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