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Gifts of Gold: the Art of Japanese Lacquer Intro Panel Fairfield University DigitalCommons@Fairfield Gifts of Gold: The Art of Japanese Lacquer Gifts of Gold: The Art of Japanese Lacquer Boxes - Ephemera Boxes Spring 2020 Gifts of Gold: The Art of Japanese Lacquer Intro Panel Fairfield University Art Museum Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/giftsofgold-ephemera Introductory panel for the exhibition Gifts of Gold: The Art of Japanese Lacquer. This item has been accepted for inclusion in DigitalCommons@Fairfield by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Fairfield. It is brought to you by DigitalCommons@Fairfield with permission from the rights- holder(s) and is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Gifts of Gold The Art of Japanese Lacquer Boxes rue Japanese lacquerware can only be created through a time-consuming process in which the Tsap of the lacquer tree is harvested, refined, and pigmented before being applied in successive layers to a receptive surface, often of carved wood. Each layer of lacquer cures and hardens, rendering the object waterproof and durable; many wares are left undecorated to showcase the glossy black or red finish achieved through polishing the surface. Japanese lacquer arts reached decorative heights in the 16th and 17th centuries with developments in “sprinkled picture” (maki-e) techniques, in which small particles of gold and other metals are sprinkled onto wet lacquer in abstract and pictorial designs, rich with seasonal, poetic, and literary allusions. This tradition continues today, with contemporary lacquer artists finding new forms of expression using age-old techniques. Although lacquer objects are ultimately functional – writing boxes, storage boxes, tea caddies, tables, and dining utensils – their expense and decorative richness ensured that many were rarely used, becoming markers of status, taste, and wealth. Lacquer boxes were presented as gifts on important and auspicious occasions. Boxes would be exchanged during celebrations such as New Year’s, lavish lacquer sets formed an important part of a wealthy bride’s trousseau, and small medicine cases (inrō) with exquisite designs worn suspended from the belts of men’s traditional dress were the height of fashion in the Edo period (1615-1868). Borrowing from – and in turn influencing – other media, the lacquer tradition stands in conversation with arts such as ceramics, painting, calligraphy, sculpture, and textile design. This exhibition introduces the medium, functions, decorative techniques, and symbolic associations of Japanese lacquerware through a selection of works dating from the 15th through the 21st century. The selected works are presented in four thematic groupings: 1) Forms in Black and Red; 2) Seasonal and Auspicious Motifs; 3) Literary and Poetic Associations; and 4) Materials, Techniques, and Storage. This exhibition was curated by Ive Covaci, PhD, adjunct professor of Art History, Department of Visual and Performing Arts. We are extemely grateful to Erik and Cornelia Thomsen who have so generously lent a number of works in this exhibition from their private collection, as well as for helping to arrange loans from other private collections. We are grateful to Farrow and Ball for providing the paint for the galleries..
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