Japanese traditional art is based on original and original principles. The tastes and preferences of the Japanese are very different from the aesthetic priorities of residents of other countries. Decorative and applied arts in Japan also have their own characteristics.
Decorative works have been created in this country for many centuries. These include ceramic and porcelain products, decorated fabrics and clothes, wood, metal and bone carvings, beautiful weapons and much more.
In general, decorative and applied art has a certain focus. Various products are created not only to aesthetically enjoy their contemplation, but also to be used in everyday life.
And for the Japanese it is very important not only to use works of such art, but also to decorate their everyday life , admiring their beauty. The people of Japan have always had a special attitude towards beauty. They imagined that splendor and grace could be conveyed in words. However, beauty was beyond the ordinary world. The whole life of a person was transient; after death, the soul moved to a beautiful and mysterious world.
All of the listed features of the Japanese worldview were reflected in the creation of works of decorative and applied art. Any action was accompanied by the use of gizmos specially made for this purpose.
For example, tea or sake was drunk from rough and uneven cups. However, it was they who were valued for their beauty, which existed in the other world.
Great Japanese masters created objects, giving them an aesthetic appearance. Figurines - netsuke, boxes - inro, lacquerware, elegant kosode, screens, fans - all this was decorated with artistic taste and grace.
Netsuke - miniature sculpture
Miniature netsuke were used by men to carry a variety of items. A pipe, pouch or purse was attached to the belt of the kimono using netsuke.
Each miniature figurine carried symbolic notes, i.e. meant something.
The professionalism of the execution was visible in the Japanese sculptures. By the way, the art of creating netsuke originated relatively recently, in 1603 - 1868 . This time period in Japan is called Edo .
The most famous masters of that period were Dorakusai (18th century), Xiumin (late 18th century), Tomotada (18th century), Masatsugu (19th century), Gyokumin (19th century) and others.
What kind of images were not used to create netsuke. And the daily activities of citizens, and religious ideas, and images of animals. Masters loved to depict heroes of literary works, fairy tales, and famous Japanese warriors.
If before the 19th century one could notice in sculptures the disproportion of forms and the discrepancy with the actual images, then later Japanese masters tried to more accurately depict the character and convey his characteristic features. The natural world has become more attractive to netsuke makers.
Over the decades, the technology for creating miniature figurines has been improved.
wood or ivory was more often used as a material , then in the 19th century, craftsmen began to use porcelain, coral, metal, agate and other materials. Wooden netsuke were necessarily polished with charcoal powder, rubbed with flax oil, and given shine with silk. The process of painting the figures took a more complex path.
Decorative and applied art of the Far East. China and Japan
Over the course of time, the Chinese people have created many world-famous handicrafts. Since ancient times, skills and secrets of making products from various types of stone, wood, clay and varnish, as well as the secrets of producing fabrics and embroidery have been passed on.
Already in ancient times, Chinese masters, having learned to identify and show the artistic qualities of a material, used for this purpose the play of its colors, spots, differences in figures, and smoothness of the surface. The most ancient vessels made of clay and stone are distinguished, like the ancient ones, by the perfect harmony of forms and clarity of divisions.
Chinese craftsmen adopted many skills, manners and techniques, and traditional patterns from ancient times. However, the very needs that the new historical era put forward gave rise to numerous new types and techniques of artistic craft. Associated with everyday life and the growing needs of the urban population, the artistic craft in the fine arts of China has become not only one of the most widespread and popular, but also one of the most active types.
The whole world uses Chinese vases, cups and other items. In its homeland, Chinese porcelain, along with other types of art, has the widest application. Chinese ceramics are also used for cladding sculptural works.
Ceramics. Already in ancient times, the Chinese used varieties of high-quality clay for their pottery. However, the real credit for the invention of porcelain belongs to the masters of medieval China. In the Tang era, during a period of high prosperity in all areas of Chinese spiritual life, the first porcelain products appeared and became rapidly widespread.
Porcelain was sung by poets and revered as a treasure. The production of porcelain in China was facilitated by rich deposits of the materials necessary for it: porcelain stone (a natural compound of feldspar and quartz) and local clay - kaolin. The combination of these two components provides the necessary ductility and fusion properties. Each of the Chinese porcelain objects is deeply thought out, executed not as a piece of craft, but as an independent work of art.
The shapes of thin vessels are round, soft and massive. Particularly famous at this time was the snow-white porcelain produced in the city of Xingzhou, smooth and matte, preserving the monumentality of ancient products. Many vessels of this time were painted with bright colored glazes, in which oxides of copper, iron and manganese were mixed, giving yellow, brown, green and purple rich tones.
But porcelain reached particular diversity and nobility in the 11th–13th centuries. During the Tang period, ceramics had a variety of colors. But under Suna, she is already distinguished by simplicity and modesty. Chinese ceramics have precise and fine lines and simplicity of color.
The use of natural colors is typical for this time. Gray-blue and gray-green colors can often be found on a Chinese dish or vase. Small cracks are not a defect of the master, but a subtly thought out step. Irregularities in the glaze, dried drops of veneer and small cracks across the entire surface of the product give a feeling of completeness.
Ming porcelain, unlike Song porcelain, is multi-colored. The craftsmen used its snow-white surface as a picturesque background, on which they placed entire landscape or genre compositions. There are a lot of subjects and types of paintings, as well as colorful combinations: blue and white porcelain painted under cobalt glaze of a soft and noble type and pattern, colored glazes rich in colors, three-color and five-color.
Even more techniques and types of porcelain appeared in the 17th-18th centuries. Black, smooth and shiny vessels appear, vessels painted on the top with bright and sparkling enamels. Until the end of the 18th century, when all other forms of art were already in decline, the artistic level of Chinese porcelain remained high. Unlike previous periods, the forms of porcelain products during the Qing dynasty (XVII-XIX centuries) were more complicated and refined.
The repetition of old models acquires more elegant proportions, and by the end of the 18th century. excessive pretentiousness of outline develops. From this time on, the decoration of porcelain is characterized by a variety and richness of motifs and themes, and in some cases, a greater saturation of ornamentation. This is especially noticeable in cobalt painting and in the range of the so-called “green family”. Complex multi-figure scenes, small plant motifs or any of the countless themes of painting are distinguished by great complexity and thoughtfulness of the compositional structure.
The types of Tang and Song applied art are diverse. At this time, bronze mirrors were made according to ancient models, richly decorated on the reverse side with a lush relief pattern of flowering plants, frolicking animals, birds and fruits. Often such mirrors were made of silver, covered with the thinnest layer of gold, and inlaid with mother-of-pearl and precious stones.
The patterns of “ke-sy” (cut silk) fabrics are especially close to the painting of this time. They were created based on models from famous artists. Ke-sy is distinguished by its extraordinary softness, tenderness, and precious grainy matte texture. Light birds on the branches, landscapes, and the blossoming buds of the soft pink meihua plum are the main motifs depicted in ke-sy.
The emergence of painted enamels workshops in China dates back to the Kangxi period, associated with Western European influences emanating from France. The influence of religious engravings brought by Jesuit missionaries can be explained by the usual Chinese enamels on metal in the 18th century. techniques of shading, tracing images along the contour and other, essentially graphic, means of artistic expression.
Traces of European influences are noticeable not only in the subjects and manner of painting, but also in the forms of Chinese enamels of the 18th century. German and English copper and silver products of the 16th-18th centuries often served as prototypes. Enamels made for the highest use were called “huang zhi” - “yellow (i.e., “imperial”) vessels,” since yellow has long been considered the symbolic color of the Chinese emperor.
The decor of such enamels is dominated by images in the “huangyao” (“flower-birds”) genre, Chinese plot scenes and ornamental compositions: images of lotus flower heads woven into a plant shoot in the form of a vine, and a zoomorphic pattern that goes back to the decor of ancient bronze vessels.
In painted enamels, composite sets of plates of different shapes are popular, which were developed in Chinese porcelain already during the Kangxi period. Often the plates were given the shape of an open fan, decorated with images in the “flowers and birds” genre on a white background. In a number of cases, porcelain and enamels on metal are connected both by the common routes of arrival in Europe and by the similarity of forms, painting motifs and color.
However, despite the undoubted similarity with porcelain, painted enamels on metal are characterized by a very obvious artistic originality as a completely special type of Chinese craft, which came into contact with European art more boldly than its traditional types.
Artistic craft and applied art in Japan are called “kogei”. The source of most artistic ideas for works of art was a deep love for nature. People have long felt its beauty in the most ordinary, small, everyday phenomena.
Works of Japanese decorative and applied art traditionally include lacquerware, porcelain and ceramics, wood, bone and metal carvings, artistically decorated fabrics and clothing, works of weaponry, etc.
The specificity of works of applied art is as follows: they have a purely practical, utilitarian application, but at the same time they also play a purely aesthetic role, serving as a decoration for a person’s everyday life. The aesthetics of surrounding objects for the Japanese was no less important than their practical purpose.
Lucky. Lacquer products have been known in Japan since ancient times; their remains are found in archaeological sites of the Jomon era. In hot and humid climates, varnish coatings protected wooden, leather and even metal products from destruction. Lacquer products in Japan have found the widest application: dishes, household utensils, weapons, armor.
Traditional Japanese varnishes are red and black, as well as gold; By the end of the Edo period, the production of yellow, green, and brown varnish began. By the beginning of the 20th century. A varnish of white, blue and purple colors was obtained. There are many decorative techniques associated with the use of varnish: maki-e - the use of gold and silver powder; urushi-e - lacquer painting; Hyomon is a combination of lacquer painting with gold, silver and mother-of-pearl inlay.
Until about the middle of the 17th century. Kyoto remained the main center for the development of lacquer art. Ogato Korin began his career there. His lacquer products were marked by a special unity of form and decor, smoothly “flowing” from one side of the product to another. The combination of various materials created an unusual surface texture and a rare range of colors.
Ceramics. The Japanese have a special passion for ceramic products. The earliest of them are known from archaeological excavations and date back to the Jomon period (Stone Age). The development of Japanese ceramics and, later, porcelain was significantly influenced by Chinese and Korean technologies, in particular firing and colored glaze coating.
A distinctive feature of Japanese ceramics is attention not only to the shape, decorative ornament and color of the product, but also to the tactile sensations that it caused when it came into contact with the palm of a person. The Japanese approach to ceramics involved uneven shapes, surface roughness, spreading cracks, glaze streaks, fingerprints of the master, and a demonstration of the natural texture of the material.
Artistic ceramic products primarily include bowls for tea ceremonies, teapots, vases, pots, decorative dishes, and sake vessels. Initially, the shape of the vessel was made from branches and grass, then it was coated with clay; when fired, the branches and grass burned, leaving their marks on the walls of the vessels.
Vessels from the middle and late Jomon period already resemble sculpture vessels. In the VI-XI centuries. Under the influence of the potters of Korea, Japanese masters switched to firing clay products with a greenish-yellow glaze. Around the same time, products made from real faience appeared - hygroscopic clay covered with glaze.
Porcelain products are mainly thin-walled vases with exquisite decoration, tea and wine sets and various figurines. In the mass of porcelain products that were produced in the 17th-18th centuries. throughout the country, two main types were distinguished: expensive, finely painted products from the workshops of Kutani and Nabeshima, and the porcelain of Arita and Seto, which was produced in large series.
The products of the Kutani workshops had a plastic, uneven shape. Their painting was done using large spots of color and was freely located on the surface of the vessels. Nabeshima's products were usually decorated with the image of a single plant motif made in underglaze painting, sometimes supplemented with overglaze polychrome painting.
The workshops of Arita and Seto produced mass products. This dish was decorated with elegant decorative compositions of flowers, butterflies, and birds. A significant part of Japanese porcelain was specially produced for export to Western countries.
Enamel.
Period from the middle to the end of the 17th century. became very fruitful in the history of the development of enamel art in Japan. At this time, Japanese masters achieved perfection in color. Using the sampling method, they selected the optimal melt of glass, which served as the basis for the enamel, and various variations of oxides that gave it a particular shade, transparency or milky-pearl sheen, a mysterious shimmer.
All successful recipes became a secret, carefully guarded in the master’s family. In Japan, enamels were called "sippo", which means "seven precious stones". This meant that in jewelry, enamel could replace gold, silver, emerald, coral, agate, crystal, and pearls. The most ancient example of enamel discovered in Japan dates back to the end of the 7th century.
Two widely known enamel techniques - champlevé and cloisonné - spread to Japan almost simultaneously. Craftsmen used cloisonné enamel to decorate the guards (tsuba) of samurai swords, decorative bows and arrows, to decorate houses, chests, drawers for storing brushes and ink for calligraphy, tea powder and incense. The workshops of the first artisans who worked on enamel were located in Kyoto, closer to the palaces of emperors and nobles, who were the main buyers of these products.
The revival of the enamel technique is associated with the work of the master Tsunekichi Kaji (1803-1883), who lived on the outskirts of Nagoya. He studied foreign crafts, mainly European, that came to Japan, and on the basis of this he developed new technologies for working with cloisonné enamel. Kaji's success inspired other artisans.
The search for new methods of work began. So at that time, the technology of “counter-enamel” appeared, the gin-bari technique, which consisted of gluing silver foil onto a copper surface covered with a thin layer of enamel. The musen-jippo technology, developed by master Sosuke Namikawa (1847-1910), involved removing the separating wires after the first layer of enamel had dried and refilling with transparent enamel.
There were several dozen variations in the technique - Moriage, Uchidashi, Akasuke, Kodai Moe, Nagare-gusuri and others, which made it possible to achieve excellent results when combined. Japan is the first country in the world where enamel began to be applied not only to metal blanks, but also to ceramics and porcelain. Master Yasuyuki Namikawa (1845-1927), who worked in Kyoto, became famous in the technique of enamel on ceramics.
Typical patterns, borrowed from China, for Japanese enamel products were images of flowers (chrysanthemums, peonies, paulownia inflorescences, plums, cherries) and somewhat Japaneseized images of dragons, lions and other mythical animals, birds, butterflies. Often the symbolism of good wishes was embedded in the images. The shades of the palette varied depending on the purpose of the product. Thus, export goods were executed in bright, even flashy colors, which were preferred by European customers, and those intended for domestic use were painted in calm colors, more consistent with the aesthetic worldview of the Japanese.
The art and culture of China and Japan are extremely original, which has always interested and attracted Europeans. Starting from the 17th century, both Chinese and Japanese motifs penetrated into the artistic and stylistic trends of Western Europe. To this day, the culture of these two countries is interesting both to study and to borrow.
Inro - a box for necessary things
The most exquisite things in Japanese arts and crafts are considered to be boxes - inro , more like miniature boxes.
They were part of a woman's or men's costume. If men hung inro, like netsuke, from the belt of a kimono, then women wore them behind their sleeves.
Translated, inro is a box for seals , which was used to carry various small things. It had several internal branches. The craftsmen who made this kind of product sought to finish the inro with grace and artistic taste. Lacquer painting, mother-of-pearl inlay, and finishing with ivory and precious stones were used, and various techniques for decorating the interior were also used.
Temari - the ancient Japanese art of embroidering balls
In the photo there are temari balls (Author of embroidery: Kondakova Larisa Aleksandrovna)
- the ancient Japanese art of embroidering balls, which has won many fans all over the world. True, Temari’s homeland is China; this handicraft was brought to Japan about 600 years ago. Originally Temari
were made for children using the remains of old ones; with the invention of rubber, braiding balls began to be considered a decorative and applied art.
Temari
as a gift symbolizes friendship and devotion, and it is also believed that they bring good luck and happiness. In Japan, a temari professional is considered to be a person who has passed 4 levels of skill; to do this, you need to weave 150 temari balls and study for about 6 years!
Another thriving type of Japanese applied art, its technology is reminiscent of macrame weaving, but more elegant and miniature.
So, what is mizuhiki
- this art of tying various knots from cords, as a result of which stunningly beautiful patterns are created, has its roots in the 18th century.
The scope of application is also varied - cards, letters, hairstyles, handbags, gift wrapping. By the way, it was thanks to Mizuhiki’s
have become widespread. After all, gifts are due for every event in a person’s life. There is such a huge number of knots and compositions in mizuhiki that not even every Japanese knows them all by heart; along with this, there are also the most common basic knots that are used to congratulate the birth of a child, for a wedding, funeral, birthday or admission to university.
— Japanese handmade
on creating three-dimensional paintings from cardboard and fabric or paper using appliqué technology.
This type of needlework is very popular in Japan; in Russia it has not yet gained much popularity, although learning how to create paintings using the oshie technique
is very simple. To create oshie paintings, you need Japanese washi paper (which is based on the fibers of mulberry, gampi, mitsumata and a number of other plants), fabrics, cardboard, batting, glue, and scissors.
The use of Japanese materials - fabric and paper in this form of art is fundamental, because washi paper, for example, in its properties resembles fabric, and, therefore, is stronger and more flexible than ordinary paper. As for the fabric, the fabric from which it is sewn is used. Of course, Japanese craftswomen did not specifically buy new fabric for oshie; they gave their old kimonos a new life, using it to create paintings. Traditionally, osie paintings depicted children in national costumes and scenes from fairy tales.
Before you start working, you need to choose a design for the painting, such that all its elements have a finished, clear look, all the lines should be closed, like in a children's coloring book. Briefly, the technology for creating oshie is as follows: each cardboard element of the design is wrapped in fabric, and batting is first glued onto the cardboard. The batting gives volume to the painting.
combined several techniques at once: wood carving, patchwork, applique, mosaic. To create a picture of a kinusaiga, you first need to make a sketch on paper, then transfer it to a wooden board. Indentations, a kind of grooves, are made on the board along the contour of the design. After that, small shreds are cut from an old silk kimono, which then fill the cut grooves on the board. The resulting picture of kinusaiga amazes with its beauty and realism.
— Japanese art of folding fabric
, the history of its appearance and the main methods of packaging in this technique can be read.
Using this technique for packaging is beautiful, profitable, and convenient. And in the Japanese computer equipment market, a new trend is laptops packaged in the Furoshiki
. Agree, very original!
(Chirimen craft) - ancient Japanese handicraft
, which originated in the era of late Japanese feudalism.
The essence of this arts and crafts is the creation of toy figures from fabric, mainly the embodiment of animals and plants. This is a purely female type of needlework; Japanese men are not supposed to do it. In the 17th century, one of the directions of “terimen” was the production of decorative bags into which aromatic substances were placed, worn with oneself (like perfume) or used to scent fresh linen (a kind of Sachet). Currently, theremin figurines
are used as decorative elements in the interior of the house. To create terimen figures, you don’t need any special preparation; all you need is fabric, scissors and a lot of patience.
- one of the most ancient types of lace weaving, the first mentions date back to the year 50. In Japanese, kumi means folding and himo means threads (folding threads). Laces were used both for functional purposes—fastening samurai weapons, tying armor on horses, tying together heavy objects—and for decorative purposes—tying a kimono (obi) belt, wrapping gifts. Weaving kumihimo laces
mainly on machines, there are two types,
takadai and marudai
, when using the first, flat cords are obtained, while the second produces round ones.
- simple and elegant Japanese handicrafts
, somewhat similar to patchwork.
Sashiko
is a simple and at the same time exquisite hand embroidery. Translated from Japanese, the word “sashiko” means “small puncture”, which fully characterizes the technique of making stitches. The literal translation from Japanese of the word “sashiko” means “great luck, happiness.” This ancient embroidery technique owes its appearance to... the poverty of rural residents of Japan. Unable to replace old, worn clothes with new ones (fabric was very expensive in those days), they came up with a way to “restore” them using embroidery. Initially, sashiko patterns were used for quilting and insulating clothing; poor women folded worn fabric in several layers and joined it using the sashiko technique, thus creating one warm quilted jacket. Currently, sashiko is widely used for decorative purposes. Traditionally, patterns were embroidered on fabrics of dark, mostly blue, tones using white thread. It was believed that clothing embroidered with symbolic designs protected against evil spirits.
Basic principles of sashiko:
Contrast of fabric and thread - the traditional color of the fabric is dark blue, indigo, the color of the threads is white, a combination of black and white colors was often used. Nowadays, of course, the color palette is not strictly adhered to. The stitches should never intersect at the intersections of the ornament; there should be a distance between them. The stitches should be the same size, the distance between them should also not be uneven.
For this type of embroidery, a special needle is used (similar to a sewing machine needle). The desired design is applied to the fabric and then a needle and thread are inserted; a small loop should remain on the inside. This embroidery is characterized by speed of work; the difficulty lies only in the ability to apply strokes and mix colors. Entire pictures are embroidered this way, the main thing is to choose the threads to get a realistic drawing. The threads used for work are not quite ordinary ones - it is a special “cord” that unravels during work and due to this, a very beautiful and unusual stitch is obtained.
- translated from Japanese kusuri (medicine) and tama (ball), literally “medicine ball”. The art of kusudama
comes from ancient Japanese traditions where kusudama was used for incense and a mixture of dried petals. In general, kusudama is a paper ball consisting of a large number of modules folded from a square sheet of paper (symbolizing flowers).
Okimono in the traditional European sense is a figurine. In Japanese culture, a “carved figurine” is a work of Japanese decorative and applied art, a figurine intended for interior decoration. Historically, the term okimono referred to small sculptures or decorative objects placed in the tokonoma of a traditional Japanese home.
An okimono is similar in design, in plots, and often in size to a netsuke, but the okimono does not have a hole for a cord, which is found in a netsuke.
Okimono are mainly made of wood, ivory, bronze, and silver. Combinations of these materials are common. To give a greater decorative effect, craftsmen used inlay with mother-of-pearl, enamels, coral, and gold varnish. The most valuable are items made from ivory, sometimes tinted with a tea solution and decorated with engraved designs.
Udagawa Kazuo. Woman feeding baby
Kazuo's work was exhibited at several international exhibitions and rightfully gained fame as the “Japanese Madonna.” In the image of the young mother one can discern a resemblance to the famous Madonna Benois by Leonardo da Vinci. The master created several versions of it - in bronze (one of the copies is in the collection of Nasser D. Khalili), in wood and bone. The most valuable, of course, is the model carved from ivory, which adorns the collection of A. Feldman.
Japan is an amazing eastern country located on islands. Another name for Japan is the Land of the Rising Sun. The mild, warm, humid climate, mountain ranges of volcanoes and sea waters create magnificent landscapes among which young Japanese grow up, which undoubtedly leaves an imprint on the art of this small state. Here people get used to beauty from an early age, and fresh flowers, ornamental plants and small gardens with a lake are an attribute of their homes. Everyone is trying to organize a piece of wild nature for themselves. Like all eastern nationalities, the Japanese have maintained a connection with nature, which they have honored and respected throughout the centuries of their civilization.
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Kosode – short sleeve kimono
Kosode has been known for a long time as a piece of Japanese clothing. However, it was only in the Edo era that short-sleeved kimonos began to be brightly decorated using new fabric dyeing technologies.
Kosode became an object of decorative and applied art. It should be noted that depending on the occasions in a person’s life, the Japanese wore kosode decorated in a certain way. The varied use of silk threads had amazing results. Each kosode was a piece of decorative and applied art of the Japanese people.
Japan
Works of Japanese decorative and applied art traditionally include lacquer, porcelain and ceramic products, wood, bone and metal carvings, artistically decorated fabrics and clothing, works of weaponry, etc. The specificity of works of decorative and applied art is as follows: they have , as a rule, have a purely practical, utilitarian use, but at the same time they also play a purely aesthetic role, serving as a decoration for a person’s everyday life. The aesthetics of surrounding objects for the Japanese was no less important than their practical purpose: admiring beauty. Moreover, the traditional consciousness of the Japanese is characterized by a special attitude towards beauty as one of the mysteries of the universe. Beauty for the Japanese is a phenomenon that goes beyond the boundaries of our everyday world, which can be described in words and understood with reason. Modern Western culture, the more it tries to reduce human life to the framework of a rational, everyday worldview, where the laws of the so-called “common sense” prevail. For the Japanese, despite their extreme practicality and pragmatism in everyday affairs, the everyday, material world was certainly perceived as illusory and transitory. And that beyond its borders there is another, unmanifested world, which fundamentally defies the standards of “common sense” and which cannot be described in words. Higher beings live there, the mystery of life and death is associated with it, as well as many mysteries of existence, including the principles of beauty. That world is reflected in ours, like the moon in the surface of water, echoing in the souls of people with a sharp and aching sense of the beautiful and mysterious. Those who are not able to see and appreciate this subtle and multifaceted play of meanings and shades of beauty are considered by the Japanese to be hopeless, rude barbarians.
In order to establish their involvement in the transcendental world, the Japanese (primarily the elite, the aristocracy) attached great importance to ritual actions, and especially their aesthetic side. From here come the ceremonies of admiring the cherry blossoms, scarlet maples, the first snow, sunrises and sunsets, as well as poetry competitions, flower arranging (ikebana), theatrical performances, etc. Even such simple everyday situations as drinking tea or sake, meeting guests or entering into intimate intimacy, the Japanese attached importance to a mystical act. At the same time, household items simultaneously played the role of ritual attributes. The craftsmen who created such objects sought to give them an impeccable aesthetic appearance. For example, many bowls for the tea ceremony, at first glance rough and uneven, were valued unusually highly, primarily because they bore the stamp of “otherworldly” beauty; they seemed to contain the entire Universe.
The same fully applies to many other works of decorative and applied art: figurines, netsuke, boxes, inro, lacquerware, elegant kosode (kimono with short sleeves) with exquisite and whimsical decor, screens, fans, lanterns and, especially , a traditional Japanese weapon. We will consider the practical implementation of traditional aesthetic principles in Japanese decorative and applied arts using the example of Japanese artistic swords.
For any Japanese, a sword is an object of almost religious worship, mystically connected not only with the fate of the current owner, but also with entire generations of warriors who owned it. Moreover, many swords are considered animate - they have their own soul, their own will, their own character. Since ancient times, the sword has served as a symbol of power, a symbol of the samurai fighting spirit and has been associated with both Shinto and Buddhist cults. The process of forging a sword is equated to a religious sacrament, to a Shinto mystery. When a swordsmith starts forging a sword, he performs strict ritual actions: he fasts, performs cleansing ablutions, and offers prayers to the kami gods, who invisibly help and guide his work. The created sword is infused with the spirit of the kami, so the sword must be flawless in all respects.
Indeed, Japanese traditional swords have special qualities, both combative and aesthetic; Connoisseurs can contemplate and admire a good sword indefinitely, as if it were a genuine work of art with many unique details. It is believed that the Japanese sword has “four types of beauty”: 1) an elegant, perfect shape (there are many options for the shape of the sword; as a rule, Japanese blades have one blade and a graceful curve; however, there are double-edged and straight blades); 2) the special structure of the steel formed during forging (for example, on some blades a pattern is formed that resembles the layered structure of a crystal or wood, on others small or large “grains” appear, giving the steel the illusion of transparency); 3) a special shining line (jamon), formed along the blade as a result of hardening the blade (there are many varieties of hamon - some resemble sharp mountain peaks, others - smoothly rising waves, others - fancy clouds, etc.); 4) thorough polishing, giving the blade a specific shine and shine. Some blades were also carved with relief figures of dragons, samurai coats of arms, individual hieroglyphs, etc. On the shanks of many blades, their creators carved calligraphic inscriptions, sometimes inlaid with precious metals.
Particular importance was also attached to the mount of the sword, consisting of a fairly large number of individual parts, many of which are independent works of art. The sword handle was carved from magnolia wood, then covered with stingray or shark skin and braided with silk or leather cord. The sword guard (tsuba) served as the main decoration of the hilt. Tsuba could be of different shapes (round, oval, square, trapezoidal, chrysanthemum flower shape, etc.), they were forged from iron, copper, bronze, many were decorated with silver, gold or specific Japanese alloys. Each tsuba had its own unique decor (carved silhouettes, engraving, inlay, overlays made of various metals in the form of dragons, fish, all kinds of animals, people, gods, flowers, trees) and was, in fact, a work of jewelry art. Like blades, many tsuba were decorated with hieroglyphic signatures of the masters who created them. In addition to the tsuba, the handle had several other decorative elements, including small metal figures - menuki, located under the cord. Menuki, often decorated with silver and gold, could have the most bizarre shapes: a dragon playing with a pearl; moon in the clouds; a man sleeping on a paulownia flower; demon - tengu; sea crayfish or insect. Menuks played the role of amulets; in addition, they prevented the hilt of the sword from slipping out of the warrior’s palm. Much attention was paid to the aesthetics of the scabbard. The scabbard was usually carved from wood and coated with varnish - black, red, gold. Sometimes they were covered with polished stingray skin or metal plates; sometimes they were carved from ivory or inlaid with mother-of-pearl, gold or silver notches, etc. The scabbards of many swords had special grooves for small knives - kogatana and kogai (throwing pin), which also had their own decoration. The scabbard could contain decorations similar to those on the hilt, thus creating a unified style of decorative design of the sword - for example, a motif with dragons or sea creatures was common. In addition, the sheaths of many swords (especially tachi, which were worn on special pendants with the blade down, in contrast to the katana, which was tucked into the belt with the blade up) were decorated with luxurious silk cords with tassels and decorative knots. By the color, shape and decoration of the scabbard one could judge the rank of the samurai; in addition, in a number of cases, etiquette prescribed a special type of sheath: for example, samurai came to funerals with swords in simple black sheaths, devoid of any decoration. Representatives of the highest aristocracy had swords in gilded sheaths, richly trimmed with precious stones.
In Japan, there have long been many family schools of gunsmiths engaged in forging blades, polishing them, making sheaths and decorations for swords, producing bows, arrows, quivers, armor and helmets. There were legends about the skill of many gunsmiths (such as Masamune, who lived at the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th centuries). They were considered wizards who communicated with spirits, and magical properties were attributed to the creations of their hands.
Lacquer products have been known in Japan since ancient times; their remains are found in archaeological sites of the Jomon era. In hot and humid climates, varnish coatings protected wooden, leather and even metal products from destruction. Lacquer ware found the widest use in Japan: dishes, household utensils, weapons, armor, etc. Lacquer ware also served as interior decoration, especially in the houses of the nobility. Traditional Japanese varnishes are red and black, as well as gold; By the end of the Edo period, the production of yellow, green, and brown varnish began. By the beginning of the 20th century. A varnish of white, blue and purple colors was obtained. The varnish is applied to the wooden base in a very thick layer - up to 30-40 layers, then polished to a mirror finish. There are many decorative techniques associated with the use of varnish: maki-e - the use of gold and silver powder; urushi-e - lacquer painting; hemon - combination; lacquer painting with gold, silver and mother-of-pearl inlay. Japanese artistic lacquer products are highly valued not only in Japan, but also in the West, and their production continues to flourish to this day.
The Japanese have a special passion for ceramic products. The earliest of them are known from archaeological excavations and date back to the Jomon period. The development of Japanese ceramics and, later, porcelain was significantly influenced by Chinese and Korean technologies, in particular, firing and colored glazing. A distinctive feature of Japanese ceramics is that the master paid attention not only to the shape, decorative ornament and color of the product, but also to the tactile sensations that it caused when it came into contact with the palm of a person. In contrast to the Western approach, the Japanese approach to ceramics assumed uneven shape, surface roughness, spreading cracks, glaze streaks, fingerprints of the master and demonstration of the natural texture of the material. Artistic ceramic products include, first of all, bowls for tea ceremonies, teapots, vases, pots, decorative dishes, sake vessels, etc. Porcelain products are mainly thin-walled vases with exquisite decor, tea and wine sets and various figurines. A significant part of Japanese porcelain was specially produced for export to Western countries.
Fan as a work of Japanese arts and crafts
The fan also attracted the attention of Japanese craftsmen and became an object of art. sensu fan came to Japan, most likely from China. And already the Japanese masters gave it their own unique, elegant look.
The uchiwa type of fan is considered a purely Japanese invention. This is a petal fan that was made from a single piece of wood, then covered with expensive silk or paper, onto which beautiful designs were applied.
The subjects of the drawings had different characters. Japanese traditions were visible to the naked eye in every work of art such as a fan.
By the way, the Japanese also created a version of the fan that was also used in combat. As usual, such an item was used when giving instructions on the battlefield. A certain type of decoration accompanied this fan. More often it depicted a red circle on a yellow background on one side, and a yellow circle on a red background on the other.
Japanese traditional art is based on original principles. The tastes and preferences of the Japanese are very different from the aesthetic priorities of residents of other countries. Decorative works have been created in this country for many centuries. These are ceramic and porcelain products, decorated fabrics and clothes, wood, metal and bone carvings, beautiful weapons and much more. For the Japanese, it is very important not only to use works of such art, but also to decorate their everyday life, admiring their beauty. The people of Japan have always had a special attitude towards beauty. They believed that splendor and grace can be conveyed in words, but beauty exists outside the ordinary world. The whole life of a person is transient, and after death the soul moves into a beautiful and mysterious world.
Traditional Japanese dolls are called ningyo, which means "doll". There are many types of Japanese dolls, some of them depict children, others depict the imperial court, warriors and heroes, fairy tale characters, gods and demons. Most dolls are made for gifts or for holidays, such as Hinamatsuri - Girls' Day. Other dolls are made to be sold as souvenirs. Initially, dolls acted as amulets or talismans. The art of doll making flourished during the Edo era. Starting from this period, dolls of various shapes and purposes began to be made. Japanese dolls are made from wood, paper, fabric, clay or live chrysanthemums.
Netsuke is a miniature sculpture, which is a small carved keychain. Netsuke was used as a pendant on traditional Japanese clothing, the kimono and kosode, which had no pockets. Each miniature figurine carried symbolic notes. The professionalism of the execution was visible in the Japanese sculptures. The art of creating netsuke originated relatively recently - in the 17th century. If in the beginning wood or ivory was more often used as a material, then in the 19th century craftsmen began to use porcelain, coral, metal, agate and other materials. Netsuke should not be confused with okimono - a miniature Japanese sculpture similar to netsuke in design, subject matter, and often in size.
The most exquisite things in Japanese arts and crafts are considered to be boxes - inro, more like miniature boxes. They were part of a woman's or men's costume. If men hung inro, like netsuke, from the belt of a kimono, then women wore them behind their sleeves. Translated, inro is a box for seals, which was used to carry various small things. It had several internal branches. The craftsmen sought to decorate the inro with grace and artistic taste: they used lacquer painting, mother-of-pearl inlay, finishing with ivory, precious stones, as well as various decoration techniques. The fan also attracted the attention of Japanese craftsmen and became an object of art. The sensu fan came to Japan from China. And already the Japanese masters gave it their own unique, elegant look. The uchiwa fan is considered a purely Japanese invention. This is a petal fan, which was made from a single piece of wood, then covered with expensive silk or paper, onto which beautiful designs were applied. The subjects of the drawings had different characters. The Japanese also created a version of the fan that was used in combat. As usual, such an item was used when giving instructions on the battlefield. A certain type of finish corresponded to it. More often it depicted a red circle on a yellow background on one side, and a yellow circle on a red background on the other.
Ceramic art in Japan includes a wide variety of different types of dishes: teapots, sake vessels, decorative dishes, pots and others. Porcelain thin-walled vases are still in demand in Western countries.
Japanese artistic sword
The aesthetic principles of Japanese arts and crafts were fully expressed in the manufacture and decoration of artistic swords.
The sword is a special object of worship for the Japanese, and various materials and techniques were used to create it.
The Japanese sword is not only elegant in its shape. The special structure of the steel, the shining line of the blade, the surface of which was carefully polished, characterizes such an object as the highest work of Japanese art. Some blades were also decorated with relief figures of dragons, samurai coats of arms, and trimmed with hieroglyphs.
In Japan, there were schools of gunsmiths who made various military swords and specialized in the artistic decoration of weapons. Such a famous gunsmith as Masamune (late 13th century - early 14th century) was famous throughout Japan for his skill. Many of our contemporaries, connoisseurs of Japanese weaponry, dream of purchasing a sword made by him.
Japan painting
In Japanese painting, at first the monochrome type of paintings, closely intertwined with the art of calligraphy, prevailed. Both were created according to the same principles. The art of making paints, ink and paper came to Japan from the mainland. In this regard, a new round of development of the art of painting began. At that time, one of the types of Japanese painting were long horizontal scrolls of emakinomo, which depicted scenes from the life of Buddha. Landscape painting in Japan began to develop much later, after which artists appeared who specialized in scenes from social life, painting portraits and war scenes.
In Japan they usually painted on folding screens, shoji, house walls and clothes. For the Japanese, a screen is not only a functional element of the home, but also a work of art for contemplation, defining the overall mood of the room. National clothing, kimono, is also a piece of Japanese art, bearing a special oriental flavor. Decorative panels on gold foil using bright colors can also be classified as works of Japanese painting. The Japanese have achieved great skill in creating ukiyo-e, the so-called wood engraving. The subject of such paintings was episodes from the lives of ordinary townspeople, artists and geishas, as well as magnificent landscapes, which became the result of the development of the art of painting in Japan.
