Japanese modern arts and crafts. Applied art. Japanese kanzashi - fabric flowers

The Japanese discovered the beauty hidden in things in the 9th-12th centuries, in the Heian era (794-1185) and even designated it with the special concept of “mono no avare” (jap.???? (??????)) , which means "the sad charm of things." “The charm of things” is one of the earliest definitions of beauty in Japanese literature, it is associated with the Shinto belief that every thing has its own deity - kami - and its own unique charm. Avare is the inner essence of things, that which causes delight, excitement.

Washi (wasi) or wagami (wagami).
Manual paper making. Medieval Japanese valued washi not only for its practical qualities, but also for its beauty. She was famous for her subtlety, almost transparency, which, however, did not deprive her of strength. Washi is made from the bark of the kozo (mulberry) tree and some other trees.
Washi paper has been preserved for centuries, evidence of this is the albums and volumes of ancient Japanese calligraphy, paintings, screens, engravings that have come down through the centuries to the present day.
Vasya's paper is fibrous, if you look through a microscope, you will see cracks through which air and sunlight penetrate. This quality is used in the manufacture of screens and traditional Japanese lanterns.
Washi souvenirs are very popular among Europeans. Many small and useful items are made from this paper: wallets, envelopes, fans. They are quite durable yet lightweight.

Komono.
What remains of a kimono after it has served its time? Do you think it's being thrown away? Nothing like this! The Japanese will never do that. Kimonos are expensive. It's unthinkable and impossible to throw it away like that... Along with other types of kimono recycling, craftswomen made small souvenirs from small shreds. These are small toys for children, dolls, brooches, garlands, women's jewelry and other products, the old kimono is used in the manufacture of small cute things, which are collectively called "komono". Little things that will take on a life of their own, continuing the path of the kimono. This is what the word "komono" means.

Mizuhiki.
Macrame analogue. This is an ancient Japanese applied art of tying various knots from special cords and creating patterns from them. Such works of art had an extremely wide scope - from gift cards and letters to hairstyles and handbags. Currently, mizuhiki is extremely widely used in the gift industry - for every event in life, a gift is supposed to be wrapped and tied in a very specific way. There are extremely many knots and compositions in the art of mizuhiki, and not every Japanese knows them all by heart. Of course, there are the most common and simple knots that are used most often: for congratulations on the birth of a child, for a wedding or commemoration, a birthday or university admission.

Gohei.
Talisman from paper strips. Gohei - a ritual staff of a Shinto priest, to which paper zigzag strips are attached. The same strips of paper are hung at the entrance to a Shinto shrine. The role of paper in Shinto has traditionally been very great, and esoteric meaning has always been attached to products made from it. And the belief that every thing, every phenomenon, even words, contain a kami - a deity - explains the emergence of such a type of applied art as gohei. Shintoism is somewhat similar to our paganism. For Shintoists, the kami is especially willing to take up residence in anything that is out of the ordinary. For example, on paper. And even more so in a gohei twisted into an intricate zigzag, which hangs today in front of the entrance to Shinto shrines and indicates the presence of a deity in the temple. There are 20 ways to fold the gohei, and those that are especially unusually folded attract the kami. Gohei is predominantly white in color, but gold, silver, and many other shades are also found. Since the 9th century, there has been a custom in Japan to strengthen the gohei on the belts of sumo wrestlers before the start of the fight.

Anesama.
This is the manufacture of paper dolls. In the 19th century, samurai wives made paper dolls that children played with, dressing them in different clothes. In times when there were no toys, anesama was the only interlocutor for children, "performing" the role of mother, elder sister, child and friend.
The doll is folded from Japanese washi paper, the hair is made from crinkled paper, dyed with ink and covered with glue, which gives it a sheen. A distinctive feature is a nice little nose on an elongated face. Today, this simple toy, requiring nothing but skillful hands, traditional in form, continues to be made in the same way as before.

Origami.
The ancient art of folding paper figures (jap. ???, lit.: "folded paper"). The art of origami has its roots in ancient China, where paper was invented. Initially, origami was used in religious ceremonies. For a long time, this type of art was available only to representatives of the upper classes, where a sign of good taste was the possession of paper folding techniques. Only after the Second World War, origami went beyond the East and came to America and Europe, where it immediately found its fans. Classic origami is folded from a square sheet of paper.
There is a certain set of conventional symbols necessary to sketch the folding scheme of even the most complex product. Most of the conventional signs were put into practice in the middle of the 20th century by the famous Japanese master Akira Yoshizawa.
Classical origami prescribes the use of one square evenly colored sheet of paper without glue and scissors. Contemporary art forms sometimes deviate from this canon.

Photo source: http://sibanime.ru/2152-yaponskie-tradicii-origami.html

Kirigami.
Kirigami is the art of cutting various shapes from a sheet of paper folded several times with the help of scissors. A type of origami that allows the use of scissors and paper cutting in the process of making the model. This is the main difference between kirigami and other paper folding techniques, which is emphasized in the name: ?? (kiru) - to cut,? (gami) - paper. We all loved to cut out snowflakes in childhood - a variant of kirigami, you can cut not only snowflakes, but also various figures, flowers, garlands and other cute paper things using this technique. These products can be used as stencils for prints, album decorations, postcards, photo frames, fashion design, interior design and other various decorations.

Ikebana.
Ikebana, (jap ??? or ????) translated from Japanese - ike "- life," bana "- flowers, or" flowers that live. The Japanese art of flower arranging is one of the most beautiful traditions of the Japanese people. When compiling flower arrangements, along with flowers, cut branches, leaves and shoots are used. The fundamental principle is exquisite simplicity, to achieve which they try to emphasize the natural beauty of plants. Ikebana is the creation of a new natural form, in which the beauty of a flower and the beauty of the soul of the master creating the composition are harmoniously combined.
Today in Japan there are 4 major schools of ikebana: Ikenobo (Ikenobo), Koryu (Koryu), Ohara (Ohara), Sogetsu (Sogetsu). In addition to them, there are about a thousand different directions and trends that adhere to one of these schools.

Oribana.
In the middle of the 17th century, two schools of ohara (the main form of ikebana - oribana) and koryu (the main form - sek) departed from ikenobo. By the way, the ohara school still studies only oribanu. As the Japanese say, it is very important that origami does not turn into origami. Gomi means trash in Japanese. After all, as it happens, you folded a piece of paper, and then what to do with it? Oribana offers a lot of ideas for bouquets for decorating the interior. ORIBANA = ORIGAMI + IKEBANA

Wrong.
A type of fine art born of floristry. Floristry appeared in our country eight years ago, although it has existed in Japan for more than six hundred years. Sometime in the Middle Ages, samurai comprehended the way of a warrior. And oshibana was part of that path, just like writing hieroglyphs and wielding a sword. The meaning of the mistake was that in the state of total presence in the moment (satori), the master created a picture of dried flowers (pressed flowers). Then this picture could serve as a key, a guide for those who were ready to enter silence and experience that same satori.
The essence of the art of "oshibana" is that, by collecting and drying flowers, herbs, leaves, bark under pressure and sticking them on the base, the author creates with the help of plants a truly work of "painting". In other words, wrong is painting with plants.
The artistic creativity of florists is based on the preservation of the form, color and texture of dried plant material. The Japanese have developed a technique for protecting "oshibana" paintings from fading and darkening. Its essence is that air is pumped out between the glass and the picture and a vacuum is created that prevents the plants from spoiling.
It attracts not only the unconventionality of this art, but also the opportunity to show imagination, taste, knowledge of the properties of plants. Florists create ornaments, landscapes, still lifes, portraits and story paintings.

Temari.
These are traditional Japanese geometric embroidered balls made with simple stitches that were once a children's toy and have now become an art form with many fans not only in Japan but throughout the world. It is believed that a long time ago these products were made by samurai wives for entertainment. At the very beginning, they were really used as a ball for a ball game, but gradually they began to acquire artistic elements, later turning into decorative ornaments. The delicate beauty of these balls is known throughout Japan. And today, colorful, carefully crafted products are one of the types of folk crafts in Japan.

Yubinuki.
Japanese thimbles, when hand sewing or embroidering, they are put on the middle phalanx of the middle finger of the working hand, with the help of the fingertips the needle is given the desired direction, and the needle is pushed through the ring on the middle finger in work. Initially, Japanese yubinuki thimbles were made quite simply - a strip of dense fabric or leather about 1 cm wide in several layers was tightly wrapped around the finger and fastened together with a few simple decorative stitches. Since yubinuki were a necessary item in every home, they began to be decorated with geometric embroidery with silk threads. From the interlacing of stitches, colorful and complex patterns were created. Yubinuki from a simple household item has also turned into an object for "admiring", decoration of everyday life.
Yubinuki are still used in sewing and embroidery, but they can also be found simply worn on the hands on any finger, like decorative rings. Yubinuki-style embroidery is used to decorate various objects in the form of a ring - napkin rings, bracelets, temari stands, decorated with yubinuki embroidery, and there are also embroidered needle beds in the same style. Yubinuki patterns can be a great inspiration for temari obi embroidery.

Kanzashi.
The art of decorating hairpins (most often decorated with flowers (butterflies, etc.) made of fabric (mainly silk). Japanese kanzashi (kanzashi) is a long hairpin for a traditional Japanese female hairstyle. They were made of wood, lacquer, silver, tortoiseshell used in traditional Chinese and Japanese hairstyles.About 400 years ago, in Japan, the style of women's hairstyles changed: women stopped combing their hair in the traditional form - taregami (long straight hair) and began to style their hair in intricate and bizarre forms - nihongami. used various items - hairpins, sticks, combs.It was then that even a simple kushi comb-comb turns into an elegant accessory of extraordinary beauty, which becomes a real work of art.Japanese women's traditional costume did not allow wrist jewelry and necklaces, so hairstyles decorations were the main beauty and field for self-expression - as well as demonstrating the taste and thickness of the bag like the owner. On the engravings you can see - if you look closely - how Japanese women easily hung up to twenty expensive kanzashi in their hairstyles.
There is now a resurgence in the tradition of using kanzashi among young Japanese women who wish to add sophistication and elegance to their hairstyles, modern barrettes can be adorned with just one or two dainty handmade flowers.

Kumihimo.
Kumihimo is a Japanese braided cord. When weaving threads, ribbons and laces are obtained. These laces are woven on special machines - Marudai and Takadai. The Marudai machine is used for weaving round laces, and Takadai for flat ones. Kumihimo in Japanese means "weaving ropes" (kumi - weaving, folding together, himo - rope, lace). Despite the fact that historians stubbornly insist that similar weaving can be found among the Scandinavians and the inhabitants of the Andes, the Japanese art of kumihimo is indeed one of the most ancient types of weaving. The first mention of it dates back to 550, when Buddhism spread throughout Japan and special ceremonies required special decorations. Later, kumihimo laces began to be used as a fixer for the obi belt on a women's kimono, as ropes for "packing" the entire samurai arsenal of weapons (samurai used kumihimo for decorative and functional purposes to tie their armor and horse armor) and also for tying heavy objects.
A variety of patterns of modern kumihimo are woven very easily on homemade cardboard looms.

Suibokuga or sumie.
Japanese ink painting. This Chinese style of painting was adopted by Japanese artists in the 14th century, and by the end of the 15th century. became the mainstream of painting in Japan. Suibokuga is monochrome. It is characterized by the use of black ink (sumi), a hard form of charcoal or Chinese ink produced from the soot of Chinese ink, which is ground in an ink pot, diluted with water, and brushed onto paper or silk. Monochrome offers the master an endless choice of tonal options, which the Chinese long ago recognized as the “colors” of ink. Suibokuga sometimes allows the use of real colors, but limits it to thin, transparent strokes that always remain subordinate to the ink line. Ink painting shares with the art of calligraphy such essential characteristics as tightly controlled expression and technical mastery of form. The quality of ink painting comes down, as in calligraphy, to the integrity and resistance to tearing of the line drawn in ink, which, as it were, holds the work of art on itself, just as bones hold tissues on themselves.

Etegami.
Drawn postcards (e - picture, tagged - letter). Do-it-yourself postcard making is generally a very popular activity in Japan, and before the holiday its popularity increases even more. The Japanese love to send postcards to their friends, and they love to receive them too. This is a type of quick letter on special blanks, it can be sent by mail without an envelope. There are no special rules or techniques in etegami, anyone can do it without special training. Etagami helps to accurately express the mood, impressions, this is a handmade postcard consisting of a picture and a short letter, conveying the emotions of the sender, such as warmth, passion, care, love, etc. They send these postcards for the holidays and just like that, depicting the seasons, activities, vegetables and fruits, people and animals. The simpler this picture is drawn, the more interesting it looks.

Furoshiki.
Japanese wrapping technique or the art of cloth folding. Furoshiki entered the life of the Japanese for a long time. Ancient scrolls from the Kamakura-Muromachi period (1185 - 1573) have been preserved with images of women carrying bundles of clothes wrapped in cloth on their heads. This interesting technique originated as early as 710 - 794 AD in Japan. The word "furoshiki" literally translates to "bath rug" and is a square piece of cloth that was used to wrap and carry objects of all shapes and sizes.
In the old days, it was customary to walk in Japanese baths (furo) in light cotton kimonos, which visitors brought with them from home. The bather also brought a special rug (shiki) on which he stood while undressing. Having changed into a "bathing" kimono, the visitor wrapped his clothes in a rug, and after the bath wrapped a wet kimono in a rug to bring it home. Thus, the bath mat has become a multifunctional bag.
Furoshiki is very easy to use: the fabric takes the shape of the object that you wrap, and the handles make it easy to carry the load. In addition, a gift wrapped not in hard paper, but in a soft, multi-layered fabric, acquires a special expressiveness. There are many schemes for folding furoshiki for any occasion, everyday or festive.

Kinusaiga.
An amazing type of needlework from Japan. Kinusaiga (???) is a cross between batik and patchwork. The main idea is that new paintings are pieced together from old silk kimonos - true works of art.
First, the artist makes a sketch on paper. Then this drawing is transferred to a wooden board. The contour of the pattern is cut through with grooves, or grooves, and then small shreds, matching in color and tone, are cut from the old silk kimono, and the edges of these shreds fill the grooves. When you look at such a picture, you get the feeling that you are looking at a photograph, or even just watching the landscape outside the window, they are so realistic.

Amigurumi.
The Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and humanoid creatures. Amigurumi (jap. ????, lit.: “knitted-wrapped”) are most often cute animals (such as bears, bunnies, cats, dogs, etc.), little men, but they can also be inanimate objects endowed with human properties. For example, cupcakes, hats, handbags and others. Amigurumi is knitted or knitted or crocheted. Recently, crochet amigurumi have become more popular and more common.
knitted from yarn in a simple knitting method - in a spiral and, unlike the European knitting method, the circles are usually not connected. They are also crocheted on a smaller size relative to the yarn thickness to create a very dense fabric without any gaps for stuffing to come out. Amigurumi are often made from parts and then put together, with the exception of some amigurumi, which do not have limbs, but only have a head and torso, which are one whole. The limbs are sometimes filled with plastic pieces to give them live weight, while the rest of the body is filled with fiberfill.
The spread of amigurumi aesthetics is facilitated by their cuteness (“kawaii”).

Bonsai.
Bonsai, as a phenomenon, appeared more than a thousand years ago in China, but this culture reached its peak of development only in Japan. (bonsai - Jap. ?? Lit. "plant in a pot") - the art of growing an exact copy of a real tree in miniature. These plants were grown by Buddhist monks several centuries before our era and subsequently became one of the activities of the local nobility.
Bonsai adorned Japanese homes and gardens. In the Tokugawa era, park design received a new impetus: the cultivation of azaleas and maples became a pastime for the wealthy. Dwarf crop production (hachi-no-ki - "tree in a pot") also developed, but the bonsai of that time were very large.
Now ordinary trees are used for bonsai, they become small due to constant pruning and various other methods. At the same time, the ratio of the sizes of the root system, limited by the volume of the bowl, and the ground part of the bonsai corresponds to the proportions of an adult tree in nature.

Series of messages " ":
Part 1 - Japanese types of needlework

The Chinese people have created many world-famous handicrafts over time. Since ancient times, the skills and secrets of making products from various types of stone, wood, clay and varnish, the secrets of the production of fabrics and embroidery have been passed down. Already in ancient times, the masters of China, having learned to identify and show the artistic qualities of the material, used for this purpose the play of its colors, spots, difference in figures, smoothness of the surface. The most ancient vessels made of clay and stone are distinguished, like antique ones, by a perfect harmony of forms and clarity of articulation.

Chinese craftsmen adopted many skills, manners and techniques, traditional forms of patterns from antiquity. However, the very needs that the new historical era put forward gave rise to numerous new types and techniques of artistic craft. Related to everyday life, with the growing needs of the urban population, artistic craft in the fine arts of China was not only one of the most massive and popular, but also one of the most active types.

The whole world uses Chinese vases, cups and other items. At home, Chinese porcelain, along with other types of art, has the widest application. Chinese ceramics are also used for facing sculptures.

Ceramics. Already in ancient times, the Chinese used varieties of high-quality clay for their pottery. However, the true merit of the invention of porcelain belongs to the masters of medieval China. In the Tang era, during the period of high prosperity in all areas of Chinese spiritual life, the first porcelain products appeared and quickly spread. Porcelain was sung by poets, revered as a jewel. 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 gives the necessary plasticity and alloyability. Each of China's porcelain items is deeply thought out, executed not as a craft item, but as an independent work of art. The forms of thin vessels are rounded, soft and massive. Particularly famous at that time was the snow-white porcelain produced in the city of Xing-chou, smooth and matte, which retained the monumentality of ancient products. Many vessels of that time were painted with bright colored glazes mixed with oxides of copper, iron and manganese, which gave rich yellow, brown, green and purple tones. But porcelain reaches a special variety and nobility in the XI-XIII centuries. During the Tang period, ceramics have a variety of colors. But under Sun, she is already distinguished by simplicity and modesty. Chinese pottery has precise and fine lines and simplicity of color. The use of natural colors is typical for this time. Grey-blue and grey-green colors can often be found on a Chinese dish or vase. Small cracks are not a defect of the master, but a finely thought-out step. Irregularities in the glaze, dried drops of the lining and small cracks all over the surface of the product give a feeling of completeness.

Minsk porcelain, unlike the Sung porcelain, is multicolored. The masters used its snow-white surface as a picturesque backdrop against which entire landscape or genre compositions were placed. There are a lot of plots and types of paintings, as well as colorful combinations: blue-white porcelain, painted under glaze with cobalt 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 appear in the 17th-18th centuries. Black smooth and shiny vessels appear, vessels painted on top with bright and sparkling enamels. Until the end of the 18th century, when all other art forms had already fallen into 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 sophisticated and refined. The repetition of old models acquires more elegant proportions, and by the end of the 18th century. excessive pretentiousness of outlines develops. Since that time, porcelain decoration has been characterized by a variety and richness of motifs and themes, and in some cases - a great richness 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 compositional construction.

The types of Tang and Sung applied arts are diverse. At this time, bronze mirrors were made according to the model of antiquity, richly decorated on the reverse side with a magnificent relief pattern of flowering plants, frolicking animals, birds and fruits. Often such mirrors were made of silver, covered with the thinnest layer of gold, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and precious stones.

Patterns of fabrics "ke-sy" (cut silk) are especially close to the painting of this time. They were created according to the samples of famous artists. Ke-sy is distinguished by extraordinary softness, tenderness, precious grainy matte texture. Light birds on the branches, landscapes, blooming buds of the pale pink meihua plum are the main motifs depicted in ke-si.

The emergence of workshops for the production of painted enamels in China dates back to the Kangxi period, associated with Western European influences coming from France. The influence of religious engravings brought by Jesuit missionaries can explain the Chinese enamels on metal of the 18th century, which are common for paintings. shading techniques, stroking images along the contour and other, graphic in their basis, 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 items 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 decoration of such enamels is dominated by images in the “huangyao” (“flower-birds”) genre, Chinese plot scenes and ornamental compositions: the image 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 various shapes are popular, which were developed in Chinese porcelain already in the Kangxi period. Often the plates were given the shape of an open fan, decorated with images in the genre of "flowers-birds" on a white background. Porcelain and enamels on metal in a number of cases are connected both by the common ways of getting to Europe, and by the similarity of forms, motifs of painting and coloring. However, with an undoubted similarity to porcelain, painted enamels on metal are characterized by a completely obvious artistic originality as a completely special type of Chinese craft, more boldly in comparison with its traditional types, which came into contact with European art.

Artistic craft, applied art in Japan is called the word "kogei". The source of most of the artistic ideas of works of art was a deep love for nature. People have long felt its beauty in the most ordinary, petty, everyday phenomena.

The works of Japanese arts and crafts traditionally include lacquer, porcelain and ceramic products, wood, bone and metal carvings, artistically decorated fabrics and clothes, works of weapons art, 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 an adornment of a person's everyday life. The aesthetics of the surrounding objects for the Japanese was no less important than their practical purpose.

Lucky. Since ancient times, lacquerware has been known in Japan; their remains are found in archaeological sites of the Jomon era. In a hot and humid climate, lacquer coatings protected wood, 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 golden; towards the end of the Edo period, the production of yellow, green, brown lacquer began. Back to top

20th century a varnish of white, blue and violet colors was obtained. There are many decorative techniques associated with the use of lacquer: maki-e - the use of gold and silver powder; urushi-e - lacquer painting; hyomon - 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. It was there that Ogato Korin began his career. His lacquerware was marked by a special unity of forms and decor, which smoothly "flowed" from one side of the product to another. The combination of different materials created an unusual surface texture and a rare color scheme.

Ceramics. The Japanese are especially fond of ceramic products. The earliest of these are known from archaeological excavations and date back to the Jōmon (Stone Age) 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 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 human palm. The Japanese approach to ceramics assumed unevenness of form, surface roughness, spreading cracks, streaks of glaze, fingerprints of the master and demonstration of the natural texture of the material. Artistic ceramic products primarily include bowls for tea ceremonies, teapots, vases, pots, decorative dishes, vessels for sake. Initially, the shape of the vessel was made from twigs and grass, then it was coated with clay, and during firing, the branches and grass burned, leaving their traces on the walls of the vessels. Vessels from the middle and late Jōmon period already resemble sculptural vessels. In the VI-XI centuries. Under the influence of Korean potters, Japanese craftsmen 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 decor, tea and wine sets, and various figurines. In the mass of porcelain products, which were produced in the XVII-XVIII centuries. throughout the country, two main types were distinguished: the expensive, finely painted products of the workshops of Kutani and Nabeshima, and the porcelain of Arita and Seto, which was launched in large series. Products of Kutani workshops had a plastic uneven shape. Their painting was carried out using large color spots and freely located on the surface of the vessels. Nabeshima items were usually decorated with a single underglaze painting of a plant motif, sometimes supplemented with overglaze polychrome painting. The workshops of Arita and Seto made mass products. These dishes were decorated with elegant decorative compositions of flowers, butterflies, birds. A significant part of Japanese porcelain was specially made 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 the art of enamel in Japan. At this time, Japanese masters have achieved perfection in color. Using the trial method, they selected the optimal melting of glass, which served as the basis for enamel, and various variations of oxides, giving it one or another shade, transparency or milky-pearl reflection, mysterious shimmer. All recipes that justified themselves 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 can replace gold, silver, emerald, coral, agate, crystal, pearls. The oldest example of enamel found in Japan dates back to the end of the 7th century BC. Widely known two enamel techniques - champlevé and cloisonné - they spread in Japan almost simultaneously. The craftsmen used cloisonne enamel to decorate the guards (tsuba) of samurai swords, decorative bows and arrows, when decorating 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 this product.

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 handicrafts, mostly European, that came to Japan, and on the basis of this he developed new technologies for working with cloisonne enamel. Kaji's success inspired other artisans. The search for new methods of work began. So at that time, the “counter-enamel” technology appeared, the gin-bari technique, which consisted in the fact that silver foil was glued onto a copper surface covered with a thin layer of enamel. Musen-jippo technology, developed by master Sosuke Namikawa (1847-1910), provided for the removal of separating wires after drying the first layer of enamel coating and a new filling with transparent enamel. There were several dozen variations in the technique - moriage, utidasi, akasuke, mine kodai, nagare-gusuri and others, which made it possible to achieve excellent results when combined. Japan is the first country in the world where enamel was applied not only to metal blanks, but also to ceramics and porcelain. Famous in the technique of enamel on ceramics was the master Yasuyuki Namikawa (1845-1927), who worked in Kyoto.

Images of flowers (chrysanthemums, peonies, paulownia inflorescences, plums, cherries) and somewhat Japaneseized images of dragons, lions and other mythical beasts, birds, butterflies became a typical pattern borrowed from China for Japanese enamel products. Often, symbolism of well-wishes was embedded in the images. The shades of the palette varied depending on the purpose of the product. Thus, export goods were performed in bright, even flashy colors, which were preferred by European customers, and intended for domestic use - in a calm range, more in line with the aesthetic worldview of the Japanese.

The art and culture of China and Japan are extremely distinctive, which has always interested and attracted Europeans. Starting from the 17th century, both Chinese and Japanese motifs penetrated the artistic and stylistic trends of Western Europe. To this day, the culture of these two countries is interesting both for studying and for borrowing.

Decorative and Applied Art of Japan The scope of artistic metal products included temple sculpture and utensils, weapons and decorative items used in everyday life, the variety and perfection of the processing of traditional metals (bronze, iron, copper, steel) were combined with the use of complex alloys, distinguished by the richness of colors. shades and plastic properties. The most common among them were shakudo, which gave various shades of black, brown, blue and purple, and shibuichi, which served as an almost inexhaustible source of gray tones.

Recipes for making alloys were a professional secret and were passed from master to student. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. At the request of wealthy townspeople, sculptural images were made for home altars, as well as images that had a benevolent meaning and protected the family hearth. Among them are Daruma, the legendary monk whose name is associated with the origin of tea in Japan, Daikoku is the deity of happiness and wealth, Jurojin is the deity of happiness and longevity.

Along with this, some household items served decorative purposes. These were incense burners, vases, dishes, caskets, trays, which were characterized by the combination of various metals in one product, the use of openwork carving, engraving, notches, and inlays. The tradition of applying enamel decor to a metal base came to Japan from China at the end of the 16th century. The enamel technique had 4 varieties: cloisonné, champlevé, engraved and painted. Enamels were called “siplo” - seven jewels: gold, silver, emerald, coral, diamond, agate, pearls, which, according to popular beliefs, brought happiness to people.

Japanese cloisonné enamels of the 17th-18th centuries, largely based on Chinese samples, were distinguished by a limited palette of slightly muted tones, a clear geometric pattern, and a deep dark green background. In the middle of the XIX century. The enamel technique experienced a rebirth. Multi-colored brilliant enamels were obtained, which adhered tightly to the metal base and lend themselves well to grinding.

The heyday of the art of cloisonné enamel at the end of the 19th century. was associated with the name of the famous master Namikawa Yasuyuki. From his workshop came out small items, completely covered with enamels, applied with jeweler's care. Images of flowers, birds, butterflies, dragons and phoenixes, numerous types of traditional ornaments found a place in the intricately woven lace pattern. The use of gold foil created a sparkling shimmering sheen of the polished surface of the product.

The manufacture and decoration of weapons has ancient traditions in Japan. The sword was seen as a sacred object given by the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami to her grandson, whom she sent to rule the earth and eradicate evil. A straight double-edged sword (Ken or Tsurugi) became an attribute of the Shinto cult and became one of the imperial regalia. In the Middle Ages, the sword became a symbol of the warrior class, which embodied the power, courage, dignity of the samurai. It was also believed that the souls of dead ancestors lived in it.

In the 7th century a sword shape was created with a slight bend on the back of the blade of one-sided sharpening, which came almost unchanged until the 19th century. and was called "nihonto" (Japanese sword). From the 16th century aristocrats and representatives of the military class were required to wear two swords: a long one - “katana” and a short one - “wakizashi”, which was intended to commit ritual suicide. In case of violation of the code of honor, scientists, artisans and peasants were allowed to wear only a wakizashi or a sword without guards "akuchi". The long and laborious process of making a blade was arranged as a solemn ritual, accompanied by special prayers, incantations, and the blacksmith's dressing in ceremonial clothes.

The blade was welded from several strips, forged at least five times, ground and polished. From the end of the 12th century. blades began to be decorated with grooves, images of the sun, moon, stars, dragons, inscriptions-spells made by engraving and in-depth relief. Details and frame of the sword from the 16th century. were created by special masters - gunsmiths-jewelers.

The blade was inserted into the handle, which was based on two wooden bars, fastened with a metal ring “futi” and “kashira” tips, the handle was often wrapped in shark or stingray skin, called “same” (shark). There was a belief that such a handle kept the ritual purity of the sword and protected the owner. Small embossed metal details “menuki” were attached to the handle on both sides, which ensured a stronger grip of the sword with both hands.

On top of this, the handle was wrapped with a cord or braid, creating a braided pattern on the surface. An important detail of the sword was the "tsuba" (guard) - a protective plastic that separates the blade from the handle, the scabbard of a small sword was often decorated with carefully finished metal plates "kozuka", which was the handle of a small knife inserted into a special pocket in the scabbard. In the XVII-XIX centuries. the weapon, which had lost its practical value, turned into a decorative addition to the men's suit.

Various materials and techniques of jewelry work, openwork carving, inlay with alloys, various methods of creating relief compositions, enamels and varnish were used in its decoration. The tsuba acquired a special artistic perfection, which began to be regarded as an independent work of art. The plots of the images were traditional motifs characteristic of other types of art: flowers, birds, landscapes, Buddhist parables, historical legends, even estimates of urban life. The details of one sword were combined in style and often represented the development of one plot.

Among the gunsmiths who specialized in decorating swords, the one founded in the 15th century was especially famous. the goto school, whose seventeen generations of masters maintained its glory for 400 years.

What will we do with the received material:

If this material turned out to be useful to you, you can save it to your page on social networks:

More essays, term papers, theses on this topic:

Decorative and applied art of pre-Petrine Russia
This transition was impossible, however, without a decisive liberation of art from the influence of the church, without the introduction of a secular principle into the culture, which .. As a rule, wooden sculpture was polychrome. Local painting with tempera paints brought it closer to the icon. This proximity was aggravated by the fact that the reliefs did not stand out..

Decorative and applied art of Western Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries
Both styles characterize the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. From the 60s of the XVIII century. French masters turned to classicism. The excavations of 1719 in Herculaneum and 1748 in Pompeii played an important role in its formation. Classicism (from lat..

Decorative and applied art in Kazakhstan
For example, the art of making saddles and harnesses requires not only skill, but also the ability to use various materials. Saddle makers were not limited only to the manufacture of saddles and .. The peoples of South Siberia and Central Asia had a great influence on the development of the culture of the Kazakh people. Significant heights..

Arts and Crafts
The traditions of the art of individual crafts are also different. Almost all stone processing centers are relatively young historically. Some of them have developed.. Having gone through the stages of searching for their assortment, the masters of the plant found their own.. Brown calcite for the image of a raccoon, golden-honey selenite - for a squirrel or white anhydrite - for a polar one..

Arts and crafts, batik

Decorative and applied art. Batik
Decorative arts from lat decoro adorn the section of decorative arts covering the creation of artistic products having.. works of arts and crafts meet several requirements and have an aesthetic quality..

Decorative and applied arts - folk crafts
In the decorative and applied arts, a prominent place is occupied by folk arts and crafts. The art of folk crafts appears .. Some originate in peasant household art associated with .. For example, many types of pottery, carpentry, prints on fabrics have long been the area of ​​activity of local ..

Arts and Crafts
But the Stalinist regime hastened to replace the geniuses of the craft with a state monopoly and the tyranny of scarcity. All the same, the artistic production of Russia .. In the Urals and in the Trans-Urals, Finno-Ugric tribes, first from wood and stone, and then .. These traditions have long been preserved in Russian folk art. For many centuries, until the 20s of the 20th century ..

Applied art "Batik"
Firstly, getting acquainted with ancient civilizations, I discovered the amazing Mayan culture, which is a huge fusion of natural .. Monuments of ancient art that have come down to us about the semantic meaning of some of us .. In modern art, we observe the desire of artists to use the same principles in creating decorative..

Moldovan applied art
It is no coincidence that therefore Moldova, a small republic, is a genuine archaeological El Dorado, an inexhaustible treasury of priceless .. A truly huge material has been collected that helped to recreate many pages .. In general, finds of treasures and coins are not uncommon in Moldova. The Kugureshti treasure is especially famous, dating back to the time..

applied arts

The development of the state, the growth of the well-being of the court aristocracy required the production of an increasing number of luxury items. In this regard, a powerful impetus was given to the development of applied art. The perfection of the technique of varnishing products is achieved. The national Japanese style of maki-e comes to the fore, in which the product was first covered with colored varnish, then a pattern was applied using a precious metal ground into powder, after which a layer of colorless varnish was applied on top to fix it. Gradually, lacquered and metal products will completely replace ceramic not only from everyday use, but also from religious utensils.

The ever-increasing demands of the imperial family and its inner circle stimulated the development of a wide variety of crafts. Silverware, knick-knacks, vases, painted kimono silks, embroidered obi belts and kihimo cords were the requests of noble families of that time. Among other things, it was customary for the wealthiest families, in particular the emperor, to change the interior decoration of the house depending on the season. For the manufacture of new screens, partitions and curtains, an unheard-of amount of fabrics, paper, wooden frames, always varnished and painted, were required. Not everyone could afford such expenses, but nevertheless such whims took place in medieval palaces.

The spread of literature, the desire of the courtiers to be known as educated people who could compose tanka or keep excellent diaries - all this contributed to the improvement of the paper-making process, the production of which was started back in the Asuka period. During the Heian period, this craft became a true art: paper was made in color, decorated with embossing, drawings and gold or silver plating. A variety of paper grades even made it possible to choose the right option for a particular calligraphic work in order to more fully express the desired idea.