Traditional Crafts in Kansai

Beauty and skill reflected in simple things

Typical Dowry Furniture for the Wedding of a Merchant's Daughter (Rakuto Ihokan Museum,Kyoto Pref.)	Many traditional Japanese handicrafts sprung from the everyday needs of common people. Tamba Tachigui ceramic ware and Tamba fabrics from Hyogo Prefecture are typical Kansai examples of these humble arts, as are the Shigaraki ware of Shiga Prefecture, Kishu lacquer ware from Wakayama Prefecture, and Ise cotton and Matsusaka cotton from Mie Prefecture. What led to the birth of these handicrafts? An important factor was an abundant supply of natural materials. Tamba and Shigaraki were blessed with high quality clay ideal for ceramics. Tamba also grew cotton, and the region's mountains were plentiful with trees whose bark could be made into fabrics. Kuroe in Kainan, Wakayama Prefecture, had an ample supply of Japanese cypress, the base wood for Kishu lacquer ware. Production of cotton fabrics began in Ise and Matsusaka because cotton was grown on the rich soil of the Ise Plain, using fertilizers made from fish fry caught in Ise Bay. The presence of these natural materials was the spark for the development of objects for daily use, created through ingenious skill and persistence. In some periods, these "common-man arts" even won the patronage of great rulers who recognized their value.
The simplicity and strength of Tamba Tachigui ware, the beauty of Tamba fabrics that grows with repeated washing, and the simple and tasteful form of Kishu lacquer ware; in these simple qualities many perceived the essence of Japanese art. Tea ceremony masters considered the austere beauty of Tamba Tachigui ware and Shigaraki ware as embodying the spirit of the tea ceremony. Matsusaka cotton became a byword for quality, and was shipped across the nation. Although Tamba fabrics disappeared during the industrial revolution of the late 19th century, their techniques have been revived in recent years. YANAGI Muneyoshi (1889-1961), the leader of the Japanese folk craft movement in the first half of this century, once said, "Art sheds all its masks in common implements." He contended that the essence of handicrafts was to be found in thick, sturdy and plain tools for daily use, and advocated "the beauty of usefulness." Materials and tools in Japanese daily life have changed greatly with the westernization of lifestyles and the development of technology. Handicrafts made by hand from wood, clay, cotton and other natural materials embody the social history of ordinary Japanese people and reveal their relish for life. The beauty of such crafts speaks beyond times and borders.	Lacquer Ware
	Cotton Cloth