JapaneseArt and Design

V&A Publishing

Edited by Gregory Irvine

JapaneseArt and Design

V&A Publishing

Edited by Gregory Irvine

First published by V&A Publishing, 2016

V&A PublishingVictoria and Albert MuseumSouth KensingtonLondon SW7 2RL

© The Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2016

The moral right of the authors has been asserted.

ISBN: 978 1 85177 855 3 Library of Congress Catalog Control Number 2015934094

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2019 2018 2017 2016

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission of the publishers.

Every e!ort has been made to seek permission to reproduce those images whose copyright does not reside with the V&A, and we are grateful to the individuals and institutions who have assisted in this task. Any omissions are entirely unintentional, and the details should be addressed to V&A Publishing.

Designed by Myfanwy Vernon-Hunt for This SideCopy-edited by Mandy Green"eldIndex by Ann BarrettNew V&A photography by Christine Smith, Jaron James and Pip Barnard, V&A Photographic Studio

Front cover illustration: see pl.XXX [onp.125]Back cover illustration: see pl.XXX [onp.100]pp.2–3: see pl.XXX [onp.150]

Printed in China

Following the recognized convention for the ordering of Japanese names, in this book family name is followed by given name, with the exception of Chapter 10, where the order is reversed.

Front cover Caption Text

Back cover Caption Text

Page 2–3 see pl.xxx

Page 26 see pl.xxx

Page 48 see pl.xxx

Page 70 see pl.xxx

Page 88 see pl.xxx

Page 110 see pl.xxx

Page 136 see pl.xxx

Page 156 see pl.xxx

Page 182 see pl.xxx

Page 200 see pl.xxx

Page 220 see pl.xxx

Director’s Foreword 6Map of Japan 7Introduction 8

! Religion and Ritual 27Gregory Irvine

" The Samurai 49Gregory Irvine

# Tea Drinking 71Rupert Faulkner

$ Fashionable Living 89Anna Jackson

% Ukiyo-e and the Graphic Arts 111Gregory Irvine and Xiaoxin Li

& The Encounter with Europe 1543–1853 137Anna Jackson

' Imperial Japan: Meiji to Taish( 157Gregory Irvine

) Folk Crafts 183Rupert Faulkner

* Modern and Contemporary Crafts 201Rupert Faulkner

!+ Modern and Contemporary Design 221Rupert Faulkner, Josephine Rout and Jana Scholze

Glossary 246Chronology 247Notes 248Bibliography 251Contributors 253Index 253Picture Credits 256Acknowledgements 256

ContentsWe are delighted to be continuing our long term support of the V&A. The Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art has, since 1986, o!ered people from around the world a showcase for one of the world’s "nest collections of Japanese art and design. All of us at Toshiba hope that this handsome publication, and the newly refurbished gallery it accompanies, will inspire ever greater interest in Japan and its rich and varied culture.

First published by V&A Publishing, 2016

V&A PublishingVictoria and Albert MuseumSouth KensingtonLondon SW7 2RL

© The Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2016

The moral right of the authors has been asserted.

ISBN: 978 1 85177 855 3 Library of Congress Catalog Control Number 2015934094

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2019 2018 2017 2016

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission of the publishers.

Every e!ort has been made to seek permission to reproduce those images whose copyright does not reside with the V&A, and we are grateful to the individuals and institutions who have assisted in this task. Any omissions are entirely unintentional, and the details should be addressed to V&A Publishing.

Designed by Myfanwy Vernon-Hunt for This SideCopy-edited by Mandy Green"eldIndex by Ann BarrettNew V&A photography by Christine Smith, Jaron James and Pip Barnard, V&A Photographic Studio

Front cover illustration: see pl.XXX [onp.125]Back cover illustration: see pl.XXX [onp.100]pp.2–3: see pl.XXX [onp.150]

Printed in China

Following the recognized convention for the ordering of Japanese names, in this book family name is followed by given name, with the exception of Chapter 10, where the order is reversed.

Front cover Caption Text

Back cover Caption Text

Page 2–3 see pl.xxx

Page 26 see pl.xxx

Page 48 see pl.xxx

Page 70 see pl.xxx

Page 88 see pl.xxx

Page 110 see pl.xxx

Page 136 see pl.xxx

Page 156 see pl.xxx

Page 182 see pl.xxx

Page 200 see pl.xxx

Page 220 see pl.xxx

Director’s Foreword 6Map of Japan 7Introduction 8

! Religion and Ritual 27Gregory Irvine

" The Samurai 49Gregory Irvine

# Tea Drinking 71Rupert Faulkner

$ Fashionable Living 89Anna Jackson

% Ukiyo-e and the Graphic Arts 111Gregory Irvine and Xiaoxin Li

& The Encounter with Europe 1543–1853 137Anna Jackson

' Imperial Japan: Meiji to Taish( 157Gregory Irvine

) Folk Crafts 183Rupert Faulkner

* Modern and Contemporary Crafts 201Rupert Faulkner

!+ Modern and Contemporary Design 221Rupert Faulkner, Josephine Rout and Jana Scholze

Glossary 246Chronology 247Notes 248Bibliography 251Contributors 253Index 253Picture Credits 256Acknowledgements 256

ContentsWe are delighted to be continuing our long term support of the V&A. The Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art has, since 1986, o!ered people from around the world a showcase for one of the world’s "nest collections of Japanese art and design. All of us at Toshiba hope that this handsome publication, and the newly refurbished gallery it accompanies, will inspire ever greater interest in Japan and its rich and varied culture.

6 Japanese Art and Design

Director’s Foreword

This wonderful book accompanies the redisplay and refurbishment of the Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art at the V&A. Opened in December 1986, the gallery was the "rst major display of Japanese art in the UK.

The Victoria and Albert Museum has collected Japanese art since it was founded in 1852. By an interesting coincidence this was just a year before Japan opened its ports to western powers. It also happens that the "rst museum buildings at South Kensington were completed in 1857, the year before the Treaty of Edo established formal diplomatic and commercial relations between Japan and Britain. The enormous quantities of goods that subsequently reached British shores caused a craze for all things Japanese. The Museum played a key role in the representation, understanding and experience of Japan and its culture abroad.

In the many years since the V&A made its "rst Japanese acquisition, the collection of Japanese art at the V&A has developed into one of the most signi"cant in the world. Particularly celebrated for its woodblock prints, lacquer, inr!, textiles and cloisonné enamels, today the collection is also increasingly recognized for its modern crafts, design and fashion. These are "elds in which Japan is recognized globally for its innovation and creativity. Indeed, the fascination for Japanese culture, both historic and contemporary, is as strong today as it was in the late nineteenth century. The Museum continues to develop its relationship with Japan and to bring the rich artistic heritage and contemporary culture of the country to new audiences.

We are extremely grateful to the Toshiba Corporation and the Toshiba International Foundation (TIFO) for their generous and continuing support of the gallery and of our research and conservation projects.

Martin Roth

6 Japanese Art and Design

Director’s Foreword

This wonderful book accompanies the redisplay and refurbishment of the Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art at the V&A. Opened in December 1986, the gallery was the !rst major display of Japanese art in the UK.

The Victoria and Albert Museum has collected Japanese art since it was founded in 1852. By an interesting coincidence this was just a year before Japan opened its ports to western powers. It also happens that the !rst museum buildings at South Kensington were completed in 1857, the year before the Treaty of Edo established formal diplomatic and commercial relations between Japan and Britain. The enormous quantities of goods that subsequently reached British shores caused a craze for all things Japanese. The Museum played a key role in the representation, understanding and experience of Japan and its culture abroad.

In the many years since the V&A made its !rst Japanese acquisition, the collection of Japanese art at the V&A has developed into one of the most signi!cant in the world. Particularly celebrated for its woodblock prints, lacquer, inr!, textiles and cloisonné enamels, today the collection is also increasingly recognized for its modern crafts, design and fashion. These are !elds in which Japan is recognized globally for its innovation and creativity. Indeed, the fascination for Japanese culture, both historic and contemporary, is as strong today as it was in the late nineteenth century. The Museum continues to develop its relationship with Japan and to bring the rich artistic heritage and contemporary culture of the country to new audiences.

We are extremely grateful to the Toshiba Corporation and the Toshiba International Foundation (TIFO) for their generous and continuing support of the gallery and of our research and conservation projects.

Martin Roth

Kesa

The most signi"cant part of Japanese Buddhist dress is the kesa. This is a broad, #at, rectangular robe that priests wear draped over the left shoulder and under the right arm, a simple kimono being worn underneath. Kesa were traditionally created from scraps of fabric, denoting the poverty of early Buddhist ascetics. However, even the earliest extant examples in Japan, which date from the eighth century, are made from colourful pieces of silk, foreshadowing the technical sophistication and opulence of later kesa. The act of sewing the pieces of cloth together was a signi"cant devotional pursuit, and the patchwork nature of the "nished robe represented a mandala, a Sanskrit term for a symbolic rendering of the universe. The centre column signi"ed the Buddha, the two #anking sections his attendants and the four corner squares the cardinal directions.

During the Edo period (1615–1868) luxurious kesa were produced using a variety of fabrics, which re#ected the wealth and prestige of many ecclesiastical groups. Second-hand cloth from secular garments was sometimes used, donated to temples in return for duties performed by clerics or in memory of the deceased. The fabric of one of the most important kesa in the V&A’s collection was fashioned from theatrical robes worn by the Komparu troupe of N$ actors in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries (pl.30). The various roundels that make up the pattern include the Tokugawa crest (mon), which indicates their patronage

30 below

Buddhist robe (kesa; detail)Polychrome "gured silk (nishiki)Kyoto; fabric woven 1580–1620, kesa made 1700–1850V&A: T.140–1927Given by Mr T.B. Clarke-Thornhill

31 opposite

Buddhist robe (kesa)Polychrome "gured silk (nishiki)Kyoto; 1800–50 V&A: T.84–1927Given by Mr T.B. Clarke-Thornhill

of the theatre group and might even suggest that they donated the cloth to a temple in the early years of their rule.1

The majority of Edo-period kesa are made from fabric that was speci"cally woven in Nishijin, the textile centre of Kyoto, using complex weaving techniques very similar to those used for N$ robes (see pp.58–9). The cloth would then be cut and the various sections rearranged to create the Buddhist robe. The most sumptuous examples are woven with gold, which would have shimmered in the light of the temple candles (pl.31).

With the restoration of the emperor in 1868, Shint$ was adopted as the state religion and Buddhism was actively suppressed. Loss of status and samurai patronage meant that many Buddhist temples fell on hard times and were forced to sell o! their treasures, including richly woven kesa. Western travellers to Japan in the late nineteenth century often purchased such objects. These kesa were acquired by T.B. Clarke-Thornhill, who served in the British Legation in Tokyo in the 1880s, and are part of a large group of Japanese textiles that he donated to the V&A in 1927. %&

46 47

Kesa

The most signi!cant part of Japanese Buddhist dress is the kesa. This is a broad, "at, rectangular robe that priests wear draped over the left shoulder and under the right arm, a simple kimono being worn underneath. Kesa were traditionally created from scraps of fabric, denoting the poverty of early Buddhist ascetics. However, even the earliest extant examples in Japan, which date from the eighth century, are made from colourful pieces of silk, foreshadowing the technical sophistication and opulence of later kesa. The act of sewing the pieces of cloth together was a signi!cant devotional pursuit, and the patchwork nature of the !nished robe represented a mandala, a Sanskrit term for a symbolic rendering of the universe. The centre column signi!ed the Buddha, the two "anking sections his attendants and the four corner squares the cardinal directions.

During the Edo period (1615–1868) luxurious kesa were produced using a variety of fabrics, which re"ected the wealth and prestige of many ecclesiastical groups. Second-hand cloth from secular garments was sometimes used, donated to temples in return for duties performed by clerics or in memory of the deceased. The fabric of one of the most important kesa in the V&A’s collection was fashioned from theatrical robes worn by the Komparu troupe of N# actors in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries (pl.30). The various roundels that make up the pattern include the Tokugawa crest (mon), which indicates their patronage

30 below

Buddhist robe (kesa; detail)Polychrome !gured silk (nishiki)Kyoto; fabric woven 1580–1620, kesa made 1700–1850V&A: T.140–1927Given by Mr T.B. Clarke-Thornhill

31 opposite

Buddhist robe (kesa)Polychrome !gured silk (nishiki)Kyoto; 1800–50 V&A: T.84–1927Given by Mr T.B. Clarke-Thornhill

of the theatre group and might even suggest that they donated the cloth to a temple in the early years of their rule.1

The majority of Edo-period kesa are made from fabric that was speci!cally woven in Nishijin, the textile centre of Kyoto, using complex weaving techniques very similar to those used for N# robes (see pp.58–9). The cloth would then be cut and the various sections rearranged to create the Buddhist robe. The most sumptuous examples are woven with gold, which would have shimmered in the light of the temple candles (pl.31).

With the restoration of the emperor in 1868, Shint# was adopted as the state religion and Buddhism was actively suppressed. Loss of status and samurai patronage meant that many Buddhist temples fell on hard times and were forced to sell o$ their treasures, including richly woven kesa. Western travellers to Japan in the late nineteenth century often purchased such objects. These kesa were acquired by T.B. Clarke-Thornhill, who served in the British Legation in Tokyo in the 1880s, and are part of a large group of Japanese textiles that he donated to the V&A in 1927. %&

46 47