Friday 12 October 2007

Crafting beauty in modern Japan



Lovely exhibition at the British Museum showing ceramics, metalwork, textiles, wood, bamboo, lacquer and dolls from Japan. In 1950 the Japanese government created a law for the protection of cultural properties. These can be craft objects or music and dance. Holders of these skills are designated ‘Living national treasures’ and their work is promoted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. We saw some lovely textiles, both woven and printed kimonos and woven obi sashes and a short film of a maker producing block printed fabric for a kimono. The overwhelming impression was of simple elegance.

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