Studio: international art (57.1913)

Studio-Talk

“ YORYU KWANNON” (WOOD SCULPTURE). ISY
SEKINO SEIUN

flower paintings gave an unusual note of distinc-
tion to the exhibition, especially the careful studies
of Water-lilies and Roses. A beautiful drawing
in monotone entitled Garde?iia Roses by Lilian
Westcott Hale should be mentioned.

One of the rooms was devoted exclusively to the
display of fifty-one etchings and lithographs by Mr.
Joseph Pennell, quite a number of them being of
localities in Philadelphia which Mr. Pennell has
discovered. E. C.

TOKYO.—One of the most interesting ex-
hibitions recently held in Uyeno Park
was that of wood-carving by the members
of the Nihon Chokokukai, a society com-
posed of twelve more or less well-known sculptors
under the presidency of Okakura Kakuzo, the art
critic. It was particularly interesting, not only
because it was the first independent exhibition of
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the kind ever held in Japan, but also because it
showed marked progress in Japanese wood sculp-
ture as seen in some very excellent work. The
general tone*' of the exhibition bespoke sincerity
and earnestness of effort on the part of the artists
to give the very best of which they were capable.
A few groups were shown, such as Yamazaki
Choun’s Yamasodachi, depicting an old woman of
the mountains with a sturdy boy reared by her, and
Mori Hosei’s three laughing figures, Kokei Sansho.
Single figures, however, predominated, more stress
being laid upon the expression of the inward feeling
than on mere beauty of line. With one exception
all the work exhibited dealt with the human figure.
This exception was a carving of the Sacred Cow
which furnished milk for Buddha, a work admirably
executed in teak by Yamazaki Choun. Scarcely
any of the figures exceeded two feet in height, as
most of the pieces were designed as okimono,
ornaments for the tokonoma or post of honour in
the guest-room of the Japanese house.

“hagoromo, the moon maiden ” (wood

SCULrTURE). BY HAYASHI BIUN