678 THE JAPANESE NATION. 



tlie Japanese have never been surpassed. Their swords were almost 

 miracles of beauty and skilled workmanship, and there was a great 

 demand for them, as every Samauii wore two swords. 



The art treasures of Japan were first brought to our notice at the 

 expositions of London and Paris in 1862 aud 1867, of Yienna in 1873, 

 and of Philadelphia in 1S76. And it was the opinion of experts, " that 

 for beauty, grace, and perfection of workmanship, variety of form, and 

 novelty of design, they competed successfully in Paris with the best 

 products of Parisian ateliers, in Vienna, with Viennese specialties, 

 and in Berlin with the celebrated iron and bronze work of that capital," 

 while they could be sold at a price below that of European articles of 

 similar kind. 



But the environment was changed ; different and newer work espe- 

 cially designed for the European market called for and produced in 

 great quantities and this new demand, unfortunately, does not require 

 the taste, beauty, and delicacy which characterized the early produc- 

 tions. 



There is no better illustration of the modification in Japanese decora- 

 tive art resulting from outside influence than in the pottery known 

 commercially by the name u Satsuma." The Satsuma potteries have 

 been in operation for many centuries, and their products are highly 

 prized by the Japanese. The true Satsuma ware, such as is found in the 

 cabinets of Japanese collectors, is always small, of graceful form, with 

 simple decorations of flowers and birds so disposed as not to cover up 

 the delicate crackled glaze which they greatly admire. The Satsuma 

 ware most highly prized by many European and American collectors 

 is quite different, being usually in the form of large plaques or vases, 

 covered with elaborate, theatrical paintings of men and women, in 

 brilliant costumes, absolutely obscuring the color and texture of the 

 ware. Nor is it a product entirely of Satsuma, the decoration being- 

 applied in Tokyo and elsewhere. 



With the increase of the demand, the individual workman is giving 

 place to men and women crowded together in factories using machinery, 

 where the personality of the workman disappears. 



In considering the art of Japan and the great progress made in this 

 and other departments, we must bear in mind that this development 

 has been on lines in which the Japanese had formerly been distin- 

 guished, for they have accomplished little in any of the arts and sciences 

 introduced from Europe, excepting such as could be done by imitation. 

 Painting, music, architecture, and sculpture require time and the culti- 

 vation of the mind and taste. 



ARMY. 



The Japanese have always been a warlike people. Twenty-five years 

 ago Japanese soldiers were armed with bows and arrows, with a few 

 great, heavy, unwieldy muskets of the time of the Armada, wore huge 



