Japan and its Art. By Marcus B. Huish. (Fine Art
Society.) —Mr. Huish's aim is to produce a sketch of Japan, its life, manners, religion, and art, as portrayed for us in that art, and, we should add, from an artistic point of view. A glimpse at the historical chapter sufficiently indicates how completely Mr. Huish has followed his natural inclination. The European who has not visited Japan knows the Japanese only from pictorial representa- tions of themselves, and regards them in the same light and after the same manner as Leigh Hunt said most people did the Chinese ; moreover, the two races are still much confused. We are not depreciating the writer's knowledge when we say that those peoples will be greatly delighted with Japan and its Art. It might be written, at first sight, especially for them. There are, indeed, few who will not be pleased with Mr. Huish's bright and chatty manner, and the easy flow with which he describes the religion, the mythology, the domestic life, the festivals, the flora and fauna, and those branches of art in which the cunning Eastern has gained such wonderful mastery. Neither will the reader com- plain of the illustrations, which are really beautifully executed, sharp, and with fine relief, and give the book a value independent of the letterpress. We notice that very little space is devoted to porcelain and faience,—the writer alleging that there is no need for him to do this ; the real reason is that pottery has become obscured since the recent discovery of Japanese metal-work. We can unhesitatingly recommend Japan and its Art to all enthusiastic curio-lovers.
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