Le texte de cette page a été corrigé et est conforme au fac-similé.
fondes et découpe sur le ciel sa silhouette tragique, et ces temples Bouddhistes au décor éblouissant, somptueuses demeures de la plus tolérante des religions[1], où des prêtres, qui étaient de grands artistes, ont, intérieurement, extérieurement, et de la base au faîte, accumulé l’or et la soie, le bronze, la laque rouge et noire, les émaux et les peintures, fouillé le bois, sculpté d’inextricables chapiteaux surmontant de lourds piliers, le tout bien digne d’être mis en parallèle avec nos plus belles cathédrales !
Saugrenus !… Ces fondeurs, ces armuriers, ces orfèvres, ces ciseleurs, ces sculpteurs et ces peintres
- ↑ … I may here mention as evidence of the liberality
of the Buddhists ; that when Lady Parkes applied to the
high priest of Shiba, for permission to have the church
of England service performed in one of the chapels
connected with this great shrine, her request was at once
granted. Hence Christian worship offerd every Sunday
in this greatest of Buddhist temple.
… The impression which I now receive upon first
beholding the magnificent temples (Shiba) and shrines
standing before me as we step from our carriage is most
delightful. Buildings so rich in colour, so beautiful in
detail, so striking in symbolism, I have never before seen,
or even dreamt of. Had a Gibbons been employed on the
wood-carving, had the colourist of the Alhambra done his
utmost to add to forms which in themselves are almost
perfect, a new charm trough the addition of pigment,
and were the whole of such detail subordinated to fitting
places in as vast architectural edifices by the architects
of the Parthenon, no more worthy effect could be produced than that of the buildings on which my eyes now
rest.
On this memorable day, I learnt many facts of deep
interest, and I have certainly beheld, enshrined in cryptomerias and other conebearing trees of vast proportion,
an amount of architectural beauty, such as I have never
before seen.CHRISTOPHER DRESSER.(Japan ; Its architecture, art and art manufacture).
