Part 8 (1/1)

Where Chinese literary artists add poeht seals s never more than two seals are used and these follow and authenticate the signature

The correct distance at which a _kakemono_ is to be viewed is the width of aIt is bad for the work a japanese will scrutinize the artist's signature and seal It is a cardinal rule in japan that the signature be affixed so as not to interfere with the scheme of the picture or attract the eye If the picture looks to the right the signature and seal should be placed on the left, and _vice versa;_ if the principal interest is in the upper part of a picture these should be placed lower down, and _vice versa_ As every painting has its division into IN and YO the RAKKWAN is placed in IN

Sonatures with their seal inatures the character JO,woman

Veteran painters will sonatures the character for old man _(okina)_

The artist's seal is often a work of art and his faraved thereon with the Chinese seal characters called TEN SHO Where two seals are affixed below the signature one may contain a classic aphorism, like TAI BI FU GEN (the truly beautiful is indescribable) or CHU YO (keep the s were authenticated by scrolls called _kaki_ HAN

Even now such scrolls are used The principles on which they are shaped are derived froravers deservedly enjoy renown for learning and skill To carve a seal is the recognized accoraver in japan is an amateur Seals are of jade, rock crystal, precious woods, Forold, silver or ivory The best hard stone for seals comes from China and is known as the cock's co his career will collect numbers of valuable seals for his own use These at his death iven to favorite pupils or kept as house treasures Bairei left instructions to have many of his seals destroyed

The seal paste (NIKU) is usa)_ dried for three years, or of a plant called _yoi,_ or with soft, finely chopped rabbit hair boiled in castor oil for one hundred hours hite wax and then colored red, brown, blue or tea color The seal should be carefully wiped after it is used, otherwise this paste hardens upon it

japanese paintings are seldom framed, as frames take too s, hung high in public places or about the dwelling, and are called GAKU,the head to read what the franed with the real name rather than the _nom de plume_

Two kinds of seals are affixed to the fra, and called YU IN, containing some precept or nature, bearing the artist's nas in Chinese or japanese read froht to left, and frequently are the sole ornauidance of experts who pass on the genuineness of japanese paintings there is a well-known publication, ”GWA KA RAKKWAN IN shi+N,” by Kano Jushi+n, which contains reproductions in fac sinatures and seals of all the celebrated artists of the re this work, which I am conscious is but an imperfect survey of a vast and intricate subject, I would call attention to the fact that in both Europe and Anity, siely to be attributed to the careful and scholarly writings and publications of Messrs

Anderson, Binyon, Morrison and Strange in England, Fenollosa in the United states, DeGoncourt, Gonse and Bing in France, Seidlitz in Germany, and Brinkley and Okakura in japan; and all students of art e of their sincere admiration

The object of all art, as Cicero has truly said, is to soften the hts and worthy senti willart of japan, and the further we investigate and appreciate its principles the isters,-the serene and cheerful moments of existence