June 30, 1906.]
apparently none of the neighbours thought the occasion called for their interference. It is to be thored the brutal assailants will soon be discovered and brought to justice. Happily Mrs. Aoki is as well as can be expected.
JAPAN'S FOREIGN TRADE.
OUTLOOK FOR THE YEAR.
With the restoration of peace the foreign trade of Japan is apparently recovering its normal condition. That is to say, the returns for the first five months of the year show that the import trade which exhibited great expansion during the war, is falling off, while exports are showing a remarkable increase Despite this, equilibrium between exports and imports has hardly been restored, the excess of imports over exports during the five months of the year amonating to some 43 million yen. This year's export trade, compared with last years, is as follows:-
1906.
1905. Increase.
yen.
yen.
yen.
March
April
May...
January 24,985,000 23,766,00 February... 26,487,000 24 631,000 35,485 00 23,632,000 28,810,000 24,402,0 0 30,671,000 22,954,000
Total
12,216,000 1,855,000 11,853,000 4,408,000 7,716,000
346,437,000 119,386,860 27,051,000 These figures are given according to the vernacular statement, but as is frequently the case with Japanese figures the total and the various items do not agree. As will be seen from the above, the exports show an increase in all months, the total increase over the corres- ponding period of last year amounting to 27 million yen. Below are given the figures for the import trade.
January February
Marob
April May
1906.
Хеп.
*
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
REVIEW.
Chinese Art by STEPHEN W. BUSHELL .M.G., B.Sc., M.D. London: Wyman & Sons, Ltd.
This volume, issued under the auspices of the Board of Education, South Kensington. Victoria and Albert Museum, which is the second of a series, deals with a subject of perennial interest to dwellers in the Far East. Dr. Bushell, who Majesty's Legation at was for many years Physician to His Britannio exceptional opportunities not only for collecting Peking, enjoyed Chinese works of art but also of studying all branches of Chinese art. That he did so to good purpose the present handbook on the Bushell gives pottery first place in bis review, subject sufficiently proves. Very properly Dr. and devotes the main portion of his space to this fascinating subject. Like several other in China, and quotes the adoption of its descrip. authorities he agrees that porcelain was invented
tion as "China" as indubitable proof of the as- samption. It is at least ortain that this class during the Han dynasty, of pottery was produced in the Central Kingdom more than two centuries before the birth of Christ,
Dr. Rushell gives a succinct and interesting review of the development of the ceramic industry in China from its origin and rias 10 the culminating epoch of the art, as he fitly terms it, in the Kang Hsi period, 1662-1722, this little history, instead of having to grope and the reader is able to follow, with satisfaction (as in some works on the subject), among dates facts they require. The illustrations, too, are and periods and Chinese characters, for the profuse and well arranged. There are no less than 135 of these, and 110 marks and seals are
given in addition. From these, which are fully and accurately described, a very good idea of 1905. Decrease. Chinese pottery on be obtained. The author Yen.
Yen. 34,223,000 38,261,00 4,038,000 the various styles, colours, and effects were lso goes into interesting details to show how 32;079,000 4,023,000 7,944,000.
8°cured. That the Chinese achieved such 42,741,000 32 365,000 9,614,000 admirable results during the Sung aud 43,727,000 50,453,000 7,725,000 Ming dynasties was undoubtedly due to the 37,803,000 57,133,000 18,330,000
personal interest taken in ceramics by Huni Wa, the first of the Ming sovereigus, several of the Emperors, more especially
and Kang Hsi, under whom, as before Lo'ed the art reached its zenith. regretted that more intelligent encouragement It is to be to further development has not been afforded to the industry at King-te-chen by the
Total... 189,575,000 238,228,000 48,652,000 The decrease of the imports during the five months, as shown above, amounted to 48 million yen which, in the opinion of the Nichi-Nichi, is not at all surprising considering the cessation of the importation of a large amount of military supplies which were required during the war. The principal increase is noticeable in a following articles of export :-
1905.
yen.
Increase.
yed. 919,0^0
degenerate successors of the great Kang Hsi.
The wonderful colours and effects in blue and
19 6.
white achieved in that period, of which the சஸ்.
celebrated hawthorn ginger jar in the Louis Habutai 12,472,000 11.552,000
Huth collection, recently sold for £5,000, is an Colton yarn 4,374,800
example, cannot be rivalled or even repeated in 3.107,000 1.267,0-0 these days, and many other ancient triumphs of Porcelain 2,854,000 1,804,00 1,049,000 | the art are out of the reach of the modern Raw silk 31,685.000 25,186,000 6,398 000 Copper 9,013,00 5,207,000 3,805,000 The trade in the art bles above mentioned was somewhat affected by the war and therefore more or less increase with the return of peace can hardly be regarded as remarkable progress. To what extent the varions articles of import have suffered may be seen from the following figures:
1906.
yon.
1905. Decrease. yen. yen.
Ban cotton
...50,136,000 58,841,000 8,704,000 Iron and steel... 5,500,000 6,973,000 1,472,000 Machinery 7,751,000 10,257,000 2,506,000 Locomotives,
carriages, &c. 478,000 2,084,000 1,606,000 Steamers
1,184,000 4,073,000 2939,000 Rice........ Когозере Leather
1,227,000 6,513,000 5,285,000 The importation of most of these articles has fallen off owing to the cessation of the war, while the decrease in rice is due to the large import made last year in consequence of the failure of the rios crop.—Chronicle.
17,434,000 35,205,000 17,770,000 .5,460,001 6 820,000 1.359,000
The Nanfangao says the Imperial Government has been telegraphically informed by Viceroy Ha Liang of Brechnen and the Imperial Resident Yu Tai of Tibet that the Szechnen Government has recently coined 8500,000 for use in Tibet to displace the Indian rupee hitherto in use there. These dollars are stamped with the picture of H. Į. M. Kuang Hsü.
:
efforts at King-te-chen are apparently now workman at the Imperial Potteries. The best
is neither originality nor improvement in any dire-ted to reproductions of old patterns; there
branch of the art.
is very interesting. Dr. Bushell thinks, with The chapter on glass is necessarily brief but reason, that the production of small objects of art in this material was originally, introduced into China from Persia. It seems that in modern times the great centre for the manuface ture of glass is Pu-shan, in Shantung province, where the glass is run into rods, and is sent to Peking, where it is worked up into snuff bottles tions shows into what various and elaborate and other small articles. A number of illustra- designs this material can be worked by laborious patience. Perhaps, however, this fact is even more signally demonstrated in the wonderful carvings in crystal and jade turned out by the Chinese, some of which could only be socom- plished by exhaustless patience and care.
-473
now produced is very inferior, and fine spwimens of the good ware of the time of Kien-lung are
rare.
The chapter on jewellery is brief, and will not appeal much to the Western reader, who will not find much to admire in Chinese methods in this department, Celestial taste in the arrangement of jewels being radiosily opposed to our ideas of what is tasteful or elegant.
To this succeeds a notice of Chinese textiles, embroidery and carpet. To the excellence readers will cheerfully bear witness, and of the and finish of Chinese embroideries most of our high antiquity of this art in the Central Kingdom there can be no, doubt. China was the first country to weave its silken webs into Įatterns, and for ages its development steadily progressed in excellence of finish and richness of design. Dr. Bushell tells us that a Chiness ceramic author estimates that no less than dynasty were taken from ancient brocades or two-thirds of the designs daring the Ming
embroidered silks, the remaining third being either derived from native or copied from old bronzes. European designers are perhaps more indebted to China than they are aware, for
wall hangings of paper imported from China as early as the middle of the sixteenth century by Spanish and Dutch- merchants and found their way to Great Britain before the end of the following century.
|
were
Of
The final chapter is devoted to the pictorial art. In China, as elsewhere, Dr. Bushell re- period of historical evolution. Its developmen, marks, painting has passed through a prolonged
has been mainly indigenous, although not with- out an occasional stimulus from the West. these allen influences that of the Buddhist others being for the most part of a transient faith has been the most importaut and enduring.
the lack of knowledge of perspective, the Chi- nature. In the subtlety of their colours, and
nese masters were much akin to the Japanese school. As Dr. Bishell truly remarks, the Chinese painters are first of all draughts. men and caligraphists. Into his criticism of Chinese painting, which is of consider. able length, we are unable, however, to meri's, in colouring, in poetic feeling, and in follow. That the Chinese school has its
the successful depicting of Nature none who but there is, to the Western mind, much that have paid any attention to the subject can deny, is cramped and stilted in the style, whilst in representation of animal life there is often
a touch of the grotesque. The Chinese A
pictorial art is, however, well worth study, and the interest grows with the application.
The volume is a most useful one, of a handy size, and well deserves a place in the growing literature on China.
FOREIGN MASTERS AND JAPANESE SHIPS.
16th.
ACTION OF THE N.Y.K.
Nippon Yusen Kaisha are being gradually The foreign captains in the service of the
dispensed with, says the Japan Chronicle of Jane
A vernacular contemporary observes that immediately pace was restored, the Nippon Yusen Kaisha appointed Captain Ono to the command of a steamer on the Seattle line, and now the Aki-maru and the Sado-maru are also under command of Japanese captains- Captain Kato. The steamers on the European the former by Captain Yagi and the latter by- and Australian lines are still commanded by foreigners, owing to the inexperience of Japan- ese captains in dealing with foreign passengers and their want of the knowledge of foreign lan guiger. Moreover, little confidence is as yet placed in Japanese captains by foreign insurance offices. A proposal" is on foot, however, to appoint Japanese captains to the command of steamers on the European line. The Iyo-maru made her last voyage under Captain Mie, Japanese, as an experiment in this direction.
From glass ware Dr. Bushell conducts his reader to the ensmelling art, and. dealing first with aloissonné, proceeds to describe the process as practised in Chios. The Chinese do not claim the independent invention of this art, and it is fairly evident that it was introduced through Arabs from Turkey. The The municipality of Kagoshima, Japan, gara Chinese cloissonné is, in our opinion, inferior | the British_naval visitors a mist elaborate to that of Japan, bat some of the Ming products,recepti n. In thanking the hosts, Admiral are very fine. Proof of this is afforded by the Moore, with pleasant sarcasm, stated that illustrations in the present work. The painted British squadron had a very warm reception at anamels of Canton are well known, but the work Eagschims 45 years ago.
P