Knowledge about Japanese art

In this section we explain the background of Japanese art and craft traditions: from ceramic traditions such as Raku, Bizen and Hagi-yaki to painting techniques, the tea ceremony and aesthetic concepts such as Wabi-Sabi or Mono no Aware. The articles put into context what shapes the works of our artists stylistically and historically.

KnowledgeHyōgu – The Art of Mounting That Turns a Painting into a Hanging ScrollBrocade, washi, and starch paste: hyōgu is the craft that turns a painted sheet into a kakemono – and preserves it for centuries.View topic
KnowledgeShikishi – The Small Stage for the EssentialSquare, edged in gold, uncorrectable: the shikishi is the most intimate format in Japanese calligraphy and ink painting.View topic
KnowledgeFuchin – The Silent Guardians of the KakemonoSmall but indispensable: fuchin weight the lower ends of a kakemono and ensure that the hanging scroll hangs calmly and smoothly.View topic
KnowledgeThe Enso Symbol – A Circle, a Breath, an Entire UniverseA single brushstroke, never corrected: in Zen art, the Enso is regarded as a symbol of enlightenment, emptiness, and the beauty of the present moment.View topic
KnowledgeBizen Ware – When Fire and Clay Alone Complete the FormUnglazed, unmistakable, thousands of years old: Bizen-yaki is created from clay, flame, and ash alone – one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan.View topic
KnowledgeKyoto-yaki – The Ceramics of a City, Not a Single KilnNot a kiln style, but an address: Kyō-yaki is the ceramics of the old capital – the place where the court and tea masters were the most discerning customers.View topic
KnowledgeThe Takasago Legend – Two Pines, One Eternal LoveAn old married couple, two pines separated by the sea: The Takasago Legend is still regarded today as the Japanese emblem of eternal, enduring love.View topic
KnowledgeRaku-yaki – The Hand-Formed Tea BowlFormed without a potter's wheel, fired quickly and shock-cooled: since Sen no Rikyū, Raku-yaki has been regarded as Japan's most highly esteemed tea bowl.View topic
KnowledgeThe Edo Period – 250 Years of Peace and the Flowering of Japanese CraftsmanshipCut off from the world and yet more creative than ever before: the Edo period (1603–1868) shaped ceramics, painting, and tea culture into the present day.View topic
KnowledgeOribe-yaki – The Green Rebellion of Japanese Tea CeramicsCopper-green running glaze, dented rims, and patterns as if from textile printing: Oribe-yaki deliberately broke with the quiet aesthetic of Sen no Rikyū around 1600.View topic
KnowledgeThe Heisei Era – Between the Bursting Bubble and Quiet ReflectionEconomic bubble, natural disasters, and a new appreciation for craftsmanship: the Heisei era (1989–2019) left a lasting mark on modern Japan.View topic
KnowledgeTobe-yaki – How Whetstone Waste Became Everyday PorcelainPorcelain was made from the rubble of whetstone quarries: Tobe ware is thick-walled, robust, and painted in blue and white – tableware for everyday use.View topic
KnowledgeTomobako – The Wooden Box That Certifies Origin and ValueMore than packaging: the tomobako made of paulownia wood bears the artist's signature and seal and serves as proof of authenticity for Japanese art objects.View topic
KnowledgeTada-yaki – The Almost Vanished Celadon of IwakuniA green glaze with a fine network of crackles and a kiln of which hardly anything remains: Tada-yaki is one of the quietest chapters of Japanese ceramics.View topic
KnowledgeDragons in Japanese Art – Rulers over Water and SkyMostly wingless, benevolent, with water instead of fire: the Japanese dragon Ryū embodies power, wisdom, and protection – a timeless kakemono motif.View topic
KnowledgeShino-yaki – Japan's First White Glaze and Its Quiet PoetryThick white glaze, fine pores, and delicate fire marks: Shino ware is considered Japan's first white-glazed ceramics – born in the world of the tea ceremony.View topic
KnowledgeTraditional Japanese Painting – Between Ink, Silk, and Quiet SuggestionFrom Sumi-e ink painting to the gold-adorned Rinpa school: an overview of the great styles and principles of Nihonga, the art of Japanese painting.View topic
KnowledgeArita-yaki – The Birth of Japanese PorcelainDiscovered in Arita in 1616: how a find of kaolin on Kyūshū heralded the beginning of Japanese porcelain art – and enchanted the princely courts of Europe.View topic
KnowledgeMashiko-yaki – Where Japanese Everyday Tableware Became ArtCoarse clay, thick glazes, heavy everyday tableware: it was precisely here that Japanese utilitarian ceramics became an aesthetic program in the 20th century.View topic
KnowledgeThe Seven Lucky Gods – A Treasure Ship Full of WishesEbisu, Daikoku, Benten, and four more: according to legend, the Shichifukujin travel to the people on their treasure ship Takarabune at New Year.View topic
KnowledgeZen Buddhism in Japanese Art – The Power of EmptinessA single brushstroke, an empty circle, a meditating monk: how Zen Buddhism shaped ink painting, calligraphy, and Japanese aesthetics.View topic
KnowledgeThe Meiji Era – When Japan Opened Up to the WorldFrom an isolated feudal realm to an industrial nation: the Meiji era (1868–1912) opened Japan up to the world – and the world discovered Japanese art.View topic
KnowledgeSeto-yaki – The Ceramics That Became the Word for CeramicsSo influential that "Setomono" became the Japanese word for ceramics itself: Seto-yaki was for centuries Japan's only center of glazed pottery.View topic
KnowledgeKasama-yaki – The Pottery Town With No Fixed StyleIron-rich granite clay, rust-red kaki glaze, and around three hundred workshops united by nothing but their location: Kasama-yaki is Japan's open ceramics tradition.View topic

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