the soul of the far east-第20章

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…like　leaves；　above　which　rise　in　majestic　isolation　the　solitary　flowers；　encircles　the　outer　rampart；　shutting　the　castle　in　as　it　might　be　the　palace　of　the　Sleeping　Beauty。　　In　the　delightful　dreaminess　that　creeps　over　one　as　he　stands　thus　before　some　old　daimyo's　former　abode　in　the　heart　of　Japan；　he　forgets　all　his　metaphysical　difficulties　about　Nirvana；　for　he　fancies　he　has　found　it；　one　long　Lotus　afternoon。

And　then　last；　but　in　some　sort　first；　since　it　has　been　taken　for　the　imperial　insignia；　comes　the　chrysanthemum。　　The　symmetry　of　its　shape　well　fits　it　to　symbolize　the　completeness　of　perfection　which　the　Mikado；　the　son　of　heaven；　mundanely　represents。　　It　typifies；　too；　the　fullness　of　the　year；　for　it　marks；　as　it　were；　the　golden　wedding　of　the　spring；　the　reminiscence　in　November　of　the　nuptials　of　the　May。　　Its　own　color；　however；　is　not　confined　to　gold。　It　may　be　of　almost　any　hue　and　within　the　general　limits　of　a　circle　of　any　form。　　Now　it　is　a　chariot　wheel　with　petals　for　spokes；　now　a　ball　of　fire　with　lambent　tongues　of　flame；　while　another　kind　seems　the　button　of　some　natural　legion　of　honor；　and　still　another　a　pin…wheel　in　Nature's　own　day…fireworks。

Admired　as　a　thing　of　beauty　for　its　own　sake；　it　is　also　used　merely　as　a　material　for　artistic　effects；　for　among　the　quaintest　of　such　conceits　are　the　Japanese　Jarley　chrysanthemum　works。　　Every　November　in　the　florists'　gardens　that　share　the　temple　grounds　at　Asakusa　may　be　seen　groups　of　historical　and　mythological　figures　composed　entirely　of　chrysanthemum　flowers。　These　effigies　are　quite　worthy　of　comparison　with　their　London　cousins；　being　sufficiently　life…like　to　terrify　children　and　startle　anybody。　　To　come　suddenly；　on　turning　a　corner；　upon　a　colossal　warrior；　deterrently　uncouth　and　frightfully　battle…clad；　in　the　act　of　dispatching　a　fallen　foe；　is　a　sensation　not　instantly　dispelled　by　the　fact　that　he　is　made　of　flowers。　　The　practice；　at　least；　bears　witness　to　an　artistic　ingenuity　of　no　mean　merit；　and　to　a　horticulture　ably　carried　on；　if　somewhat　eccentrically　applied。

From　the　passing　of　the　chrysanthemum　dates　the　dead　season。　But　it　is　suitably　short…lived。　　Sometimes　as　early　as　November；　the　plum…tree　is　already　blossoming　again。

Even　from　so　imperfectly　gathered　a　garland　it　will　be　seen　that　the　Japanese　do　not　lack　for　opportunities　to　admire；　nor　do　they　turn　coldly　away　from　what　they　are　given。　　Indeed；　they　may　be　said　to　live　in　a　chronic　state　of　flower…fever；　but　in　spite　of　the　vast　amount　of　admiration　which　they　bestow　on　plants；　it　is　not　so　much　the　quantity　of　that　admiration　as　the　quality　of　it　which　is　remarkable。　　The　intense　appreciation　shown　the　subject　by　the　Far　Oriental　is　something　whose　very　character　seems　strange　to　us；　and　when　in　addition　we　consider　that　it　permeates　the　entire　people　from　the　commonest　coolie　to　the　most　aesthetic　courtier；　it　becomes　to　our　comprehension　a　state　of　things　little　short　of　inexplicable。　To　call　it　artistic　sensibility　is　to　use　too　limited　a　term；　for　it　pervades　the　entire　people；　rather　is　it　a　sixth　sense　of　a　natural；　because　national　description；　for　the　trait　differs　from　our　corresponding　feeling　in　degree；　and　especially　in　universality　enough　to　merit　the　distinction。　　Their　care　for　tree　flowers　is　not　confined　to　a　cultivation；　it　is　a　cult。　　It　approaches　to　a　sort　of　natural　nature…worship；　an　adoration　in　which　nothing　is　personified。　　For　the　emotion　aroused　in　the　Far　Oriental　is　just　as　truly　an　emotion　as　it　was　to　the　Greek；　but　whereas　the　Greek　personified　its　object；　the　Japanese　admires　that　object　for　what　it　is。　To　think　of　the　cherry…tree；　for　instance；　as　a　woman；　would　be　to　his　mind　a　conception　transcending　even　the　limits　of　the　ludicrous。


Chapter　6。　　Art。

That　nature；　not　man；　is　their　beau　ideal；　the　source　of　inspiration　to　them；　is　evident　again　on　looking　at　their　art。　　The　same　spirit　that　makes　of　them　such　wonderful　landscape　gardeners　and　such　wonder…full　landscape　gazers　shows　itself　unmistakably　in　their　paintings。

The　current　impression　that　Japanese　pictorial　ambition；　and　consequent　skill；　is　confined　to　the　representation　of　birds　and　flowers；　though　entirely　erroneous　as　it　stands；　has　a　grain　of　truth　behind　it。　　This　idea　is　due　to　the　attitude　of　the　foreign　observers；　and　was　in　fact　a　tribute　to　Japanese　technique　rather　than　an　appreciation　of　Far　Eastern　artistic　feeling。　　The　truth　is；　the　foreigners　brought　to　the　subject　their　own　Western　criteria　of　merit；　and　judged　everything　by　these　standards。　　Such　works　naturally　commended　themselves　most　as　had　least　occasion　to　deviate　from　their　canons。　　The　simplest　pictures；　therefore；　were　pronounced　the　best。　　Paintings　of　birds　and　flowers　were　thus　admitted　to　be　fine；　because　their　realism　spoke　for　itself。　　Of　the　exquisite　poetic　feeling　of　their　landscape　paintings　the　foreign　critics　were　not　at　first　conscious；　because　it　was　not　expressed　in　terms　with　which　they　were　familiar。

But　first　impressions；　here　as　elsewhere；　are　valuable。　　One　is　very　apt　to　turn　to　them　again　from　the　reasoning　of　his　second　thoughts。　Flora　and　fauna　are　a　conspicuous　feature　of　Far　Asiatic　art；　because　they　enter　as　details　of　the　subject…matter　of　the　artist's　thoughts　and　day…dreams。　　These　birds　and　flowers　are　his　sujets　de　genre。　　Where　we　should　select　a　phase　of　human　life　for　effective　isolation；　they　choose　instead　a　bit　of　nature。　　A　spray　of　grass　or　a　twig　of　cherry…blossoms　is　motif　enough　for　them。　　To　their　thought　its　beauty　is　amply　suggestive。　　For　to　the　Far　Oriental　all　nature　is　sympathetically　sentient。　　His　admiration；　instead　of　being　centred　on　man；　embraces　the　universe。　　His　art　reflects　it。

Leaving　out　of　consideration；　for　the　moment；　minor　though　still　important　distinctions　in　tone；　treatment；　and　technique；　the　great　fundamental　difference　between　Western　and　Far　Eastern　art　lies　in　its　attitude　toward　humanity。

With　us；　from　the　time　of　the　Greeks　to　the　present　day；　man　has　been　the　cynosure　of　artistic　eyes；　with　them　he　has　never　been　vouchsafed　more　than　a　casual；　not　to　say　a　cursory　glance；　even　woman　failing　to　rivet　his　attention。　　One　of　our　own　writers　has　said　that；　without　passing　the　bounds　of　due　respect；　a　man　is　permitted　two　looks　at　any　woman　he　may　meet；　one　to　recognize；　one　to　admire。　　A　Japanese　ordinarily　never　dreams　of　taking　but　one；　if　indeed　he　goes　so　far　as　that；the　first。　　It　is　the　omitting　to　take　that　second　look　that　has　left　him　what　he　is。　　Not　that　Fortune　has　been　unpropitious；　only　blind。　　Fate　has　offered　him　opportunity　enough；　too　much；　perhaps。　　　For　in　Japan　the　exposure　of　the　female　form　is　without　a　parallel　in　latitude。　　Never　nude；　it　is　frequently　naked。　　The　result　artistically　is　much　the　same；　though　the　cause　be　different。　　For　it　is　a　fatal　mistake　to　suppose　the　Japanese　an　immodest　people。　　According　to　their　own　standards；　they　are　exceedingly　modest。　　No　respectable　Japanese　woman　would；　for　instance；　ever　for　a　moment　turn　out　her　toes　in　walking。　It　is　considered　immodest　to　do　so。　Their　code　is；　however；　not　so　whimsical　as　this　bit　of　etiquette　might　suggest。　　The　intent　is　with　them　the　touchstone　of　propriety。　In　their　eyes　a　state　of　nature　is　not　a　state　of　indecency。　　Whatever　exposure　is　required　for　convenience　is　right；　whatever　unnecessary；　wrong。　　Such　an　Eden…like　condition　of　society　would　seem　to　be　the　very　spot　for　a　something　like　the　modern　French　school　of　art　to　have　developed　in。　　And　yet　it　is　just　that　study　of　the　nude　which　has　from　immemorial　antiquity　been　entirely　neglected　in　the　Far　East。　　An　ancient　Greek；　to　say　nothing　of　a　modern　Parisian；　would　have　shocked　a　Japanese。　　Yet　we　are　shocked　by　them。　　We　are　astounded　at　the　sights　we　see　in　their　country　villages；　while　they　in　their　turn　marvel　at　the　exhibitions　they　witness　in　our　city　theatres。　　At　their　watering…places　the　two　sexes　bathe　promiscuously　together　in　all　the　simplicity　of　nature；　but　for　a　Japanese　woman　to　appear　on　the　stage　in　any　character；　however　proper；　would　be　deemed　indecent。　The　difference　between　the　two　hemispheres　may　be