Studio: international art (48.1910)

Nature Subjects in Japanese Design

sented three fans, one at the top, and
the others at the bottom. On the first
is a representation of a river (indicated
by a few wavy lines) with wild rose
blossoms scattered above, while in the
lower two fans are shown two streams
similarly treated, besides two flying
sanderlings on the left fan, and a kinuia
(a mallet block for fulling cloth) on the
right one. These objects, wild rose,
sanderlings, and the kinuia, are asso-
ciated in our minds with the traditional
views of the Three Tamagawas. Is it
not rather remarkable that in such a
limited space are encompassed views
of the five places most noted for natural
beauty ? There is another fine example
to verify my point, and that is the
well-known porcelain kugi- kakushi
(p. 127)—an ornament for concealing
the head of a nail, made by Ninsei
Nomura, a noted keramist who flourished

WRITING-CASE WITH " FUNAHASH1 " DESIGN, BY KOETSU HON NAM I

already noted, may be mentioned. But
I prefer to turn to the designs of applied
art, and see how far the above principle
is followed out therein. There may be
different methods of imparting the im-
pression of scenery to the representation
of objects of nature. Probably the
happiest method is to introduce moun-
tains, clouds, mist, the moon, water,
stones, or other similar objects. This
method has very often been resorted to
by Japanese artists in industrial designs.
The reader is referred to the sword
guard, here reproduced (p. 127), which
was carved by Shigeyoshi Umetada, a
celebrated worker in metals who lived
about the middle of the seventeenth
century. Here in this single piece are
carved views of the three noted rivers,
the Yoshino, the Tasuta, and the Three
Tamagawas. First, the idea of rivers
is suggested by the waves shown at the
top and bottom of the piece, then, on
the right and left sides respectively are
inserted a maple leaf and a cherry
flower. These are meant to indicate
the Yoshino and the Tatsuta, one being
noted for its cherry trees, and the other „ „n»™ ^«^«

. 3 ' BOX WITH YATSU-HASHI DESIGN BY KORIN OGATA

for its maples. Then there are repre- (Tokyo Imperial Museum)

130