الثلاثاء، 17 يوليو 2018

Appreciating The Finer Things With Japanese Cloisonne

By Dennis Graham


The thing about beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The thing is, only humankind has the eyes necessary to see it. Most other animals are attracted to their mates by smell, by pheromones. But humans are visual in nature. They see the beauty instead of smelling it. There is no denying that humanity is able to appreciate visual beauty. Now, this is not something that is unique to one culture or one country. In fact, this is something that is universal across the whole spectrum of humankind. But the way it is expressed can have a number of distinctions. Take for example Japanese cloisonne.

Cloisonne is a method for applying art. While the actual terminology has etymological roots in France, the practical examples that most people will think of are anything but. Most of them are East Asian in origin, coming from countries like China and yes, Japan.

In the Meiji period, the samurai class, once proud and noble, was way down on its luck. Many of them were forced to subsist on a meager government income, a far cry from being among the most respected in their societies, serving at the pleasure of their lords and vassals. While many of them realized that their pay was not going to be enough, only one of them decided to do something about through artistic expression. That one samurai took some china that came from China and then disassembled it, finding out how it was made and in essence, reverse engineering the whole process. They were then able to produce a small dish of their own making.

The thing, there really are not that many practical functions for cloisonne. The fact is that art itself is not very practical. Art does not lend itself well to practicality. But still, the world without it would be nothing short of dull. So it makes the world a little less dull, puts a little bit more color in life.

It is life a coloring book. First, thin wires are used to create the outlines. Then enamel paste is applied for color. Then the whole thing is hit with a little bit of heat then with some polish to make all shiny and pretty.

While there are arts and crafts classes and adult coloring books to help a fully grown human relax with some artistic pursuits, cloisonne still has its place in the pantheon of making things not ugly. First of all, it takes time. This of course means that the artist has to put their focus into it, which can make the rest of the world melt away.

There are going to be some supplies that are needed. First will be the copper bowl or dish or plate or jar. Then some wires. Then some enamel, because the whole thing needs some coloring otherwise there would be no point to it.

Patience is a virtue. Since this can take time, an artist needs to have a clear schedule. They also need the patience to get through it without blowing a gasket.

The thing about human beings is that they are likely the only animal capable of significant abstract thought. They sure as hell are the only animal capable of creating art. The fact is, even when the species as a whole was still in its relative infancy, it was still creating and appreciating art. Paintings scrawled on the walls of cave prove that, as does hollowed out bones that served as rudimentary flutes. Given all that evidence, it can be rightly inferred that man has appreciated the arts for at least a few thousand generations before the modern era.




About the Author:



ليست هناك تعليقات:

إرسال تعليق