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change　for　their　ruling　motive。　　It　is　hardly　necessary　to　draw　the

distinction　between　this　motive　and　that　of　the　Japanese。　　The

Japanese　motives　may　be　defined　as　uniqueness　and　position。　　And

these　were　not　known　as　motives　of　decoration　before　the　study　of

Japanese　decoration。　　Repetition　and　counter…change；　of　course；　have

their　place　in　Japanese　ornament；　as　in　the　diaper　patterns　for

which　these　people　have　so　singular　an　invention；　but　here；　too；

uniqueness　and　position　are　the　principal　inspiration。　　And　it　is

quite　worth　while；　and　much　to　the　present　purpose；　to　call

attention　to　the　chief　peculiarity　of　the　Japanese　diaper　patterns；

which　is　INTERRUPTION。　　Repetition　there　must　necessarily　be　in

these；　but　symmetry　is　avoided　by　an　interruption　which　is；　to　the

Western　eye；　at　least；　perpetually　and　freshly　unexpected。　　The

place　of　the　interruptions　of　lines；　the　variation　of　the　place；　and

the　avoidance　of　correspondence；　are　precisely　what　makes　Japanese

design　of　this　class　inimitable。　　Thus；　even　in　a　repeating　pattern；

you　have　a　curiously　successful　effect　of　impulse。　　It　is　as　though

a　separate　intention　had　been　formed　by　the　designer　at　every　angle。

Such　renewed　consciousness　does　not　make　for　greatness。　　Greatness

in　design　has　more　peace　than　is　found　in　the　gentle　abruptness　of

Japanese　lines；　in　their　curious　brevity。　　It　is　scarcely　necessary

to　say　that　a　line；　in　all　other　schools　of　art；　is　long　or　short

according　to　its　place　and　purpose；　but　only　the　Japanese　designer

so　contrives　his　patterns　that　the　line　is　always　short；　and　many

repeating　designs　are　entirely　composed　of　this　various　and

variously…occurring　brevity；　this　prankish　avoidance　of　the　goal。

Moreover；　the　Japanese　evade　symmetry；　in　the　unit　of　their

repeating　patterns；　by　another　simple　device　…　that　of　numbers。

They　make　a　small　difference　in　the　number　of　curves　and　of　lines。

A　great　difference　would　not　make　the　same　effect　of　variety；　it

would　look　too　much　like　a　contrast。　　For　example；　three　rods　on　one

side　and　six　on　another　would　be　something　else　than　a　mere

variation；　and　variety　would　be　lost　by　the　use　of　them。　　The

Japanese　decorator　will　vary　three　in　this　place　by　two　in　that；　and

a　sense　of　the　defeat　of　symmetry　is　immediately　produced。　　With

more　violent　means　the　idea　of　symmetry　would　have　been　neither

suggested　nor　refuted。



Leaving　mere　repeating　patterns　and　diaper　designs；　you　find；　in

Japanese　compositions；　complete　designs　in　which　there　is　no　point

of　symmetry。　　It　is　a　balance　of　suspension　and　of　antithesis。

There　is　no　sense　of　lack　of　equilibrium；　because　place　is；　most

subtly；　made　to　have　the　effect　of　giving　or　of　subtracting　value。

A　small　thing　is　arranged　to　reply　to　a　large　one；　for　the　small

thing　is　placed　at　the　precise　distance　that　makes　it　a　（Japanese）

equivalent。　　In　Italy　（and　perhaps　in　other　countries）　the　scales

commonly　in　use　are　furnished　with　only　a　single　weight　that

increases　or　diminishes　in　value　according　as　you　slide　it　nearer　or

farther　upon　a　horizontal　arm。　　It　is　equivalent　to　so　many　ounces

when　it　is　close　to　the　upright；　and　to　so　many　pounds　when　it　hangs

from　the　farther　end　of　the　horizontal　rod。　　Distance　plays　some

such　part　with　the　twig　or　the　bird　in　the　upper　corner　of　a

Japanese　composition。　　Its　place　is　its　significance　and　its　value。

Such　an　art　of　position　implies　a　great　art　of　intervals。　　The

Japanese　chooses　a　few　things　and　leaves　the　space　between　them

free；　as　free　as　the　pauses　or　silences　in　music。　　But　as　time；　not

silence；　is　the　subject；　or　material；　of　contrast　in　musical　pauses；

so　it　is　the　measurement　of　space　…　that　is；　collocation　…　that

makes　the　value　of　empty　intervals。　　The　space　between　this　form　and

that；　in　a　Japanese　composition；　is　valuable　because　it　is　just　so

wide　and　no　more。　　And　this；　again；　is　only　another　way　of　saying

that　position　is　the　principle　of　this　apparently　wilful　art。



Moreover；　the　alien　art　of　Japan；　in　its　pictorial　form；　has　helped

to　justify　the　more　stenographic　school　of　etching。　　Greatly

transcending　Japanese　expression；　the　modern　etcher　has　undoubtedly

accepted　moral　support　from　the　islands　of　the　Japanese。　　He　too

etches　a　kind　of　shorthand；　even　though　his　notes　appeal　much　to　the

spectator's　knowledge；　while　the　Oriental　shorthand　appeals　to

nothing　but　the　spectator's　simple　vision。　　Thus　the　two　artists

work　in　ways　dissimilar。　　Nevertheless；　the　French　etcher　would

never　have　written　his　signs　so　freely　had　not　the　Japanese　so

freely　drawn　his　own。　　Furthermore　still；　the　transitory　and

destructible　material　of　Japanese　art　has　done　as　much　as　the

multiplication　of　newspapers；　and　the　discovery　of　processes；　to

reconcile　the　European　designer　…　the　black　and　white　artist　…　to

working　for　the　day；　the　day　of　publication。　　Japan　lives　much　of

its　daily　life　by　means　of　paper；　painted；　so　does　Europe　by　means

of　paper；　printed。　　But　as　we；　unlike　those　Orientals；　are　a

destructive　people；　paper　with　us　means　short　life；　quick　abolition；

transformation；　re…appearance；　a　very　circulation　of　life。　　This　is

our　present　way　of　surviving　ourselves　…　the　new　version　of　that

feat　of　life。　　Time　was　when　to　survive　yourself　meant　to　secure；

for　a　time　indefinitely　longer　than　the　life　of　man；　such　dull　form

as　you　had　given　to　your　work；　to　intrude　upon　posterity。　　To

survive　yourself；　to…day；　is　to　let　your　work　go　into　daily

oblivion。



Now；　though　the　Japanese　are　not　a　destructive　people；　their　paper

does　not　last　for　ever；　and　that　material　has　clearly　suggested　to

them　a　different　condition　of　ornament　from　that　with　which　they

adorned　old　lacquer；　fine　ivory；　or　other　perdurable　things。　　For

the　transitory　material　they　keep　the　more　purely　pictorial　art　of

landscape。　　What　of　Japanese　landscape？　　Assuredly　it　is　too　far

reduced　to　a　monotonous　convention　to　merit　the　serious　study　of

races　that　have　produced　Cotman　and　Corot。　　Japanese　landscape…

drawing　reduces　things　seen　to　such　fewness　as　must　have　made　the

art　insuperably　tedious　to　any　people　less　fresh…spirited　and　more

inclined　to　take　themselves　seriously　than　these　Orientals。　　A

preoccupied　people　would　never　endure　it。　　But　a　little　closer

attention　from　the　Occidental　student　might　find　for　their　evasive

attitude　towards　landscape　…　it　is　an　attitude　almost　traitorously

evasive　…　a　more　significant　reason。　　It　is　that　the　distances；　the

greatness；　the　winds　and　the　waves　of　the　world；　coloured　plains；

and　the　flight　of　a　sky；　are　all　certainly　alien　to　the　perceptions

of　a　people　intent　upon　little　deformities。　　Does　it　seem　harsh　to

define　by　that　phrase　the　curious　Japanese　search　for　accidents？

Upon　such　search　these　people　are　avowedly　intent；　even　though　they

show　themselves　capable　of　exquisite　appreciation　of　the　form　of　a

normal　bird　and　of　the　habit　of　growth　of　a　normal　flower。　　They　are

not　in　search　of　the　perpetual　slight　novelty　which　was　Aristotle's

ideal　of　the　language　poetic　（〃a　little　wildly；　or　with　the　flower

of　the　mind；〃　says　Emerson　of　the　way　of　a　poet's　speech）　…　and　such

novelty　it　is；　like　the　frequent　pulse　of　the　pinion；　that　keeps

verse　upon　the　wing；　no；　what　the　Japanese　are　intent　upon　is

perpetual　slight　disorder。　　In　Japan　the　man　in　the　fields　has　eyes

less　for　the　sky　and　the　crescent　moon　than　for　some　stone　in　the

path；　of　which　the　asymmetry　strikes　his　curious　sense　of　pleasure

in　fortunate　accident　of　form。　　For　love　of　a　little　grotesque

strangeness　he　will　load　himself　with　the　stone　and　carry　it　home　to

his　garden。　　The　art　of　such　a　people　is　not　liberal　art；　not　the

art　of　peace；　and　not　the　art　of　humanity。　　Look　at　the　curls　and

curves　whereby　this　people　conventionally　signify　wave　or　cloud。

All　these　curls　have　an　attitude　which　is　like　that　of　a　figure

slightly　malformed；　and　not　like　that　of　a　human　body　that　is

perfect；　dominant；　and　if　bent；　bent　at　no　lowly　or　niggling　labour。

Why　these　curves　should　be　so　charming　it　would　be　hard　to　say；　they

have　an　exquisite　prankishness　of　variety；　the　place　where　the

upward　or　downward　scrolls　curl　off　from　the　main　wave　is　delicately

unexpected　every　time；　and　…　especially　in　gold　embroideries　…　is

sensitively　fit　for　the　material；　catching　and　losing　the　light；

while　the　lengths　of　waving　line　are　such　as　the　long　gold　threads

take　by　nature。



A　moment　ago　this　art　was　declared　not　human。　　And；　in　fact；　in　no

other　art　has　the　figure　suffered　such　crooked　handling。　　The

Japanese　have　generally　evaded　even　the　local　beauty　of　their　own

race　for　the　sake　of　perpetual　slight　deformity。　　Their　beauty　is

remote　from　our　sympathy　and　admiration；　and　it　is　quite　possible

that　we　might　miss　it　in　pictorial　presentation；　and　that　the

Japanese　artist　may　have　intended　human　beauty　where　we　do　not

recognise　it。　　But　if　it　is　not　easy　to　re