978 
THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
December 27, 1913. 
ORNAMENTATION IN THE 
JAPANESE GARDEN. 
The whole subject ef onnameutation in 
the Japanese garden is too complex for full 
consideration within the confines of a short 
article. Japanese gardening is an art 
elaborated to such a degree as to l^e 
practically beyond the scope of the average 
Eumpean garden-maker’s mind and craft. 
A wealth of material is drawn upon, many 
diverse phases are portrayed^ each sepa¬ 
rate feature has its own meaning, and yet 
fill are essential in a carefully-ordered 
scheme- 
into landscape gardening by the artists of 
those early times, and distinct positions 
were assigned to the various varieties. With¬ 
out going into all the different types, I may 
briefly name the Snow-scene, the Valley, 
and the Low Basin shapes among the dwarf 
lanterns; and theKasuga, Dragon, Shrine, 
Oribe, and Mile-post shapes among the tall 
lanterns. 
The lantem-head is carved out to receive 
an oil lamp, and the faint fitful light from 
these lamps, glimmering through waving 
Ohine^- pagodas, in simple style. They 
vary in height and design, and are usually 
made in three or five tiers but there is no 
fix^ rule as to the number. They are 
chiefly used on hillsides, and in ass<kiation 
with weather-worn rocks, gnarled and par¬ 
tially-stunted trees, and help to give an 
idea of a greater distance than really exists. 
The Water-basin lantern, always seen iii 
gardens in Japan, has, of course, its utili¬ 
tarian purpose, and if introduced into 
Anglicised Japanese gardens must be care¬ 
fully placed. The simplest type i.s that 
hollowed out of natural rock, and if this 
can be arranged so as to be supplied from a 
small cascade or a dripping well so much 
the better for the garden effect. 
However, there are other ornamental pat- 
ternsi, but I may say that the Stone Jar 
and the Stone Bottle shapes are very simple 
in design, and associate with the ordinary 
STONE LANTERNS IN THE JAPANESE GARDEN AT FANHAMS HALL, WARE. 
To assert that certain definite artistic 
objects in stone and bronze are necessary 
for a Japanese garden would be the greatest 
mistake imaginable. Everything depends 
upon the garden itself. The true Japanese 
garden may portray a mountain torrent, 
a wind-swept grassy moorland, a maple val¬ 
ley, an iris swamp, or even the Isles of 
Matsushima or the mountains around 
Nikko. Judge, then, how any set formula 
of ornamentation would answer for each 
and all of these ideas. 
However, a discussion of the various stone 
lanterns, etc., may do good. These lantems 
are chiefly in granite, though some are in 
bronze, and many of the latter are very 
elaborate. First utilised for the needs of 
the ancient Japanese temples, they pro¬ 
vided a fitting opportunity for the quaint 
artistry of the old-time workers in stone. 
At a very early date they were introduced 
bamboos, lighting up the branches of some 
dark pine, or catching the ripples of the 
lake, and turning them into scales of silver, 
is a very beautiful artistic touch. We may 
ultilise the taU lanterns by the sides of 
hills, or against a beautiful shrub or a 
grove of trees. The low lanterns are for the 
valleys, the water-sides, and foot-ways, and 
the broad-roofed Snow-scene lantems are 
modelled to catch and hold the flakes of 
falling snow. 
Hanging lanterns of bronze are used for 
suspending from the eaves of tea-houses 
and dwelling-houses, and are thus service¬ 
able for lighting the verandah. 
Bronze standard lanterns (often very 
beautiful) have no real garden value, and, 
with the Japanese, are devoted to temple 
service. Garden pagodas, or stone towers, 
are hewn out of similar stone to the garden 
lanterns, and are small reproductions of the 
shrubs, etc., of the Japanese garden. In 
the case of lanterns, w ater basins, pagodas, 
etc., there is also the inevitable association 
of stepping-stones. 
Then there are the bronze eagles, mon¬ 
keys, cranes, deer, etc. These are usually 
very fine productions, and perhaps the cranes 
are the greatest favourites with gm'deii- 
makers; but to my mind the best touch o 
beauty is the introduction of a pair of rea 
cranes, which are exquisite, especially if 
a garden arranged with waterways m ^ 
natural style. . 
Bronze and metal work are not j 
gardens in Japan, like stone and wcw 
work, so I would not urge their adoption 
here, but may I say that many of the 
ter pieces of the Japanese metal-workers 
would gi’andly grace an English hall, nm 
would associate splendidly with a bac 
ground of dark oak. P. S. Hayward- 
