TEXTILE INDUSTRY. 381 



materials of the softest shading, or the most spirited designs ; in or- 

 naments of mingled gold and silver which do not so much imitate 

 nature as use her suggestions for new and fantastic forms — that they 

 excel anything brought to the Exhibition from European art looms." 



While the silk culture of Japan received a great impulse at the 

 opening of the new commerce and the restoration of Mikado-rule, 

 silk manufacture has been much and variously damaged thereby. 

 The cheap cotton and wool stuffs thrown upon the market from 

 foreign countries for several decades, compete constantly more 

 strongly with silk materials. Most of the velvet looms were obliged 

 fifteen years ago to suspend competition with the extraordinarily 

 cheap cotton velvets of Manchester. And it has come about that 

 the export of raw silk, beginning in 1859 and rapidly increasing in 

 succeeding years, to which that of silkworm eggs was soon added, 

 has had a great influence on the price of raw silk, which has risen 

 within a few years to ten or sixteen-fold. Many of the Japanese, 

 under such circumstances, found themselves obliged to give up their 

 custom of wearing silk clothing, and to use the much cheaper wool- 

 len and cotton material. 



Japanese silk industry on the other hand, with all its fine pro- 

 ducts, could not gain new markets of any consequence, for the 

 change from hand to machine weaving has not yet taken place 

 with them. They still work after their old fashion with hand- 

 looms, such as were used in Europe a hundred years ago. Even 

 the change from narrow breadths, especially in smooth fabrics, of 

 34 to 45 centimeters, to the greater widths common in Europe has 

 been accomplished but slowly, and is not even yet at all universal. 

 After the steam loom had begun to revolutionize the silk industry 

 in Europe, there could be no more Japanese competition.^ Not 

 until the example of Europe in this respect is followed will the 

 cheaper labour power and greater skill and aptitude avail to 

 put the Japanese on a new basis of competition with foreign coun- 

 tries in its silk industry. And that, of course, opens to house 

 industry no very inviting future. As the Filanda founded at To- 

 mioka in 1872 with its steam power rendered the small reeling es- 

 tablishments, which could no longer compete with it, gradually 

 useless, hundreds of web looms and those dependent upon them 

 will be concerned in the new manner of silk manufacture. 



Kioto takes now, as for many centuries past, the first place in 

 Japanese silk industry, with her figured silks of all kinds, especially 

 gold wrought brocades, rich with flowers and other ornaments, her 

 figured damasks and crapes, reps, velvet, and other beautiful fabrics. 

 The weaving and dyeing establishments are located in the western 

 part of the city known as Nishi-jin, i.e., " West barracks," and are 

 constantly increasing. According to Bavier, there are 1,800 silk 



^ The Taiping Revolution gave silk weaving in China as well as art industry 

 of all kinds a shock from which the country has never fully recovered. Since 

 1854, the export has in no year reached its former amount. 



