424 ART INDUSTRY AND RELATED OCCUPATIONS. 



material, however, and of turning buttons and other articles of 

 jewelry on the lathe, is scarcely known. 



The Japanese designated Kin (gold), Gin (silver), Ruri (lapis 

 lazuli),^ Sangoju (coral), Meno (agate), Sui-sho (rock crystal), and 

 Shin-ju (pearl), after the precedent of Buddhism in China and Corea, 

 by the Sinico-Japanese expression Shippo (Jap. Nanatsu-no-ta- 

 kara), i.e.^ " the seven costly things." Of these seven, lapis lazuli, 

 fine coral and pearls are as little found in Japan as most of the 

 prominent precious stones. They are also very little imported, for 

 Japanese taste is distinguished from that of the Aryan orientals 

 and the Turks essentially in this, that it places little stress on 

 precious stones generally, and quite as little on finger rings, 

 bracelets, brooches, and other ornaments in which these precious 

 stones are used. Jewelry was neither made nor worn in Japan. 



The principal ornamentation of the Japanese girl, apart from the 

 dress and broad girdle, is concentrated on the head. It shows 

 itself besides, in the paint on the lips, throat and cheeks, especially 

 in the careful dressing and ornamentation of the lustrous black 

 hair with pins (Kanzashi and Kogai) and Kanoko-chirimen. 



The most valuable stone which Japan furnishes has always been 

 the rock crystal or Sui-sho (Seki-ye), i.e. "crystallized water." 

 The appearance of the Sui-sho-tama or Sui-shorin, i.e. balls of 

 rock crystal, which are cut out of colourless crystals reflecting 

 beautifully the forms of objects around, is an especial delight. 

 Their price increases with the purity and size of the stone, so that 

 those having an average diameter of from 6 to lo centimeters, cost 

 from 300 to 600 yen. The European imitations of these costly 

 rock-crystal balls in glass (Biidoro), are easy to distinguish by 

 their more or less strong bluish coruscation, their small conduct- 

 ibility of heat — in consequence of this, they feel less cold — and by 

 their greater softness. Nevertheless they have much influenced 

 the esteem and lowered the price of the genuine, and on this 

 account have set back very much the importance of the whole 

 industry. Therefore, it has happened as in Europe, since the de- 

 velopment of the glass industry and evidently through it, that 

 the polishing of costly vessels of rock crystal, such as are found 

 frequently in old collections, and which in the Middle Ages 

 formed an important branch of art industry, has been almost en- 

 tirely given up. 



The Japanese appear to have employed hollow-grinding only in 

 the softer marbles, but not in rock crystals. They still principally 

 make balls out of these (also for the valuable Buddhist rosaries or 

 Ju-dzu), lenses and dice, as well as beautiful watch charms of various 

 forms, buttons and other little articles, which can be bought, not only 

 in the factories, but also in Yokohama, Kioto and other cities. 



* Ruri is sometimes translated emerald. It signifies, however, "ultramarine 

 blue," and points decidedly to the amorphous lapis lazuli. 



