INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE ART AND DESIGN
Elegant Pursuits
Detail of a gift cover or fukusa, Japan, 19th century. Museum no. T.20-1923 (click image for larger version)
During the Edo period (1615-1868) urban and rural economics grew rapidly, and were accompanied by an increase in population and the growth of cities such as Edo and Osaka. For the first time in Japanese history, a range of pursuits and arts became accessible to more than the ruling elite. Activities that originally developed under the patronage of court nobles, warrior rulers and powerful religious leaders came to be practised by samurai and wealthy commoners.
This section discusses the elegant pursuits that became popular in Japan during the Edo period, focusing on items connected with the tea ceremony, picnicking, writing, games and gift-giving. It was part of participation in polite society to compliment one's host on the choice and design of such possessions and to show one's understanding and appreciation of them.
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Games
The incense game involved many pieces of equipment. As well as the containers and wrapping for the incense and the ivory counters, there were special tools used to cut and handle the thin slices of rare and expensive incense.
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Kimono
The kimono worn by women, particularly the young, were the most richly decorated and it is generally these that survive in collections like that of the V&A. Such kimono were the designer clothes of their day.
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Picnic Containers
In sixteenth-century Japan a mid-day meal was added to the routine morning and evening meals, and the picnic set probably developed at this time.
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Presents
Games, writing and tea sets were the sort of high-quality goods that Japanese people would give each other as presents.
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The Tea Ceremony
Japan is famous for the tea ceremony, a special occasion involving particular objects and rituals, which aims to create the illusion of separation from the everyday world.
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Writing Sets
Ownership of a high quality writing set with tasteful decoration was a sign of status and refinement.