Pat's Blog:2014年03月

Isoi Joshin Lacquer-ware Exhibition

2014年03月18日

The Takamatsu City Museum of Art has an interesting show running until the 24th of March this year. The work is lacquer ware made by the Japanese master artisan and national treasure, Isoi Joshin commemorating the 50th anniversary of his death.

Lacquer ware is difficult to make and whilst there are no rules as to the number of coats, it took time to apply the many layers in these pieces by building up strata band after band. The seasons affect the results of the piece and the results are beautiful with a depth that isn’t transparent nor opaque. Something in between.

A number of terms are used in Japanese to refer to lacquer ware. Shikki (漆器) means "lacquer ware" in the most literal sense, while nurimono (塗物) means "coated things", and urushi-nuri (漆塗) means "lacquer coating."

Often used in tea wear, lacquer often takes on a beautiful patina through usage over the years. The examples on show by the master have also been carved intricately and I really enjoyed the pieces with references to water and specifically the ‘covered food box with eddying current design’ circa 1931. It’s particularly beautiful and the colors very wabi-sabi indeed.

Lacquer ware techniques and designs are regional and styles vary widely. I’ll be looking at the museum of lacquer ware in the next blogs and suggest that if you an make this show before it finishes on the 23rd (Sunday) please drop in as it’s well worth it.

http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/12754.html
Other bloggers in Takamatsu of interest:
http://cathy.ashita-sanuki.jp
http://ogijima.com
http://ww8.tiki.ne.jp/~tmath/home/

Where we are:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Takamatsu

http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/

http://www.my-kagawa.jp/special/visitor/kanko/index.htm

http://www.i-pal.or.jp/profile/topics/kagawas-welcome-card.html

Posted by pat at 22:06

Takamatsu City Stone Museum

2014年03月17日

The Takamatsu Stone Museum is located right in the heart of the stone masons’ area in beautiful Aji & Mure areas in Kagawa. This is stone country. More specifically hard granite country with seemingly hundreds of stone masons’ workshops and quarries.

The museum is one of the Gempai-Art Village Promotion Committee Office’s attractions in the Aji area and underscored as tourists attractions, as there is a great deal to see in this area for overseas visitors.

There is a wonderful volunteer group in Kagawa named SGG acronym for The Systematized Goodwill Guides, who freely give their time to anyone that contacts them and they speak English and more than happy to assist anyone who contacts them preferably in advance to make arrangements. I have a lot of respect for these people and they can make all the difference to a visit in any of their designated areas. They are well worth contacting if you’re coming to Takamatsu and visiting the areas nearby.
Mr. Narita was a tireless worker for the SGG and a dedicated leader of the SGG and for international understanding. http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/ENGLISH1/kankou/seto/bgaid/bgaid.html

The museum has some remarkably lifelike mannequins dressed in the period and one can sense the physical effort that the pre -industrialized era workers must have endured. No cranes, no trucks just hard grinding labor with mallets, chisels and hemp ropes. The accidents must have been horrific. And often …

All rocks are heavy but granite in particular is very dense, weighty and hard to move around. The museum has an excellent display of the tools from the period, so when you’re here, my suggestion is this; well before arriving, contact the SGG to help with a visit and please keep in mind these people do this as volunteers.
I’ll be back again soon.