Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan: Celebrating Fifty Years of the Exhibition of Japanese Art Crafts

Japan has a long tradition of superb craft work in many media, including ceramics, textiles, laquerwork, metal, wood, glass, and bamboo. The worldwide appreciation and respect for Japanese crafts is embedded in Japanese social mores and culture. Crafting Beauty in Modern Japan presents some of the finest examples of art-craft created in Japan in the past fifty years, submitted to the Japan Art Craft Association annual exhibition, an open and competitive showcase inaugurated in 1954. A number of the artists included are considered Living National Treasures, holders of special craft skills recognized by the Japanese government. While much of their work is traditional in form and function, it also reflects the needs of contemporary society through the improvement of techniques and the use of new materials. Fine porcelains with exquisite designs, fabulous kimonos, lacquer boxes with mother-of-pearl inlay, a hammered-silver vase, a box made from striped ebony wood, delicate dolls, and crystal glass are but a few of the exceptional pieces illustrated. Published to accompany an exhibition at the British Museum, this sumptuous book will appeal to artists and collectors of Japanese art and craft as well as to students of art, design, and fashion.