Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 2.djvu/113

 perfection at Shiba in Tōkyō and at Nikkō, where the bodies of the Tokugawa Shōguns are interred. They are mentioned here, however, in order to avoid needless division. It may truly be said of them that they display Japanese decorative art in its most profuse and splendid stage.

The oldest form of architectural decoration in. Japan was mural painting. It is seen in the temple Hōryu-ji, the walls of which are covered with nobly executed paintings of Buddhist subjects, traditionally ascribed to a sculptor of Chinese origin and to a Korean priest. Tradition may be right in this instance, but it is a curious fact that no mural decoration of even approximate quality is to be seen in any part of China or Korea. It is also noteworthy that although mural painting continued to be a feature of temple decoration from the seventh century through all ages, the artists never chose essentially religious motives—unless the figures of Ten-nin, or angels, may be so regarded—for the adornment of sacred edifices subsequent to Hōryu-ji. Their favourite subjects were mythical animals and birds—the Dog of Fo, the Kylin, and the Phnix,—or flowers, especially the lotus and the peony, and they generally chose a gold ground. Broadly speaking, the decoration may be divided into monochromatic and poly- chromatic. The former obeys the Shintô canons. It is seen in temples constructed of pure white,