/tut 3,Ito.
JAPANESE EXHIBITION.
The room of the Old Society of Painters in Water Colours in Pall Mall is now occupied by a collection less artistic, indeed, in the English sense, but certainly more unique, than any which has appeared there before. This is a number of Japanese works of luxury and ornament, brought over by "the Dutch merchant who has permission annually to take the only European ship which trades with Japan " ; and comprises tables, cabinets, porcelain, bronzes, silks, basket-work, straw-work, screen- painting, and the like. Gorgeous indeed is the prismatic sparkling of the inlaid objects—some, and the choicest, in genuine mother-of-pearl, others in "enamel" imitation. Both, and especially the former, have a lu- minous radiance and suavity which place them on a level quite different from any English Brummagemism. The designs are chiefly of birds, flowers, and foliage, frequently with a piquant flow of line—now and then, with some quaint truth in action. The gold-lacquered articles, generally of a smaller size, match their greater sobriety of colour with something more of imitative precision in form. The straw-work is skilful, but with the ugliness of unaccommo- dating lines of colour-patterns; the porcelain in some instances exquisite ; the pictorial art, if it represents the powers of the art magnates or Royal Academicians of Japan, would indicate that that country is in this respect a step behind China. Then there are the curious bronzes, rare and antique, and funny little grotesques in white earthenware. The construc- tive forms of many of the objects, such as toilette-tables, or the furnishing of desks and dressing-eases, are on the turopean model. Altogether, the exhibition, which will be opened to public visiting on Monday next, is not less interesting and attractive than novel. The articles are on sale, at prices high, of course, in proportion to the rarity t nd the monopoly : 421. for an inlaid table ; 12/. for a little glove- box, which is certainly as beautiful and recherché a toy as can be, and is likely to be secured, we understand, for its fitting home, the museum of the Department of Science and Art. We dare say the collection will find a brisk enough sale, and that it will become, within a necessarily very small circle, a rage to be the possessor of something or other from Japan.
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