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design japan traditional

In Japan, the traditional approach to art is strongly linked to function and craftsmanship. If you were somehow able to travel through time and walk through an Edo-period (1603-1857) home, you would not normally see a lot of "artwork" displayed on walls or bookcases. Look closely, however, and you would notice beautiful patterns and creative expressions incorporated into almost every form of everyday object, from kimono textiles to calligraphy cases.

The Japanese home, itself, could almost be considered an art object. Artistic expression can be found everywhere in a sukiya-style structure, from delicate ceiling board arrangements, to carved wooden transoms called ranma, to subtle natural patterns in the wall plaster. Perhaps the most obvious "structural" artwork can be seen in the doors. Thick paper-covered doors called fusuma often display Chinese landscape paintings or Japanese ink paintings of natural scenes. Japanese screens known as known as byobu and tsuitate also typically display fabulous examples of Japanese art. Nowadays those screens are often regarded as pure artwork, but in the traditional Japanese home they were primarily regarded as room partitions and a functional part of the home's structure.

 

design japan traditional

The most obvious "art spot" in a Japanese home would undoubtedly be the tokonoma. The Japanese tokonoma is a sort of alcove built into one wall of a Japanese living room. Its function is similar to that of a mantelpiece in Western homes. Japanese homeowners typically display artwork and prized objects in this space. The display is typically just one or two special objects such as a scroll, calligraphy, a bonsai tree, or a cherished piece of Japanese pottery. The display is typically related to nature and rotated with the different seasons. In the fall you might see a painting of red maple leaves falling on a pond. In the winter you might find a calligraphy poem about a horse pulling a sleigh through the snow.

But in addition to the obvious artwork on display, look more closely and you'll find legitimate art in almost every tiny object used in a Japanese home. Look at the mountain scenes painted on the tea bowls. Look at the natural motifs on the lacquered cases used for storing pencils. Look at the handsome patterns built into the handles of that Japanese tansu chest. Japanese traditional art is actually much more sophisticated than the typical "look at me" attitude of contemporary Western art. In Japan , artistic expression is completely intertwined with daily life and the myriad functional objects that we use as we go about our daily routines. Some Westerners might refer to this type of art as "craftsmanship," but in Japan there is no distinction between the two. The more you understand the Japanese approach to traditional art, the more childish Western art looks in comparison.