tea-chests are heaped one above another at his side, and the perspective of
these is perfectly correct. A glass globe of gold fish, which have awakened
the hungry instincts of a oat that wistfully watches their movements in the
water, is among the piotures. A couple of chairmen, who have put down
their sedan to take their rest, are engaged lighting their pipes; and a professor,
seemingly of phrenology, is standing amid the paraphernalia of his
art, whatever it he, and is taking the measure with a pair of compasses of a
bald-headed disciple. All these scenes occur among the illustrations of this
little book. All show a humorous conception and a style of treatment far in
advance of the mechanical trash which sometimes composes the nursery
books found in our shops. A people have made some progress worth studying
who have a sense of the humorous, can picture the ludicrous, and good-
naturedly laugh at a clever caricature. The constant recurrence on the
margin of the pages of these Japanese books of what is usually called by architects
“ the Greek fret or border,” is certainly curious. We are surprised
by a classic form that we would not have expected to find an established
feature in Oriental art. Not less surprising also is it to find another architectural
form belonging to what is usually termed the “ Gothic ” style. If
the reader will turn to the end of chapter XXI. he will find, delineated on
a gong, the perfect representation of the trefoil of the modern architect; it
is an accurate copy from the original. Our artist has also sketched another,
in which the “ Gothic ” pattern is plainly seen. These are singular coincidences.
There is great scope for sculpture in the image-worship of the religion
of the Japanese, and, accordingly, statues of stone, metal and wood, abound
in the temples, shrines, and by the waysides. The mechanical execution
of these generally exhibits much manual skill, but none of them are to be
named as works of art. The wood carving is often exquisitely cut, and
when representing natural objects, particularly the lower animals and familiar
parts of vegetation, are often remarkably close to truth. The sculptured
cranes, tortoises, and fish, which are among the most frequent subjects
carved upon the entablatures and cornices of the houses and temples, were
continually admired for their fidelity to nature.
With the exception of a temple or a gateway here and there, which, in
comparison with the surrounding low houses, appeared somewhat imposing,
there were no buildings seen which impressed the Americans with a high
idea of J apanese architecture. The most creditable specimens of this branch
of art are found in some of the stone causeways and bridges which are often
built upon single bold Homan arches, and in design and masonry are equal
to the most scientific and artistic structures anywhere.
There were no printing establishments seen either at Simoda or Hako-
dadi, but books were found in the shops. These were generally cheap works
of elementary character, or popular story books or novels, and were evident