Japanese Beautiful Handicrafts in the Meiji Era
Pictures of the Meiji Era Japan in a foreigner's eyes
American zoologist Edward Sylvester Morse was one of the leading figures in the popularization of Japanese ceramic art overseas. While on a science research trip to Japan in 1877, Morse amassed a collection of more than 5,000 pieces of pottery. For his service and academic contributions to Japan, he also received a number of ceramic works from Okuma Shigenobu, who later became prime minister of Japan.
Typically housed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts, these pieces make up the Morse Collection. This exhibition features 320 selected works, which include pottery, ceramic art and everyday utensils. (from Japan Times)
Some of the Morse Collection with his snapshots.
....
Dr. E. S. Morse Former building, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,Copley Square
Dr. Morse collected art works made of bamboo baskets, loved the sophisticated design and decorated his room with them. They were popular in Meiji(1868-1913), but now, are found nowhere in Japan.
Mushroom shaped wall hanging flower basket
Dragonfly shaped wall hanging flower basket
grasshopper shaped wall hanging flower basket
"The interest attaching to them and to all work of this nature is that the Japanese never make a mistake in the details of structures of animals represented. Insects have three pairs of legs : spiders have four: higher crustaceans ,five: and all springing from the right regions of the body. It is their love for nature and keen observational powers that enable them to do these thing s correctly. Many of these designs are symbolical."(by Morse)
.
Life like doll of armored warrior
Dr. Morse might have wanted to display these lifelike dolls not only ethnological artifacts but Japanese "people " as artifacts. His view as a museum curator and ethnologist falls into one place-collecting as sample of Japanese. He thought the realism that the lifelike dolls provided was well suited for tha Museum's interpretation of ethnological content for its audience. (by Junichi Kobayashi )
Miniature lantern shop
It's amazing how elaborately Japanese people of that time made these artworks.
Dr.Morse was fascinated by a variety of miniature ceramics. Many house hold had them. There is a tradition that Japanese decorate with dwarfed ornaments, trees and stones. The lantern is called "Chochin". made of paper and wood, used by lighting a candle in it.
The devices for the display of objects in the shops are often simple and interesting.
Potteries Dr. Morse collected
Early in the 20th Century, enormous number of potteries were displayed permanently in the Museum's gallary. The display cases were made exclusively for the Collection. The Collection remained in the Gallery for over 50 years. It had a significant impact on visitors who came from all over the world.
********************************
I'm always surprised that many foreigners who visited Japan from the end of the Edo era to the Meiji period. described the Japanese as honest, sincere, and good people and were amazed at great facilities for crafts that they had.
As a whole the Japanese are the simple, restrained and conservative people and tend not to try to make themselves look bigger than they really are. This means they love nature or things as they are and hate lying or pretending. Such Japanese nature could make themselves to develop a clear sense of perspective that had produced a lot of sensitive and realistic artifacts, and eventually led to progress of science technologies in Japan.
The following are the words that Dr.Morse wrote in his book ..
A foreigners, after remaining a few month in Japan, slowly begins to realize that whereas he thought he could teach the Japanese everything, he finds, to his amazement and chagrin, that those virtues or attributes, which under the name of humanity are the burden of our moral teaching at home, the Japanese seem to be born with.
It is delightful to be in a country where the people are honest.
The Japanese are the greatest lovers of nature and the greatest artists in the world.
(by Morse)
The pictures and text partly from 「明治のこころ Soul of Meiji」 (Edward Sylvester Morse, his day by day with kindhearted people) editor-Junichi Kobayashi, Shuko Oyama.
