Japanese Art

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer looks at one of the most famous Japanese woodblock prints ever created, "The Great Wave at Kanagawa" . The writer notes that woodblock prints were a common form of Japanese two-dimensional art, involving the creation of a raised surface that was intended to either replicate a picture or create a new picture on the surface of a beautiful piece of paper. The writer then studies the three-dimensional "Ewer for Use in Tea Ceremony," which functioned as a wine server for the meal that takes place after the tea ceremony. The writer notes that today, it is considered an art form that observes the harmony between food and nature, and takes the diner on an odyssey of flavors, textures and colors. The writer concludes that the works of art considered, reflect the idea that artistic form and sacred function should be united in Japanese art and that the difficulty of artistic creation should not call attention to itself.

From the Paper:

"How the food appears within the serving ware is just as important as the tastes of the food itself, and the harmony of the flavors of the meal are reflected in the harmony and balance of colors on the vessel. Unlike the woodblock, the images upon the vessel are not dramatic, although the vessel is crafted in an innovative fashion, in terms of its use of kiln technique and introduction of unexpected colors. The striking nature of the color reflects its function as a wine vessel, one of the stronger flavors of the kaiseki meal. The heavier, brighter flavors of the wine are intended as a balance to the flavors of Japanese rice wine, known as saki."
"Thus, within the woodblock composition there is balance, and the apparent ease with which the mountain withstands the terrible typhoon parallels the ease with which the woodblock artist creates, with great difficulty, the deceptively simple raised etching that creates a print."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Ewer for Use in Tea Ceremony--Momoyama period (1568-1615)." Asian Art: Highlights. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=6&viewmode=0&item=1988%2E156a%2C+b [Accessed 11 Apr 2007]
• Furiya, Linda. "Kaiseki." The San Francisco Chronicle. 17 May 2000. http://www.kyo-ya-restaurant.com/kaiseki.htm. [Accessed 11 Apr 2007]
• "The Great Wave at Kanagawa (from a Series of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji)."Asian Art: Highlights. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=6&viewmode=0&item=JP1847 [Accessed 11 Apr 2007]
• Hiroshi, Yoshida. Japanese Wood-block Printing. Tokyo & Osaka: The Sanseido Co.,Ltd., 1939. Complete e-text available at http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/011_07/repeat_frame.html [Accessed 11 Apr 2007]
• Witcomb, Christopher. "Mountains and the Sacred." Sacred Places. Sweet Briar College. http://witcombe.sbc.edu/sacredplaces/mountains.html[Accessed 11 Apr 2007]

More papers on Japanese Art:

• Descriptive Essay # 116043 : "Monet and Japanese Art"
• Essay # 42143 : "Japanese Art and Nature"
• Essay # 29141 : "Japanese Art and Music"

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