Monday, February 28, 2005

The Glocal Book:"The Book of Tea" by Okakura Kakuzou(Tenshin)-No.75

The Occident; Arrayed Symmetrically;
Useless Reiteration

「Here again the Japanese method of interior decoration differs from that of the Occident, where we see objects arrayed symmetrically on mantelpieces and elsewhere.

In Western houses we are often confronted with what appears to us useless reiteration.

We find it trying to talk to a man while his full-length portrait stares at us from behind his back.

We wonder which is real, he of the picture or he who talks, and feel a curious conviction that one of them must be fraud.

Many a time have we sat at a festive board complating, with a secret shock to our digestion, the representation of abundance on the dining-room walks.

Why these pictured victims of chase and sport, the elaborate carvings of fishes and fruit?

Why the display of family plates, reminding us of those who have dined and are dread?」
(From the Book of Tea-theTea-Room, p.72, Charles E. Tuttle Co., Rutland, Vermont , Tokyo, Japan)

How do you think?

To my mind, I do not want to deny all sorts of arrayes of Occident style.

It's depend on the purpose of Objects what you want.

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Picture: Katashi Oyama Works
Image Designer: Izumi Mori

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