in praise of shadows

"Whenever I see the alcove of a tastefully built Japanese room, I marvel at our comprehension of the secrets of shadows, our sensitive use of shadow and light. For the beauty of the alcove is not the work of some clever device. An empty space marked off with plain wood and plain walls, so that the light drawn into it forms dim shadows within emptiness. There is nothing more. And yet, when we gaze into the darkness that gathers behind the crossbeam, around the fectly vase, beneath the shelves, though we know perfectly well it is mere shadow, we are overcome with the feeling that in this small corner of atmosphere there reigns complete and utter silence; that here in "mysterious Orient" of which Westerners speak probably refers to the uncanny silence of these dark places. Where lies the key to the mystery? Ultimately it is the magic of shadows. Were the shadows to be banished from its corners, the alcove would in that instant revert to mere void.
This was the genius of our ancestors, that by cutting off the light from this empty space they imparted to the world of shadows that formed there a quality of mystery and depth superior to that of any wall painting or ornament."
in "In Praise of Shadows" by Jun'ichiro Tanizaki