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