THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUMS THE COMMERCIAL MUSEUM HAND-BOOKS TO THE EXHIBITS No. 1 THE JAPANESE EXHIBIT Pricey 5 cents Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/commercialmuseumOOcomm THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUMS THE COMMERCIAL MUSEUM HAND-BOOKS TO THE EXHIBITS No. 1 THE JAPANESE EXHIBIT PUBLISHED BY THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUMS Price, 5 cents Copyright by THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUMS THE JAPANESE EXHIBIT HAND-BOOK No. 1 OUTLINE MAP OF THE JAPANESE EMPIRE Scale approximately 600 miles to the inch J A PAN AREA AND POPULATION The empire of Japan consists of five and a half large islands and about six hundred small ones, extending along the eastern coast of Asia for a distance of over 2000 miles. If placed on the Atlantic coast of North America the four main islands, (Hondo, Yezo, Shikoku and Kiushiu) would reach from southern Georgia to Maine, while Formosa would lie as far south as Cuba, and the Kurile islands as far north as Labrador. The four main islands have an area a little larger than that of New England and New York, and a population of 50,000,- 000, or more than half that of the whole United States. The crowding of population has forced Japan to seek new territory. As a result of her two recent wars she acquired Formosa from China in 1895, one half of Sakhalin from Russia in 1905, and Korea (Chosen) by peaceful absorption in 1910. Much of Manchuria, while not Japanese territory, has many Japanese settlers and is largely under Japanese influence. PROGRESS IN GOVERNMENT No country has ever, in the history of the world, made such rapid progress in what we call modern civilization. When Commodore Perry visited Japan in 1854, and opened the ports to western commerce, he found an old and exclusive nation. The government was in the hands of powerful feudal lords, and the emperor was only a figurehead, living in seclusion at Kioto. In fifty years Japan has become one of the most pro- gressive nations of the earth. Under the guidance of wise leaders who saw that the hope of their country lay in change, a complete peaceful revolution was accomplished. The intense patriotism of the Japanese, led the members of the ruling classes to give up their old life with all its powers and privileges, and 5 to adopt new forms and customs because these would be better for their country. A constitution was granted in 1890, and Japan is now a limited monarchy with a real emperor on the throne. There is a congress, with a House of Peers composed of nobles and a few elected members, and a House of Repre- sentatives elected by a limited suffrage among the people. ENTRANCE TO THE JAPANESE EXHIBIT COMMERCIAL PROGRESS Japan' s industrial and commercial progress during the last fifty years is simply astonishing. Manufacturing and mining enterprises were started by the government and then sold to private parties who carry them on under wise regulations. Nearly 5000 miles of railroad have been built, almost all of which is owned by the state. A post office with universal free delivery has been established. Foreign trade has grown from practically nothing to a present annual value of more than 1400,000,000. The Japanese are skillful workmen and wonderful imita- tors. They are turning out to-day in their factories, many low- priced articles which look like goods exported from America and Europe. The cheapness of labor is one of the things which make this possible. Many children are employed in the factories who receive the equivalent of 3 to 7 cents a day; 6 women are paid 10 to 15 cents a day, and ordinary laborers get 25 to 30 cents a day. These wages are seventy-five per cent higher than those paid ten years ago. Wages have risen as the cost of living has increased in Japan. Many thousands of country people have gone to the cities to get the comparatively high wages paid in FUJIYAMA The sacred mountain is ascended annually by many thousands of devout pilgrims. It is constantly seen in paintings and embroideries or as a decorative design on Japanese pottery. the factories. A large market has developed for both domestic and foreign manufactured goods, due to the change of condi- tions of life and the increased ability to buy. At the same time, the low rate of wages enables the manufacturer to sell his goods on favorable terms in the markets of the world. As captains of industry there are men in modern Japan 7 who are the peers of the richest men of America. The house of Mitsui and Company is a good example. The business which is carried on by the Mitsui family was founded 350 years ago. They now have offices in thirty-seven different places in Japan and in twenty foreign cities. They own eighteen banks, six large mining concessions, several stores, a fleet of seven i • , "BANZAI" large steamers and many smaller boats. They handle one-third of all the coal mined in Japan, and one-third of the cotton yarn made there. Their business amounts to one-seventh of the entire foreign trade of the empire. Education in Japan has been established upon the most modern foundation. Schools of western type from kindergar- ten to university, have been opened. The scholars and scien- tists of Japan now rank among the foremost thinkers of the world. An army and navy modeled after those of Germany and England, have been developed. The efficiency of both was shown in the recent war with Russia, not only in the successful 8 fighting, but also in the excellent care of the men and the almost perfect sanitation and surgery. JAPANESE COLONIES With the changes in government and the increased con- tact with other nations, came the desire for territorial expan- sion. This desire has been gratified. The results of two successful foreign wars have made the Japanese a colonial people, and extended the dominion of the emperor over an area of more than one hundred thousand square miles. In 1895, at the close of the Chinese war, the island of Formosa (Taiwan) was ceded to Japan. It is a mountainous, volcanic island, about two hundred and fifty miles long, lying partly within the torrid zone. Its soil is rich and fertile, and the mountain regions contain valuable forests and extensive deposits of gold, coal and petroleum. Rice grows everywhere in the lowlands, and under an improved system of irrigation the production has so increased as to permit an export valued at over $5,000,000 in 1908. Other valuable crops are sugar, tea and opium. The most important product of Taiwan, however, is camphor. Here the trees grow wild in the forests, in such abundance as to furnish practically all of the world's supply of this drug. The manufacture and sale of opium, salt, camphor and tobacco are government monopolies, and the trade has been so conducted as to put the colonial finances on a self-supporting basis within fifteen years. Korea, now the province of Chosen, is the latest colony to be acquired. By the treaty of Portsmouth, Japan was given a protectorate over the kingdom, but in 1910 the king was deposed and his land became an integral part of the Japanese Empire. Many reforms and improvements have already been accomplished. Banks have been established in the principal cities and a stable currency introduced. Railroads are being built where before there were only bridle paths. Large areas of land have been brought under cultivation which a few years ago were barren wastes. The soil is so fertile that it is capable 9 of producing two crops a year, but the system of agriculture is still very rude and primitive. The principal crops are rice, beans, millet, wheat and barley. The raising of silkworms has received a new impetus from the Japanese, and both the quantity and quality of the product improved. Cotton raising has been introduced and, while it is hardly past the experimental stage, seems to promise rich returns in the future. Ginseng culture is another industry that promises to become very valuable. It has been practiced in a small way for many years. Korean ginseng is claimed to be the best in the world, and the finest roots are worth their weight in gold in the markets of China. Its cultivation and preparation are now a government monopoly. Large areas of Chosen are well adapted for grazing, and JAPANESE POTTERY The art of pottery making was introduced into Japan from Korea several centuries ago 10 an effort is being made to establish the raising of both cattle and sheep. The southern half of the island of Sakhalin was ceded to Japan by Russia in 1905. It has large forests and some unde- veloped deposits of gold and coal. Many Japanese families have been settled there, and supplied with grain and cattle, but still this province of Karafuto is of only potential value. Kwang Tung peninsula and its single port, Tairen, is held by Japan on a ninety-nine year lease from China. Its chief value is an entry for foreign goods into Manchuria, and the customs house furnishes a large revenue to the Imperial treasury. li JAPAN This collection illustrates the people and products of Japan as they are to-day. The exhibit includes (1) the raw materials pro- duced in Japan (cases 1 to 44), comprising foods, fibers, oils, etc., woods (cases 57 to 64). (2) The people, their houses and clothing CLEANING AND PACKING RICE The bags and ropes are made of rice straw (cases 52, 53, 55, 65 to 73) and the manufactures of the Empire (cases 45 to 51, 74 to 103), including mattings, pottery, silk, bronzes and other art objects. RICE In Japan rice forms a part of every meal for people who can afford it. It is the most important crop of the farmer in all places where the climate and soil are suitable for its growth. Many who raise rice must often eat a cheaper grain, such as barley or millet. There are several thousand varieties known and named. These have developed from cultivation, just as different kinds of corn, peas or apples are produced. The varieties grown in Japan may be grouped into three classes: (a) Ordinary or swamp rice, grown where the fields can pe flooded either from streams or by pumps, (b) Upland n rice, grown on dry ground. Inferior in quality and less widely cul- tivated, (c) Glutinous rice, a variety whose seed contains more sugar and gluten than ordinary rice. Case 1. — Rice plants, showing length of the straw and shape of the head. Rice straw is used for packing, for ropes, to make san- dals for the poorer people, and shoes for horses and oxen. A GROCERY STORE Selling: peas, beans, carrots, onions, eggs etc. The large tapering objects at the right side aie bamboo sprouts, a favorite green vegetable Case 2.- — A few of the many kinds of rice. Grain with the hull on is called "paddy." Glutinous rice produces a flour con- taining enough sugar and gluten so that it can be made into dough. Case 3. — Sake, the favorite alcoholic drink in Japan, is made from fermented rice. It is an indispensable beverage at all feasts and weddings, is usually drunk hot and is often offered in sacrifice to the gods. It contains from 11 to 14 per cent of alcohol Case 4. — Cakes, confectionery, breakfast foods and army rations made of rice flour. Note the form of packages, evidently copied from America. BARLEY Case 5. — Next to rice this is one of the most important crops grown in Japan. It is extensively used by all classes of people. Either 13 as flour or whole grain it is boiled with rice or soy beans and forms a large part of the food of those who cannot afford rice. Case 6. — " Yebisu," a Japanese beer, brewed from barley by Ger- man methods and resembling German beer. The industry was started in 1876 and has grown rapidly until now beer forms a rather important article of export. Rye and oats are very rarely grown in Japan. WHEAT Case 7. — This is always raised as a winter crop. There are few va- rieties grown and the quality is rather poor. MILLET In Japan, millet forms one of the principal foods of the poor people. In America it is grown only as feed for cattle and poultry. The "common millet" is the kind known here as Japanese millet. VERMICELLI Case 8. — Made from wheat flour mixed with brine and dried in the sun, is used as a delicacy at dinners and feasts. It is exported largely to China and Korea. SOY BEANS Case 9. — Soy beans and other legumes are one of the most im- portant crops of the Japanese farmer. They are rich in nitro- gen and so to a very large extent take the place of meat. From 10 to IS per cent of the cultivated land is occupied by this crop. Soy beans are eaten in many forms but most commonly as "Shoyu", a sauce for meats, fish and rice. Bean cake is so largely used as a fertilizer that large quantities are imported from China. In America soy beans are being introduced, but only as a cattle feed and fertilizer. Case 10. — Peas and beans other than soy find a large place in the diet of a vegetarian people. Peanuts are grown for the oil obtained from them and for the oil cake. The intensive cultivation of the Japanese farm makes the question of fertilizer a very important one. Everything that has any possible manurial value is carefully saved and used. CAMPHOR Case 11. — Japan and Formosa furnish nearly all the world's supply of camphor. This tower which contains nearly a ton of crude camphor illustrates in a striking way the importance of the industry. The production of this drug is a government monopoly, and so Japan can control the price in all the markets of the world. Case 12. — Camphor is obtained by distillation from the wood of a large tree. One tree often yields from one to three thousand CUTTING UP A CAMPHOR LOG Chips of the wood are distilled to obtain camphor. This photograph was taken in Formosa and shows native workmen of t he savage tribes dollars' worth of camphor and camphor oil. It is used in the manufacture of smokeless powder and celluloid and in medicine. FISHING BOATS Case 13. — Thousands of small primitive fishing boats are used along the coast of Japan. The recent introduction of the most mod- ern type of steamboat has greatly stimulated the fishing industry. Japan now ranks among the first nations of the world in the pro- duction of fish and fish products. Fish forms the principal animal food of the people. Case 14. — Sacks of rice, bales covered with rice straw and tied with straw rope show how carefully every part of the plant is utilized. CONFECTIONERY Case 15. — Confectionery, of which the Japanese are very fond, is made largely from rice flour. "Ame" is made from malt and 15 glutinous rice. It was the principal sweetening material used in foods before the comparatively recent introduction of sugar. Jellies and fancy cakes are popular and very commonly used. SPICES Case 16. — Ginger root is eaten fresh, preserved, or dried and ground for spice. PICKING TEA A hillside plantation in Japan Turmeric is used as a spice or as a yellow coloring agent. Chillies or red peppers are exported from Japan in large quantities. They are natives of America but have been carried all over the world. Seaweed is gathered in enormous quantities. Several forms are eaten either raw or in soups while some are of value only for fertilizer or for making iodine. MINOR FOOD PRODUCTS Case 17. — Fish, boiled, boned and dried, then wrapped in rice straw covers is a common article of trade. Shark's fins, dried cuttle fish and mushrooms are exported to China. Kanten, agar-agar or seaweed gelatin is a product of large 16 and growing importance. It is used for food, for stiffening silk, in the manufacture of wine, beer and sake, and is an indispen- sable article in all modern bacteriological laboratories. In China it forms a substitute for edible birds' nests. More than half the amount produced in Japan is exported. PICKING TEA A model in the Japanese exhibit JAPANESE FRUITS Cases 18, 19, 20. — Persimmons are the most important and most widely distributed fruit. They are eaten fresh, dried or pre- served and take the place of our apples and peaches. Ginkgo fruits could hardly be seen in any other part of the world. The tree is found only under cultivation, and is often seen in the groves about the temple. Fruits of the Conifers, Taxus and Torreya are very rare outside of Japan. Apples, pears and peaches are usually of an inferior quality. VEGETABLE OILS Cases 21, 22. — Sesame oil is the favorite cooking oil in Japan. Tea-seed oil is the most expensive. Rape, peanut and cottonseed oils are the drying oils, used for waterproofing paper and in lacquer, varnish and paint. The seed cakes from which these oils have been pressed form valuable cattle feeds and fertilizers. Peppermint oil and menthol crystals are largely produced for export. 17 WAX BERRIES Case 23. — Wax berries are the fruit of different species of Sumac. Japan wax is obtained by steaming and pressing the pulp. PETROLEUM Case 24. — Petroleum is produced in limited quantity in a small dis- trict, not nearly enough to supply the home market. FIRING TEA . A model in the Japanese exhibit Beeswax is unimportant as its place is so largely taken by vegetable wax. FISH OILS Cases 25, 26. — In a country where fishing is so important an industry the production of fish oils will naturally be large. PAPER Cases 27, 28, 29. — In Japan paper serves all the purposes for which we use it and more. It forms a substitute for cloth, oilcloth and leather, and even for wood, iron and glass. Leather paper is made with yegoma oil and lacquer. The finest papers are made from the bark of the paper mulberry and some other shrubs. Most Japanese paper is unsized and is unsuited for writing with a pen. FORMOSA TEA Cases 30, 31, 33. — In the Japanese island of Formosa, the tea in- dustry introduced from China about sixty years ago, is rapidly growing. About 90 per cent of the product is exported to 18 America. Oolong is the better and purer tea. Pouchong or scented tea is made of lower grade leaves, scented with flowers before the final firing. JAPANESE TEA Case 32. — Next to rice, tea is the most important agricultural prod- uct of Japan. Most of that produced is green tea, which is the pure unfermented and uncolored leaf. A large part of the tea exported comes to America. BAMBOO Platform 34. — Bamboo is the chief structural material used in Japan. The many varieties vary in size from large trees to small grasses, and its uses are as numerous as its forms and sizes. MODELS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Case 35. — Burdock is eaten like carrots or turnips. TOBACCO Case 36. — Tobacco is grown in many parts of Japan and used by nearly all the people of both sexes. It is inferior in quality to American tobacco and is not largely exported. The cigarette habit is grow- ing and the boxes and cards evidence foreign influence. SORTING TEA A model in the Japanese exhibit Bamboo shoots take the place of asparagus and cabbage. The vegetable sponge is eaten green like a cucumber. Lotus roots are boiled and used like potatoes. 19 FIBERS Case 37. — Hemp is the oldest fiber used in Japan. The poor people still wear some clothing made of hemp cloth. Jute, flax, pine- apple and banana fibers are used to some extent. None of these are produced in very large quantities. i I I i PACKING TEA A model in the Japanese exhibit Case 38. — Cotton is grown only in the warmer parts of the islands. Not enough is raised for home consumption. Many mills are weaving cotton cloth, but the raw material is imported, chiefly from India. Case 39. — Ramie or China-grass is not a grass but a nettle. The fibers from the bast are woven into the so-called ' 'grass-cloth. " CHIP BRAID Cases 40, 41. — The production of wood shavings and chip braids is an industry of large and growing importance. A large percentage of the braid used in America now comes from Japan. BAMBOO ARTICLES Cases 42, 43, 44. — Some of the many uses of this plant are shown here. Its straight, jointed stem, great hardness and easy cleav- age make it fit for an endless variety of articles. The boxes covered with splint or straw mosaic are distinctively Japanese. LANTERNS Case 45. — Lanterns, parasols and fans are made of bast paper. No other paper is both strong and pliant enough. Waterproofed 20 paper umbrellas are now being replaced by cotton ones made in western style. HATS Case 46. — Hats made of rushes or split bamboo are exported in large quantities. Tamsui hats from Formosa are very similar to Panama hats and the manufacture of them is increasing. BAMBOO WARES AND JAPANESE LADY (Cases 42. 43, 44. 73) MATTING Cases 47-51. — Almost no other floor covering than matting is known in Japan. For home use, mats six feet long, three feet wide and two inches thick, made of rice straw and covered with rushes are used. Since 1881 a large export trade has been built up. For this trade the matting is made thin, entirely of rushes, and in long strips. Two-thirds of the entire product now goes abroad. JAPANESE HOUSE Case 52. — All Japanese houses are built of wood. In the large cities a few recent brick or stone houses may be seen. Wood is cheap and very easily worked, and a light frame house is easy to rebuild after an earthquake. There are no foundations except some 21 stones laid on the surface of the ground. Rooms are made of a size to fit a definite number of floor mats. Walls and partitions are of paper screens, protected by movable wooden shutters. BELL TOWER Case 53. — Towers like this are common in the courts of Shinto tem- ples. The large, bronze bells hung in them are rung as a part of the worship, not to call the people together. * 1 INTERIOR OF HOUSE Showing sleeping arrangements, soft matting, quilts, etc. The wall is of paper screens. The hard wooden pillows are used to avoid mussing the hair IVORY CARVINGS Case 54 — Japanese sculpture excels in perfection of detail and beauty of finish. Small, delicately carved bits of ivory are the delight of the artist. To the western mind, the work seems to lack strength, dignity and originality. JINRIKSHA No. 55. — The Jinriksha is the common carriage for pleasure or travel in Japan. It is a modern invention (1867), but is used to-day wherever there are roads. In the hill country a carrying chair takes its place. The word means "man-power vehicle." JAPANESE EGRET Case 56. — The Japanese egret is a white heron similar to, but smaller 22 than the American species. None of the egrets (aigrets) of commerce come from Japan. Most of them are obtained in India, some from South America and a very few from Florida. WOODS Cases 57-64. — Japan has more species of trees than any other region of equal area in the world. About 72 per cent of the country is covered with forests. The universal use of wood for buildings, AINU The primitive race of people who live in the northern island (Yezo or Hokkaido) are entirely different from the Japanese. Their clothing, as shown in the picture, is of cloth woven by themselves, and the patterns are distinctive of their race and standing. with the resulting fires, and the fact that wood is almost the only fuel, make the consumption enormous. Tree planting has been practiced for centuries and scientific forestry is now carried on. Much of the timber land is under government protection. Wood carving and inlaying have been highly developed and very artistic results obtained. The carved eagle on top of the cases is a good example. It was made by a deaf and dumb boy in one of the government schools. Matches, in boxes copied from western factories, and veneering are articles of export. 23 CLOTHING Cases 65-71. — Japanese men wear divided skirts and narrower obis than the women. Dull, quiet colors are worn by adults and brighter ones by children. The usual materials are cotton and silk. Note the child's sleeping mat and quilt made like a padded JAPANESE CLOTHING (Cases 65 to 72) overcoat with sleeves. The bright colored silk kimonos are made only for export. Shoes and sandals are made of rice straw, wood, leather or silk. They are always removed on entering the house or any public building. JAPANESE GENTLEMAN Case 72. — This figure shows a business man in his every-day dress. The dark colors and plain materials are characteristic. Note the family crest printed on the back and on each sleeve of the haori. Many business men now wear clothes cut in American styles, but still prefer their native garments for home wear and comfort. JAPANESE LADY Case 73. — A woman of the better class in ordinary house dress. The showiest part of the costume is the "Obi" or sash with its 24 elaborate arrangement, the form of which shows that this is a married woman. Note the fancy hair dressing and ornaments, the very apparent use of paint and powder and the crests on back and sleeves of the kimono. CERAMICS Cases 74-78 — The highly-colored, elaborately-decorated wares shown here are made only for export, and would not be salable in SILKWORM Japan. Common people use a cheap ware with plain blue figures, and the richer folk buy egg-shell porcelain or the fine crackled ware. There are many potteries in different parts of the country. The art of making porcelain was introduced from China about the twelfth century. VASE OF ARITA WARE Case 79. — This is an unusually large and valuable specimen. Pieces of this size are made in sections, which are dovetailed and ce- mented together before the final firing. The clay is molded by hand without the aid of machinery. The decoration is a very elaborate polychrome enamel. Arita is a town where some of the finest porcelain is made. VASE OF GOJO WARE Case 80. — An unique example of a glaze and decoration that is becoming very rare. This vase would be admired in Japan far more than the larger one. The town of Gojo produces porce- lain of high quality. 25 SILK Cases 81-83. — Silk is the most valuable commercial product of Japan. The care of silkworms is the work of the wives and daughters of farmers on the island of Hondo. Cocoons are taken to factories to be reeled. This work used to be done in the homes of the growers. REELING SILK FROM COCOONS A large part of the product is shipped to America as raw silk and silk waste. Silk cloth is woven for home use but com- paratively little is exported. There is also a large trade in silk- worm eggs to supply the growers of southern Europe. Neither the silkworm nor the mulberry tree is a native of Japan. Both were introduced from China about 289 A. D. (In the middle building, as a part of the monographic exhibit of silk is a model of a large silk factory at Osaka, Japan. All the opera- tions from hatching the eggs to packing the reeled silk for export are shown. The conditions surrounding laborers in the factories in Japan may also be seen. ) METAL WORK Cases 84-86. — Beautiful work in bronze, especially temple ornaments and incense burners, is produced in great abundance. 26 During feudal times in Japan, artists who worked in metal gave nearly all their attention to armor and swords. Some of the inlaid blades are now very valuable. Cloisonne, or cell enamel, is a highly developed art. The design is outlined with strips of brass soldered to the surface of the copper vessel. Then the cells are filled with enamel colored HARVESTING SILK COCOONS Gathering cocoons from the racks of straw on which the silk worms were placed when they were ready to spin with mineral pigments and the whole is fired. Often as many as four enamelings and firings are necessary. After the last firing the surface is ground smooth and polished. MINERALS Case 87. — All mineral deposits in Japan are controlled by the gov- ernment. The chief minerals mined in order of their value are copper, coal, iron, gold, silver, sulphur and lead. Coal and petroleum (see case 24) are found in a few districts. Clays suitable for pottery occur in several regions. LACQUER WORK Cases 88-90. — The most distinctively Japanese of all the decorative arts is the lacquer work. Great skill in this method of decora- 27 tion has existed in Japan for centuries. The lacquer varnish is made from the sap of a species of rhus or sumac. Wooden articles are covered with many layers of this var- nish; each layer is dried, rubbed down and polished. The pro- duction of a single piece may take many days or months. A cheaper grade is made, using paper instead of wood. Lacquered dishes are not injured by boiling water or acids, and are used for serving hot soups and rice. Note the tray with natural maple leaves laid on under the lacquer. FANS Case 91. — Fans made of silk or paper, some of them beautifully ornamented, are used by both sexes in Japan. The more highly colored ones are fit only to sell to ignorant foreigners and not to artistic Japanese. SCHOOL SUPPLIES Case 92. — Education has developed rapidly since the opening of the country in 1854. Western schools from kindergarten to uni- versity have been adopted and adapted. English is taught in most of the schools and text books printed in English are used in the higher departments. (WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Case 93. — Japan has a decimal system of weights, measures and money. Measures of capacity must be square and have the official stamp burned into their four sides. Nearly all weighing is done with steelyards. The abacus is still used for computation. TOYS Case 94. — Japanese parents make much of their children and furnish them a great variety of toys. Kites are flown by men as well as boys. Toys are largely exported, and many of those seen in our stores are from Japan. BIRDS Case 95. — Only a few of the native varieties of birds are shown here. Many of the genera are common in America but the species are quite different. TOOLS Cases 96, 97. — Japanese saws and planes are made to cut when the carpenter draws them toward him. Note the drill worked with a twisted cord, the variety of trowels and chisels and the hammers for various purposes. PICTURES No. 98. — Here are some fine examples of Japanese work. The hand-colored photographs, besides being beautiful pictures, show the dress and occupations of the people, their homes, cities and temples and some of the scenery of their land. The paintings show illustrations used in the schools and some art studies by school pupils. On the second floor there is a collection of paintings by some of the best modern artists in Japan. Those of the older style are painted on silk and show Japanese art unmodified by west- ern ideas. Others are by Japanese artists who have studied in Paris and show plainly the influence of foreign training. There is also a number of large photographs showing Jap- anese industries. ART TEXTILES Cases 99-103. — In Japan very few women do embroidery. All the finest pieces are the work of men and boys. Pictures woven into uncut velvet are used as wall hangings, and screens are deco- rated with either the needle or the brush. (See the large embroi- dered screen in case 68. ) Much drawn work is made in Japan in imitation of Mexican work. "Habutai," a thin silk much like China silk, is manufactured for export. Do not overlook the paintings and velvet wall hangings ar- ranged on the tops of the cases. 29 MAIN FRONT THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUMS THE COMMERCIAL MUSEUM THE COMMERCIAL MUSEUM OF PHILADELPHIA is a public institution, developed and controlled by the Board of Trustees of the Philadelphia Museums, under City and State legislation, and responsible to the Mayor of Philadelphia. It is located along the Schuylkill River, in that part of the city known as West Philadelphia, occupying three buildings with a floor space of 200,000 square feet. The institution is supported by appropriations by the City of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania and by subscriptions from the manufacturers of the country making systematic use of its service. The objects of the Philadelphia Commercial Museum are to disseminate in this country a wider knowledge and appreciation of the customs and conditions of other nations and peoples, and to promote commerce of the United States with foreign countries. The institution conducts its work through three administrative divisions: the Foreign Trade Bureau, the Library of Commerce and Travel and the Scientific Department. The Foreign Trade Bureau has for its sole object the development of the international commerce of the United States. It does this by encouraging individual manufacturers who are equipped to handle the business, to extend the market for their wares to foreign countries, and then by assisting them in a very practical manner in inaugurating and developing that trade. The assistance given is in the natuie of live and prac- tical information on every phase of export trade — its elementary features as well as its technicalities. Large and increasing numbers of inquiries are received daily from foreign firms asking for the names of makers of particular lines of goods in the United States, and asking to be placed in touch with the proper manufacturers. Inquiries of this nature are always cordially invited; they are promptly answered and without charge. The Bureau also has a publication service issuing regularly two journals. Commercial America, published in both English and Spanish, circulates abroad with the purpose of inviting the attention of foreign merchants to the ad- vantages of the United States as a country in which to procure goods. The Weekly Export Bulletin is a confidential publication, circulating only among sub- scribers to the Bureau, with the purpose of informing them of the wants of foreign importers and merchants. The Library of Commerce and Travel is a practical consulting library. On file are the official statistics and similar documents of nearly all foreign countries, the consular reports of all countries which publish the same, books on commerce, industry, production, exploitation, distribution, travel and exploration, and similar topics, directories of foreign cities and industries, and a large number of the best trade journals published throughout the world. This library is one of the most complete of its kind in the world, of great assistance to the manufacturer and business man, the general reader and investigator, and invaluable to the staff of the institution. The Scientific Department is charged with the very important educational and strictly museum work of the institution, a work which it does through exhibits, miniature museums and lectures. The exhibits installed in the main buildings of the institution cover the commer- cial materials of the world, the imports and exports, and illustrate the manners and customs of foreign countries. The main purpose of these exhibits is to portray in a vivid fashion the products and peoples of foreign lands. There have been dis- tributed among the schools of the state more than 2,000 miniature museums, com- prising commercial products, photographs, maps, etc. There has also been developed a system of daily illustrated lectures to the schools, delivered in the Lecture Hall of the institution by members of the staff. Free illustrated lectures on topics connected with geographical description and travel are offered weekly during a large part of the year. BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUMS JOHN K. TENER, RUDOLPH BLANKENBURG, H. C. RANSLEY, GEORGE McCURDY, HENRY R. EDMUNDS, DR. MARTIN G. BRUMBAUGH, DR. NATHAN C. SCHAEFFER, ROBERT S. CONKLIN, -OFFICIO Governor of Pennsylvania. Mayor of Philadelphia. President of Select Council. President of Common Council President of the Board of Public Education. Superintendent of Public Schools. State Superintendent of Public Instruction. State Forestry Commissioner. BY APPOINTMENT DANIEL BAUGH. W. S. HARVEY. WILSON H. BROWN. W. W. SUPPLEE. THEODORE N. ELY. W. T. TILDEN. HOWARD B. FRENCH. CHARLES F. WARWICK. ELLIS A. GIMBEL. W. P. WILSON. SIMON GRATZ. SYDNEY L. WRIGHT. OFFICERS OF W. S. HARVEY, CHARLES F. WARWICK, DANIEL BAUGH, WILFRED H. SCHOFF, THE BOARD President. Vice-President and Counsel. Treasurer. Secretary and Assistant Treasurer. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE W. W. SUPPLEE, Chairman. DANIEL BAUGH. THEODORE N. ELY. WILSON H. BROWN. W. S. HARVEY. DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUMS W. P. WILSON, Sc.D. CURATOR CHARLES R. TOOTHAKER LIBRARIAN JOHN J. MACFARLANE CHIEF OF THE FOREIGN TRADE BUREAU DUDLEY BARTLETT PUBLICATIONS OF THE COMMERCIAL MUSEUM Philadelphia Commercial America and America Comer* cial. A monthly illustrated journal in English and Spanish editions, published for circulation among merchants in all countries, to inform them concerning American manufactures. $2.00 per year, either edition. Weekly Export Bulletin, published every week, for circulation among American man- ufacturers and exporters, to inform them of foreign trade opportunities reported to the Commercial Museum. limited to members of the Foreign Trade Bureau. Foreign Trade Figures. A Collection of Statis- tics covering some Features of the World's Commerce and Indicating the Share in it of the United States. 24 pp., paper covers. Commerce of the World, 1910. An increase of 50 per cent, over 1900. Imports and Ex- ports of Leading Nations. By John J. Mac- farlane, Librarian. October, 1911. The World's Commerce and American In- dustries. Graphically Illustrated by Eighty- six Charts. Prepared by John J. Macfar- lane, A.M., Librarian. 112 pp., paper covers. 1903. Conversion Tables of Foreign Weights, Meas- ures and Moneys with comparisons of prices per pound, yard, gallon and bushel in United States money; with prices per Kilo, Meter, Liter, Hectoliter, etc., in Foreign Moneys. By John J. Macfarlane, A. M., Librarian. (In preparation.) Patent Laws and Trade Marks of Leading Countries of the World. 41 pp., paper covers. October, 1899. Commerce of Latin America. A Brief Statis- tical Review. 20 pp. 1903. Paper and Pulp; World's Export Trade. 50 pp. paper covers. April, 1900. Cotton Manufactures: The World's Cotton Trade and United States Production. By John J. Macfarlane. 15 pp., paper covers. May. 1907. Manufactures of Cotton. World's Export Trade. 35 pp., paper covers. 1900. The Commercial Museum of Philadelphia. By Wilfred H. Schoff , Secretary. 18 pp. 1910. The Last Speech of President McKinley at Buffalo, Sept. 5, 1901. With extracts from previous speeches regarding the Philadel- phia Commercial Museum. 7 pp., paper covers. October, 1901. Manufacturing in Philadelphia, 1683-1912. Handsomely illustrated with photographs of the principal manufacturing plants in Philadelphia. By John J. Macfarlane, A.M., Librarian. Cloth bound, 101 pp. 1912. |0.50. Industrial Philadelphia : From the Infant In- dustries of Two Centuries Ago to the Giant of To-day. By John J. Macfarlane, Libra- rian. 12 pp., paper covers. 1912. Textile Industries of Philadelphia, With a Directory of the Textile and Yarn Manu- facturers located in Philadelphia. By John J. Macfarlane. 1910-1911. 50 pp., paper covers. Out of print. Pan-American Commercial Congress. Report of the Meeting of the International Advisory Board. Dedication of the Museums by President McKinley. 226 pp., paper covers. 1897. $0.75. Proceedings of the International Commercial Congress. A conference of representatives from the governments and commercial bodies of nearly every country in the world, invited through the United States Govern- ment, by the Philadelphia Commercial Museum, which organized simultaneously the Nat onal Export Exposition, to stimu- late the American movement for wider foreign markets. 441 pp., cloth binding richly illustrated. 1899. $2.00. Proceedings of the National Export Trade Convention, held under the auspices of the Philadelphia Commercial Museums, at Philadelphia, December 12, 1911. 80 pp., paper covers, $0.25. A Few Canal Facts. Compiled by the Phila- delphia Commercial Museum, Nov., 1S07, for the organizing conference of the Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association. 5 pp. Foreign Commercial Guide— South America. By Edward J. Cattell, assisted by H. S. Morrison and A. C. Kaufman. 284 pp., with outline map of each republic; cloth bind- ing. 1908. $2.00. The Republic of Guatemala. By Gustavo Niederlein. 63 pp., with map; paper covers. 1898. The State of Nicaragua of the Greater Re- public of Central America. By Gustavo Niederlein. 93 pp., paper covers. 1898. The Republic of Costa Rica. By Gustavo Niederlein. 127 pp., paper covers. 1898. The Philadelphia Museums Scientific Bul- letin, No. 1. Contributions to the Herpet- ology of New Grenada and Argentina. With Descriptions and new Forms. By Edward D. Cope. Philadelphia. 1899. $0.25. Notes on the Madagascar Collection. 15 pp., illustrated, paper covers. 1906. 5 cents. Hand-book to the Japanese Exhibits — No. 1. For the guidance of visitors to the Japanese exhibits in the Philadelphia Commercial Museum. 32 pp., illustrated, 1912. 5 cents. The School Museum in its Relation to Geog- raphy and Commerce. By Charles R. Toothaker, Curator. Practical Suggestions for School Teachers. 27 pp., paper covers. Free on application. 1911. The Periplus of Hanno ; a Voyage of Discov- ' ery Down the West African Coast by a Carthaginian Admiral of the Fifth Century B. C. Translated by Wilfred H. Schoff, A, M., Secretary. Illustrated, 32 pp., richly printed in two colors on Strathmore Japan paper and covers. 1912. $0.25. BY OTHER PUBLISHERS Commercial Raw Materials. By Charles R. Toothaker, Curator of the Commercial Museum. Boston: Ginn & Co., 108 pp., 1905, $1.25. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea; Travel and Trade in the Indian Ocean by a Mer- chant of the First Century : Translated from the Greek and annotated by Wilfred H. Schoff, A.M., Secretary of the Commer- cial Museum. 328 pp., with colored map, cloth binding. New York: Longmans, Green & Co.. 1912, $2.00.