unknown early 16th century <p>Japanese wakizashi, the hilt of the wakizashi consists of a wooden grip, which is covered with white ray-skin and is secured to the tang near the top by a short bamboo rod. The bamboo rod is bound with a piece of flat black silk tape. The hilt of the wakizashi is decorated with ornaments (menuki) made entirely of gilt. The obverse of the hilt is decorated with a lion passing in front of a clump of peony. Whilst the reverse of the hilt is decorated with another lion seated behind and partly hidden by a clump of peony. The ferrule (fuchi) at the top of the grip is made of shakudo (gold alloy) and has a copper top pierced to admit the tang. It is heavily decorated with embossed gilt and depicts a stream with reeds and other marsh and water plants growing from its banks. From one of two outcrops of rock, both covered with lichens, grows a willow tree bearing fruit; above the tree fly two egrets and on a bridge sits a third egret. The pommel (kashirm/kashire) fits over the end of the grip and is secured by binding tape. It, too, is made of shakudo (gold alloy) and is decorated with a similar scene to that on the ferrule. The guard consists of three parts. The slightly curved steel blade has a flat back and groove. The back and the groove are brightly burnished and this has revealed slight flaws in the metal. A double collar (niju-habaki) is decorated with diagonal scratching and sewn pellets. The wooden scabbard is covered with black lacquer. The tape used to secure the sword to the waistband is made of cord in two colours - mid-brown and fawn.</p> <p>The Imperial Japanese Naval Attaché, Rear-Admiral K. Oguri (active 1914) at Christmas in 1914, presented this wakizashi to Admiral of the Fleet Lord John Arbuthnot Fisher, Baron Fisher of Kilverstone (1841-1920) and his wife. The sword has been provisionally identified as having been made in the Bizen Province, Japan in the early part of the 16th century.</p> WPN1141 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Wakizashi (WPN1141) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/11/E1194.jpg Bizen Province, Japan wood; ray-skin; bamboo; silk tape; gilt; gold alloy (shakudo); copper; steel; lacquer; cord unknown 18th century <p>Scaphe dial. This dial has a hinged lid and contains a compass. The outer case is silver with brass rims and a brass push-button clasp. The outside is chased with decorative patterns and a dragon is set in relief on the underside. There is a small silver carrying loop on the top. The compass is set into the lid of the instrument. It has a blacked ring around it, in which are engraved 12 characters (these are the 12 Chinese characters for the hours). The compass itself is silver and has four characters marking the cardinal points. The blued needle is rusty and surmounted by a brass pivot. The glass plate is broken at one edge and held in place by a brass ring. The dial itself is of silvered brass and has a central depression surrounded by 12 Chinese hour characters (marking the directions, not the hours). The hour-lines are engraved in the bowl of the dial and are marked by five Japanese characters. A small vertical brass pin gnomon is set in the centre of the dial.</p> <p>The dial is marked, as normal for a Japanese instrument, with the unequal double hours of the Japanese time system. There are two dials of this type in the MHS, Oxford (new inventory nos 40627 and 48528), the latter being slightly larger than the present instrument.</p> <p>For more information regarding this dial please refer to the OUP & NMM catalogue, 'Sundials at Greenwich'.</p> AST0527 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Georges Prin Collection Sundials Scaphe dial (AST0527) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/D/38/D3868.jpg Japan brass; silver; glass Miyagawa Kozan, born 1842 - died 1916 ca. 1900-1910 C.244-1910 Dingwall Gift Height 22.2 cm Vase http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL3860.jpg Japan Porcelain, with decoration in underglaze turquoise and brown Unknown 1937 In the 1930s kimono for young boys, such as this example, were often patterned with highly graphic propaganda images. Unusually, this kimono commemorates an actual event, the first aeroplane flight from Japan to Europe. The plane, called the 'kamikaze-go' flew from Tokyo to London, landing at Croydon airport on April 9th 1937 making its pilot, Masaaki Iinuma, a hero. The kimono is decorated with images of the plane and, in circles, Mount Fuji, Tower Bridge and the route of the flight, together with the British and French flags. The design also features block letters, in white on grey, which read '1937 Aorenraku 15000'. Aorenraku roughly translates to 'connections across the blue' and 15000 is the distance of the journey in kilometres. FE.2-2005 Width 78 cm (across shoulders) Length 72.5 cm (neck to hem at back) Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BK5211.jpg Japan Printed wool Unknown 18th century This is an unusually mounted Japanese companion sword, known as a wakizashi. The blade is unsigned and very worn. The scabbard is covered with lacquered rayskin and decorated with what appear to be miscellaneous pieces of sword-fittings (mostly of iron and patinated copper) which have no coherent theme and seem randomly applied. It is possible that they were added to the scabbard after manufacture. After 1876 when the samurai were abolished as a class and the wearing of swords was prohibited there was very little further demand for swords and sword-fittings. Many craftsmen turned their hands to the newly arrived market of foreigners who avidly collected anything Japanese. Daggers were worn both by samurai and non-samurai including, increasingly, the merchant classes. Merchants tended towards gaudier mountings for their blades so the unusual decoration of this wakizashi would indicate that it was not for a samurai, but it is so oddly decorated that we must assume it was intended for sale to a western visitor to Japan in the late 19th century. 685 to B-1908 (Scabbard) Length 45.1 cm (overall) (Sword) Length 28.1 cm (blade) Sword and scabbard Wakizashi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9347.jpg Japan (Sword) Forged steel (Scabbard) Lacquered wood, covered in ray skin, with metal fittings of iron and patinated copper Toyokazu ca. 1850-1900 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching to a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a dragon in a Chinese lantern plant. The great skill of this netsuke carver lay in contrasting the shape and texture of this apparently unlikely combination of subjects. The dragon is one of the 12 animals of the East Asian zodiac in Chinese cosmology. In a recurring cycle of 12, each animal is assigned to a year in a specific order. The traditional order is the rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, cock, dog and boar. A netsuke portraying any of these animals was particularly associated with New Year festivities of the appropriate year, but could also be used any time during that particular year. It could also be used again in 12 years time in accordance with the cycle. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed by the craftsman. This example is signed ‘Toyokazu’. Toyokazu was a carver of Tanba province, who was active from the mid- to late 19th century. He is thought to have been a pupil of Naito Toyomasa (1773-1856), who was largely responsible for the fame of netsuke in Tanba province. A.54-1952 Shipman Gift Height 4.0 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0447.jpg Japan Carved and stained wood Arai, Junichi (maker) NUNO Corporation (manufacturer) 1979 Junichi Arai was born in Kiryu in 1932 in the centre of Japan's traditional weaving area. Arai is an acknowledged leader in the field of experimental weaving technology, combining traditional and futuristic, often with unexpected qualities. He worked closely with the fashion designer Issey Miyake in the 1980s. This piece is a multi-textured monochrome patchwork quilt, in which threads of different weights and tensions create a pucker and warp effect. It is a successful combination of synthetic and natural materials, with elasticity and soft textures. The fabric is a simple plain weave with a variation in the individual squares deriving from the subtly different personalities of the yarns used. T.148-1990 Given by the manufacturer Length 332 cm Width 68 cm Loom-width http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1248.jpg Japan Woven cotton and polyester Unknown 1860-1880 This decorative cloisonné vase is one of a pair (Museum no.1273A-1886). The eggshell blue enamel ground is decorated with copper wires within which coloured enamels have been inlaid. The naturalistic decoration depicts the Japanese crane among bamboo, together with summer flowers such as peonies and convolvulus. By the 1880s, these types of motifs, so evocative in the Western mind of Japan, were combined with earlier styles of geometric patterns. The abstract border motifs are inspired by earlier Chinese styles and the rim and foot-ring of the vase have been gilded. Before the early 1800s Japanese enamelling on metal had been restricted to small decorative pieces. By about 1860 larger-scale wares were being produced with designs based on Chinese prototypes. These were increasingly decorated with naturalistic scenes including animals, insects and plants. Objects such as this vase were exported to the West, where they in turn influenced manufacturers such as Elkingtons. This vase was part of an enormous group of objects (although only a few of them were Japanese) bequeathed to the V&A in 1885 by Joshua Dixon, a successful cotton merchant. Born in Dalston, north-east London, Dixon died on his estate of Winslade Park in Somerset and left his collection initially to the Bethnal Green Museum, which is part of the V&A, for the 'benefit of the people of East London.' 1273-1886 Bequeathed by Joshua Dixon Height 26.8 cm Width 11.2 cm (base) Diameter 16.9 cm (maximum) Vase http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM5777.jpg Japan Nagoya, Japan Cloisonné enamels on copper, with gilded copper rims Yukinaka, born active by about 1725 1700-1750 Object Type The main function of the tsuba is to prevent the warrior's hand from sliding up on to the blade of the sword during combat. It also balances the weight of the blade and protects the hand from an opponent's blade. The pierced style of iron tsuba like this dates back to the late 15th century and has its origins in the schools of Kyoto metalworkers. The decoration of gourds and leaves entwined around bamboo has been carefully executed to include the leaves of the pauwlonia tree. People The tsuba was made by Kaneko Jurobei of Hagi in Choshu Province using the art name 'Yukinaka'. In 1888, when the V&A bought the collection of 92 tsuba of H. Virtue Tebbs, it more than doubled the Museum's holdings of these items. Time This tsuba was made around the middle of the 17th century at a time when the tsuba had become an expressive medium for metalworkers. Tsuba also reflected their owners' social standing and personal taste. By the late 19th century tsuba had become redundant in Japan, but were avidly collected by westerners fascinated by a new art form and which lent itself to the Victorian passion for collecting and cataloguing objects of interest. 1410-1888 Height 8.2 cm Depth 0.4 cm Sword guard Tsuba http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6403.jpg Hagi, Japan Iron, with shakudo (patinated alloy of copper and gold) and copper Unknown 1750-1820 Object Type The main function of the tsuba is to prevent the warrior's hand from sliding up on to the blade of the sword during combat. It also balances the weight of the blade and protects the hand from an opponent's blade. This tsuba is of patinated copper with a nanako (fish-roe) type of ground with a design in relief of flowers and grasses, some of which are gilt-decorated. People This tsuba is in the style of the Goto school of metalworkers, the official makers of sword-fittings for the shogun's court. Following the dissolution of the samurai in 1876 and the prohibition of the wearing of swords, many former samurai sold their swords and sword fittings. Many of these objects reached Europe, where they were eagerly collected. This piece formed part of a group of 92 tsuba sold to the V&A in 1888 by H. Virtue Tebbs.This purchase more than doubled the Museum's collection of such items. Time This unsigned tsuba was made in the early 19th century. By the late 19th century tsuba had become redundant in Japan, but were avidly collected by westerners fascinated by a new art form that lent itself to the Victorian passion for collecting and cataloguing objects of interest. 1457-1888 Height 7.4 cm Width 6.6 cm Depth 0.5 cm Sword guard Tsuba http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6396.jpg Japan Patinated copper, with nanako ground and relief decoration in gilt, shakudo and copper Michitoshi, born active by 1825 1800-1850 Object Type The main function of the tsuba is to prevent the warrior's hand from sliding up on to the blade of the sword during combat. It also serves to balance the weight of the blade and, to some extent, protect the hand from an opponent's blade. This tsuba is made of brass in the form of a bell and is inlaid with gold, silver and shakudo with raised decoration of a snake with gold and shakudo eyes and a copper tongue. People The tsuba is signed 'made by Michitoshi' and is of a type worn on swords carried by rich merchants or by samurai when away from the shogun's court. It formed part of a group of 92 tsuba sold to the V&A in 1888 by H. Virtue Tebbs. This purchase more than doubled the Museum's collection of such objects. Time Following the dissolution of the samurai in 1876 and the prohibition of the wearing of swords, many former samurai sold their swords and sword fittings. Many of these objects reached Europe, where they were eagerly collected. In typical Victorian fashion, British collectors became obsessed with collecting and cataloguing this new art form. 1461-1888 Height 7.6 cm Width 7 cm Depth 1 cm Sword guard Tsuba http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6398.jpg Japan Brass, inlaid with gold and silver, with relief decoration of a snake with gold and shakudo eyes and a copper tongue Unknown 1590-1630 Object Type This tea caddy was made to contain the finely powdered green tea used in the making of so-called thick tea in the Japanese tea ceremony. This involves scooping and pouring the powdered tea from the caddy into a ceramic bowl. Hot water is added and the mixture is worked into a viscous suspension with a bamboo whisk. The one bowlful of tea is usually shared by four or five guests. Japanese ceramic tea caddies are small because they are required to hold tea for only one serving. Place Bizen is located near the coast of Japan's Inland Sea a little over 100 kilometres west of Osaka. It has long been known for its deposits of high quality iron-bearing clay. This turns a distinctive reddish brown colour when fired. Natural ash glazing and irregular scorching of the clay surface are achieved by the use of a wood-firing kiln. Historical Associations This tea caddy was one of over 200 Japanese ceramics bought by the V&A after they had been shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the United States in 1876. Some, like this piece, were old, but the majority were new or nearly new. The collection was assembled by the Japanese with funds sent from Britain. 189&A-1877 Height 7.8 cm Diameter 5.7 cm Tea caddy http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM7754.jpg Bizen, Japan Stoneware, with a natural ash glaze and ivory lid Unknown 1650-1800 Object Type This tea caddy was made to contain the finely powdered green tea used in the making of so-called thick tea in the Japanese tea ceremony. This involves scooping and pouring the powdered tea from the caddy into a ceramic bowl. Hot water is added and the mixture is worked into a viscous suspension with a bamboo whisk. The one bowlful of tea is usually shared by four or five guests. Japanese ceramic tea caddies are small because they are required to hold tea for only one serving. Place The Takatori kilns are located in the northern part Kyushu, the westernmost of Japan's four main islands. They were founded at the beginning of the 17th century and have long been known for their elegant and finely potted tea ceramics. Historical Associations This tea caddy was one of over 200 Japanese ceramics bought by the V&A after they had been shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the United States in 1876. Some, like this piece, were old, but the majority were new or nearly new. The collection was assembled by the Japanese with funds sent from Britain. 216-1877 Height 5.6 cm Diameter 6.7 cm Tea canister http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM7753.jpg Japan Stoneware, with ash and iron glazes, and ivory lid Unknown 1850-1870 Object Type Late 19th-century Japanese export fans were made in a wide variety of materials and forms. This fan has a double leaf painted with a different design on either side. Although it has relatively simple bamboo sticks, the guards, which would have been visible even when the fan was closed, are very ornate. The use of ivory encrusted with hardstones and other materials was a style of workmanship especially popular in the West. The high level of ornamentation on export fans is very different from what is found on fans for the native Japanese market. The use of subject matter such as women wearing kimono is also more typical of export than domestic products. Time The opening up of Japan in the mid-1850s after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world triggered a huge expansion in the manufacture of export goods in various media. These were avidly bought by western collectors, artists and designers, and played a central role in the development of 'Japonisme' and then art nouveau. 2279-1876 Given by Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt and Lady Wyatt Height 27.2 cm Width 42.2 cm (maximum, open) Depth 2.4 cm (maximum, open) Length 13 cm (tassel) Fan http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6387.jpg Japan Bamboo, painted silk, ivory encrusted with hardstones, horn and coloured ivory Unknown 1800-1850 Object Type The distinctive colour scheme of this dish is characteristic of one of several important varieties of ceramics made at the Kutani kilns from the early 19th century onwards. The Kutani kilns are located to the southwest of Kanazawa on the Japan Sea side of Japan's central island of Honshu. The styles of this piece, as well as of other kinds of Kutani ware are based on 17th-century originals produced in the western Japanese porcelain kilns of Arita. Time The opening up of Japan in the mid-1850s after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world triggered a huge expansion in the manufacture of export goods, together with a lively trade in older works of art. These were avidly sought out by western collectors, artists and designers, and played a central role in the development of 'Japonisme' and then art nouveau. At the Paris International Exhibition of 1878, the French designer Joseph-Théodore Deck (1823-1891) showed ceramics based directly on Kutani wares. Historical Associations This dish was one of over 200 Japanese ceramics bought by the V&A after they had been shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the United States in 1876. Some were old, but the majority, like this piece, were new or nearly new. The collection was assembled by the Japanese with funds sent from Britain. 310-1877 Height 24.3 cm Width 24.5 cm Depth 4.2 cm Dish http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9230.jpg Japan Porcelain, decorated in overglaze enamels Unknown 1860-1880 Object Type This decorative dish was made using many of the techniques found in the manufacture of traditional Japanese sword fittings. Silver was always regarded as a luxury commodity in Japan and was generally used only for inlay, so the use of silver for a single large object is significant. The rim of the dish is modelled as a piece of bamboo and the surface decoration is a naturalistic depiction of birds and wisteria (in various patinated alloys of copper and gold, some applied in relief) together with bamboo (executed in chisel cuts in imitation of brushstrokes, in a technique known as katakiri-bori). People Although we do not know the maker or manufacturer of this piece, it was part of a larger group of Japanese objects acquired from Londos & Co., with whom the designer Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) had close links. Many of the objects offered were rejected by the V&A as the acquisition of these objects raised questions about 'purchasing novelties in manufacture.' Time This dish is typical of the types of Japanese objects with naturalistic designs (which inspired contemporary British designers) being exported to the West around 1880 . The V&A paid what at that time was the considerable sum of £18.00 for the dish. 354-1880 Depth 2.5 cm Diameter 20 cm Dish http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6976.jpg Japan Silver, with incised and applied decoration in patinated copper, silver and gilt, with shibuichi foot ring Kanzan workshop ca. 1875 Object Type This vase is a good example of late19th-century Japanese export porcelain. It was made in Kyoto, Japan's former imperial capital, which had grown into an important centre of ceramic manufacture during the 17th century. It is one of a pair of vases decorated with an astonishing degree of skill, with naturalistic bird and flower studies framed within a stylized border. The subject matter and treatment of the painted panels is similar to that found in Japanese illustrated books of the kind that were arousing much interest in the West at the time. Time The opening up of Japan in the mid-1850s after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world triggered a huge expansion in the manufacture of export goods in ceramics and other media. These were avidly sought out by western collectors, artists and designers, and played a central role in the development of 'Japonisme' and then art nouveau. Historical Associations This vase was one of over 200 Japanese ceramics bought by the V&A after they had been shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the United States in 1876. Some were old, but the majority, like this piece, were new or nearly new. The collection was assembled by the Japanese with funds sent from Britain. 369A-1877 Height 37 cm Width 18 cm Diameter 13.5 cm (base) Vase http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM5318.jpg Kyoto (city), Japan Porcelain, decorated in overglaze enamels and gilt Unknown 1800-1880 Object Type This is a typical 19th-century Japanese ornamental comb. Combs were often made of luxurious and eye-catching materials, in this case lacquered wood. The design of the moon behind a tree cleverly continues around the back, encouraging the viewer to turn it over. Ownership & Use This type of comb was meant to be used as a decorative hair ornament rather than as something useful for actually combing the hair. Combs became popular with the emergence of elaborate hair-dos during the 17th century. They complemented the elegant kimono of the wearer and were usually used in combination with ornate hairpins and bodkins. Time In the mid-1850s Japan was opened up after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world. The passion for all things Japanese that this triggered in the West was termed 'Japonisme'. Japanese art objects were avidly bought by Western collectors, artists and designers from specialist dealers or from shops such as Liberty's. Kimono and dress accessories were regarded as the embodiment of Japanese femininity. 38-1888 Height 4.5 cm Width 12.1 cm Depth 0.3 cm Comb http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM8018.jpg Japan Lacquer on a wood base, decorated with gold and silver hiramaki-e and togidashi-e lacquer Unknown 1800-1850 Object Type Writing boxes of this kind were not used in Japan. They were made especially for export to the West, where Japanese lacquer had been admired since the end of the 16th century. The coloured mother-of-pearl design of birds and foliage is typical of early 19th-century lacquer objects made for foreign customers. Time During the late 17th century Dutch merchants were the only Europeans allowed to trade in Japan. Rising prices meant that no Japanese lacquer was officially exported after 1693. As a substitute, merchants turned to cheaper and inferior products made in China. However, during the 18th and 19th centuries, Dutch merchants were able to use their privileged position to place private orders for objects like this box. Places Japanese export wares were shipped abroad from Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour. By the late 18th century a new type of export work, called 'Nagasaki lacquer', had developed there. It is characterised by extremely thin and strikingly coloured pieces of pearl shell inlaid into black lacquer. The main parts of the design were also often underpainted. 51:1 to 3-1852 Height 14.8 cm Width 42.2 cm Depth 25.4 cm Writing box http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT9070.jpg Nagasaki (city), Japan Wood, covered with black lacquer and inlaid with under-painted mother-of-pearl Unknown 1850-1867 Object Type This Japanese textile is a fukusa or gift cover. In the Edo period (1615-1868) the exchange of gifts was an important social ritual. Gifts were usually presented in a box on a tray over which the fukusa would be placed. The choice of a fukusa appropriate to the occasion was an important part of the gift-giving ceremony. The richness of the decoration was an indication of the donor's wealth and the design showed evidence of their taste and cultural sensitivity Materials & Making Many fukusa are embroidered. Much of the design in this example has been executed in gold thread, which looks dazzling against the black velvet ground. The thread consists of a silk core wrapped in paper and gold leaf. It has been laid on the surface of the fabric and attached with tiny stitches, a technique called couching. The three-dimensional effect was achieved by padding out various parts of the design with cotton prior to embroidering. Subjects Depicted This fukusa depicts the legend of Jo and Uba. They were an old couple who lived a long and happy life together. When they died their spirits occupied the old pine tree on the island where they had lived. On moonlit nights they returned in human form to clear the forest floor, Jo raking in the good and Uba sweeping out the bad. The story symbolises conjugal harmony and long life. 701-1868 Height 76 cm Width 67.1 cm Depth 1.5 cm Gift cover Fukusa http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM7764.jpg Japan Velvet, embroidered with coloured silk and gold-wrapped thread Unknown 1860-1867 Object Type In Japan, where this length of silk crepe was made, the material would have been used to make a kimono. It contains enough cloth to make one garment. Both sexes wore kimono, but the design of this particular length of fabric suggests that it would have been used for a woman's clothing. Materials & Making The pattern of bamboo and flowering trees was created using a resist-dyeing technique. Rice paste was applied to certain parts of the cloth to form a protective coating that prevented penetration of the dye. Once the dye was dry the paste was washed away. Different areas were protected at various stages of the patterning process. Time Japanese objects were imported into Britain in large numbers in the second half of the 19th century. Japanese dyed textiles were very different from those made in Britain. The bold design and bright colours of this length of cloth would have been highly appealing. Fabrics like this would have been used to make exotic garments or used for interior decoration. Historical Associations Japan was keen to show off its textile skills at the big exhibitions that took place in Europe in the 19th century. This length was shown at the Paris International Exhibition of 1867 where it was bought by the Museum. 842-1869 Length 1800 cm Width 47 cm Kimono fabric http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1240.jpg Japan Silk crepe, with resist-dyed decoration Unknown 1860-1867 Object Type The small size of this chest of drawers suggests that it was designed as a decorative rather than a functional item. It was made specifically for export to the West and is typical of the kind of object made in response to the growing overseas demand for Japanese products. Time In the 1850s Japan opened its ports to foreign trade. As a mass of goods and information about the country reached the West, a craze for all things Japanese swept across Britain, Europe and the United States. In the second half of the19th century craftsmen in Japan made large numbers of objects that catered for this taste. Many of these, like this chest of drawers, were relatively cheap and affordable. Historical Associations Japan was eager to take advantage of the western fascination for its products and exhibited many objects at the big exhibitions that took place in Europe and the United States in the 19th century. Japan organised its first display for the Paris International Exhibition of 1867. This chest of drawers was one of the objects exhibited on that occasion. The Japanese display was very successful and the V&A bought a number of objects, including nine straw-work boxes and cabinets. 847:1 to 6-1869 Height 13.1 cm Width 14 cm Depth 7.6 cm Miniature chest of drawers http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT8587.jpg Japan Straw-work on a wood base Gensaiken, born active 1858 (decorator) 1850-1865 Object Type In Japan tea is traditionally drunk from small bowls such as this. This example was made in Satsuma in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands. The ceramics first made in Satsuma in the 17th century were usually plain. By the second half of the 19th century, when this bowl was made, Satsuma potters were decorating their works in enamels and gilt. Subjects Depicted This bowl is decorated with two carp. The carp is highly prized in Japan and is associated with a Chinese legend in which any fish able to leap over the famous longmen waterfall was transformed into a dragon. The story, known as 'Climbing the Dragon Gate', was a metaphor for success and advancement. Time After Japan opened its ports to foreign trade in the 1850s, a craze for all things Japanese swept across Britain, Europe and the United States. Japan was eager to exploit this enthusiasm and discovered that the big international exhibitions that took place in Europe and America in the second half of the 19th century were an ideal opportunity to promote its products. Japan organised its first display for the Paris Exhibition of 1867. Satsuma had its own section at the show and exhibited many works by its potters, including this bowl. The success of the 1867 display initiated a great vogue in the West for highly decorated Satsuma ceramics. They became so popular that other potteries in Japan began to copy them. 866-1869 Height 4.9 cm Diameter 9.5 cm Tea bowl http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM5954.jpg Satsuma, Japan Earthenware, with a crackled cream glaze and decoration in overglaze enamels and gilt Unknown 1850-1867 Object Type This stacking cabinet is a variation on a cabinet for the incense game. It contains small boxes within boxes to hold incense woods, and an outer tray in the form of a table with legs. Time The opening up of Japan in the mid-1850s after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world triggered a huge interest in Japanese art and design. Western collectors, artists and designers particularly admired lacquer, for which they had no equivalent. But while they appreciated such objects for their craftsmanship and design, they would not have understood their original function. Historical Associations This stacking cabinet was one of a group of objects displayed by the Japanese at the Paris Exhibition of 1867. This and subsequent international exhibitions were largely responsible for introducing Japanese art to the Western public. Lacquerwork formed a central part of the Japanese displays at these exhibitions. Some examples were old, but the majority, like this piece, were new or nearly new. The V&A acquired 20 items of Japanese lacquerwork from the Paris Exhibition. 875 to J-1869 Height 12.4 cm Width 13 cm Depth 8.9 cm Stacking cabinet http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AU5841.jpg Japan Wood, covered with black lacquer, with gold hiramaki-e, togidashi-e and takamaki-e lacquer decoration Unknown 1860-1867 Object Type This dish is typical of objects manufactured for export to the West at the end of the 19th century. It has no real function and was made for purely decorative purposes. The combination of tortoiseshell and lacquer decorated with peacocks embodied the exoticism that the West associated with Japan. Places Since the early 17th century trade with Europe had only been permitted through the Dutch base on the island of Deshima in Nagasaki harbour. Apart from very high-quality items that were made to order in Kyoto, Nagasaki was the source of most Japanese export lacquerware. With the opening up of Japan in the 1850s, Nagasaki was nominated as one of three official ports through which trade with the West could be conducted. In the late 19th century it also became a major centre for the production of gold lacquer applied to an ivory or tortoiseshell ground. Historical Associations This dish was one of a group of objects displayed by the Japanese at the Paris Exhibition of 1867. The Japanese exhibits were enormously popular. This and subsequent international exhibitions were largely responsible for introducing Japanese art to the Western public. The V&A bought 20 items of Japanese lacquerwork from the Paris Exhibition. 887-1869 Height 6 cm Diameter 30.5 cm (maximum) Dish http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AU5822.jpg Nagasaki (city), Japan (probably) Tortoiseshell, with gold hiramaki-e and takamaki-e lacquer, inlaid with mother-of-pearl Unknown 1800-1880 Object Type This is a typical 19th-century Japanese ornamental comb. Combs were often made of luxurious and eye-catching materials such as lacquer or ivory, as in this case. The decoration of cranes symbolises long life. Ownership & Use This type of comb was meant to be used as a decorative hair ornament rather than as something with which to actually comb the hair. Combs became popular with the emergence of elaborate hairdos during the 17th century. They complemented the elegant kimono of their wearers and were usually used in combination with ornate hairpins and bodkins. Time In the mid-1850s Japan was opened up after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world. The passion for all things Japanese that this triggered in the West was termed Japonisme. Japanese art objects were avidly bought by western collectors, artists and designers from specialist dealers or shops such as Liberty's. Kimono and dress accessories were regarded as the embodiment of Japanese femininity. Combs were pretty items that could be bought relatively cheaply. 91-1888 Height 6.1 cm Width 14.5 cm Depth 0.4 cm Comb http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM8019.jpg Japan Carved and incised ivory, with openwork Unknown 1800-1880 Object type This is a typical 19th-century Japanese ornamental comb. Combs were often made of luxurious and eye-catching materials, in this case ivory decorated in gold lacquer with a pattern of maple leaves. This motif is found in the work of British architects and designers such as Edward W. Godwin (1833-1886). Ownership & Use This type of comb was meant to be used as a decorative hair ornament rather than as something with which to actually comb the hair. Combs became popular with the emergence of elaborate hairdos during the 17th century. They complemented the elegant kimono of their wearers and were usually used in combination with ornate hairpins and bodkins. Time In the mid-1850s Japan was opened up after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world. The passion for all things Japanese that this triggered in the West was termed 'Japonisme'. Japanese art objects were avidly bought by western collectors, artists and designers from specialist dealers or shops such as Liberty's. Kimono and dress accessories were regarded as the embodiment of Japanese femininity. Combs were pretty items that could be bought relatively cheaply. 92-1888 Height 4.5 cm Width 9.2 cm Depth 0.5 cm Comb http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6837.jpg Japan Ivory, painted with gold lacquer and pigments Unknown 1800-1880 Object Type This is a typical 19th-century Japanese ornamental comb. Combs were often made of luxurious and eye-catching materials, in this case blond tortoiseshell decorated with gold lacquer. Ownership & Use This type of comb was meant to be used as a decorative hair ornament rather than as something with which to actually comb the hair. Combs became popular with the emergence of elaborate hairdos during the 17th century. They complemented the elegant kimono of their wearers and were usually used in combination with ornate hairpins and bodkins. Time In the mid-1850s Japan was opened up after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world. The passion for all things Japanese that this triggered in the West was termed 'Japonisme'. Japanese art objects were avidly bought by western collectors, artists and designers from specialist dealers or shops such as Liberty's. Kimono and dress accessories were regarded as the embodiment of Japanese femininity. Combs were pretty items that could be bought relatively cheaply. 94-1888 Height 3.5 cm Width 10.1 cm Depth 0.4 cm Comb http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM8017.jpg Japan Blond tortoiseshell, with gold hiramaki-e and takamaki-e decoration Unknown 1700-1720 Object Type This cup and saucer is typical of the kind of Japanese porcelain that was made in connection with the growing European interest in tea drinking in the early 18th century. Japanese export cups of this early period did not have handles. The blue, red and gold colour scheme is typical of the so-called Imari style, which was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place The Imari style is named after the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelain for export was sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time From 1639 to the mid-1850s merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced during this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.112&A-1912 Marie Adeline Dumergue Bequest (Cup) Height 4 cm (Cup) Diameter 7.6 cm (maximum) (Saucer) Diameter 12.5 cm (Saucer) Depth 2.6 cm Cup and saucer http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM3287.jpg Arita, Japan Porcelain, with Imari-style decoration in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels and gilt Unknown 1700-1720 Object Type This bottle, of a type made solely for export, is one of a pair (C.1518-1910) previously in the collection of the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace. The small chrysanthemum-shaped stopper echoes the chrysanthemum design that appears on one of the four sides. The designs on the three other sides feature the peony, prunus and squirrel-and-vine. The blue, red and gold Imari-style colour scheme was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place Imari was the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelains for export were sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time From 1639 until the mid-1850s merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced in this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of the 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.1517-1910 The Salting Bequest Height 24 cm (including inserted stopper) Width 10.8 cm Depth 10.8 cm Bottle http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT9019-1.jpg Arita, Japan Porcelain, with Imari-style decoration in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels and gilt Unknown 1700-1725 Object Type This large covered jar is one of a set of five (C.1520&A to 1525&A-1910) and is a splendid example of the type of porcelain made in early-18th-century Japan for export to Europe. Wares of this shape and size would not have been marketed in Japan. The areas of dark blue were achieved by painting with cobalt oxide under a clear glaze and firing to a high temperature in a reducing atmosphere. The gold, red and other enamel colours were applied and fused on in subsequent, low-temperature firings. The distinctive so-called Imari-style colour scheme was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place Imari was the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelains for export were sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time During the 18th century, when this vase was made, merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced from 1639 until the mid-1850s. European hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of the 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.1521&A-1910 Salting Bequest Height 72.6 cm Vase http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AK4925.jpg Arita, Japan Porcelain, with Imari-style decoration in underglaze blue, overglaze enamels and gilding Unknown 1680-1700 Object Type This teapot is typical of the kind of Japanese porcelain made in connection with the growing interest in tea-drinking in late 17th-century Europe. The use of bright enamel colours on a fine white body is characteristic of the so-called Kakiemon style. This takes its name from the family of decorators reputed to have introduced the techniques of overglaze enamelling to Arita in western Japan in the 1640s. Kakiemon-style wares were the costliest and most sought after of all Japanese export ceramics. They were widely copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place Kakiemon-style wares were transported by sea from Imari, the port nearest to Arita. Porcelains for export were sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time From 1639 until the mid-1850s, merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced during this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of the 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.413&A-1909 Height 9.5 cm Width 14.3 cm (including handle and spout) Depth 8.2 cm Teapot http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AU8417.jpg Arita, Japan (teapot) Europe (mounts) Porcelain, with Kakiemon-style decoration, and silver-gilt mounts Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 Tsutaya Juzaburo, born active by 1804 (publisher) 1858 Object Type Japanese woodblock prints were commercial productions made for popular consumption. They were made by artists, block cutters and printers working independently to the instructions of specialist publishers. The popularity of landscape prints in 19th-century Japan was a reflection of the growth of travel and the associated demand for depictions of famous beauty spots. Place The Satta Pass and the wild sea below it was a well-known location on the Tokaido highway. This main route along the eastern seaboard of Japan connected Edo (modern Tokyo) and Kyoto. The pass was created in 1655 to improve the road at this point. Mount Fuji can be seen rising majestically in the background. Time This print was published in Edo just at the time that commercial and diplomatic ties were being established between Japan and western nations in the mid to late 1850s. During the second half of the 19th century large numbers of prints were exported to Europe and the United States. They were avidly sought out by western collectors, artists and designers, and played a major role in the development of 'Japonisme' and then art nouveau. E.1275-1922 Height 38 cm (unframed) Width 25.5 cm (unframed) The Sea at Satta in Suruga Province Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji (Woodblock print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM7637.jpg Japan Block print on paper Konoike (of Yokohama) 1890-1895 Object Type This silver teapot was made in Japan at the end of the 19th century specifically for export to Britain.The design of chrysanthemums is a traditional Japanese one, but the form of the vessel is western. Time By the time that this teapot was made in the 1890s Japanese crafts had undergone three decades of dramatic change. Revolution in Japan in 1868 had brought an end to feudal rule and the start of a period of modernisation along western lines. Old systems of patronage disappeared and traditional objects became obsolete. Craftsmen turned their skills to the making of decorative objects for the expanding export market. The silversmith Konoike, who made the body of this teapot, was one such craftsman. He was based in the great trading port of Yokohama near Tokyo. People Konoike was specially commissioned to make this teapot by Liberty and Company. This famous London shop was founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875. Liberty's specialised in selling goods imported from Asia and played an important part in fostering the late 19th-century craze for all things Japanese. From the 1880s Liberty also began to commission works from British designers, particularly those whose work was influenced by Japanese art. M.32-1973 Height 10.2 cm Width 15 cm (including spout and handle) Depth 9.2 cm Diameter 6.4 cm (base) Teapot http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM7948.jpg Yokohama, Japan Silver repoussé Unknown ca. 1800-1880 Object Type In Japan, ravelling tea sets of this kind are associated with the cult of the tea ceremony. The tea ceremony usually takes place in a specially-built tea room, but there are times when it is practised in the open air as part of an outing to view cherry blossoms, the moon or maple leaves. It is on these occasions that tea sets like this are used. Time By the 19th century, when this set was made, the tea ceremony was practised by large numbers of Japanese. It was an elegant pastime, but no longer an elitist one, as it had been during the 16th and 17th centuries. Many 19th-century western collectors of Japanese art were dismissive of the often austere utensils used in the tea ceremony. This set, however, would have been appealing for its compactness of design and relatively ornate qualities. Christopher Dresser (1834-1904), who visited Japan in 1876, is known to have designed a travelling tea service influenced by Japanese prototypes. Use The contents of this tea set are different from what you would find in a western equivalent. This is because the Japanese tea ceremony involves the preparation and drinking not of steeped tea, but of finely powdered green tea and hot water whipped up in a tea bowl with a bamboo whisk. M.39:1 to 21-1965 Given by Miss J. F. Newcombe (Box) Height 11.2 cm (Box) Width 19.3 cm (Box) Depth 11.5 cm (Kettle) Height 9.5 cm (Kettle) Width 11.4 cm (including spout) (Kettle) Depth 10 cm (excluding spout) (Saucepan) Height 5.6 cm (Saucepan) Width 11.5 cm (including handle) (Saucepan) Depth 9 cm (including spout) (Tea bowl) Height 5.3 cm (Tea bowl) Diameter 10.4 cm (Whisk) Length 8.9 cm (Whisk) Diameter 3 cm (Container) Height 9.6 cm (Container) Diameter 3.9 cm (Bag) Height 7.1 cm (Bag) Diameter 2.5 cm (Cloth) Height 28 cm (Cloth) Width 26.7 cm (Tea caddy) Height 5.5 cm (Tea caddy) Diameter 3.5 cm (Stand) Height 11.1 cm (assembled) (Stand) Width 9.5 cm (assembled) (Stand) Depth 9.5 cm (assembled) Travelling tea service http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL8244.jpg Japan (Box) Wood, gold lacquer and gold and silver kirikane (Kettle) Patinated copper (Saucepan) Silver gilt (Tea bowl) Stoneware, with grey glaze, incised (Whisk) Bamboo (Container) Cloisonné, with silk cloth (Tea caddy) Pewter (Stand) Iron (Scoop) Wood From Japan Kamakura period, 14th century AD Kannon (Sanskrit: Avalokiteshvara) was one of the principal bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism in east Asia. In Jōdo ('Pure Land') Buddhism he often appears with the bodhisattva Seishi (Sanskrit: Mahasthamaprapta) flanking the Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitabha) in a triad welcoming the souls of the dead into the Western Paradise. In this statue, Kannon is shown in traditional welcoming posture and originally held a lotus flower which had the power to carry the faithful to paradise. The structural technique used is yosegi zukuri, which means that the statue is made of hollow components fitted together. The decoration on the robes, consisting of leaves, waves, hatching and linked swastikas, is all of gold foil typical of sculpture of the Kamakura period (1185-1333). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) Asia JA 1886.3-22.7 Height: 87.000 cm The bodhisattva Kannon http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps154909_m.jpg From Japan Kamakura period, 14th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Kamakura period, late 12th century - 13th century AD The central figure is the three-faced, four-armed bodhisattva Kannon (Sanskrit: Avalokiteshvara). In Japanese Buddhism Kannon is shown in may different forms. Here, he is shown as Fukūkensaku ('with the Never-empty Noose'), carrying in one hand the rope with which he captures the hearts and minds of the faithful. He sits on a white lotus on a high rock which together suggest the 'Great Womb Mandala', the central image of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. Bottom right stands Bishamon-ten (Vaishravana), Guardian King of the North, sword in hand. Bottom left stands the bodhisattva Shu Kongō (Vajrapani) on an earthen mound grasping a vajra (thunderbolt). These two figures appear to be based on ninth-century clay sculptures in Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara. The painting has some interesting technical details. The artist has applied white paint through from the back of the silk (urahaku) to represent the skin of the central figure, which he has then shaded rose-colour on the surface and outlined with vermilion. The lotus petals are brightened with lines of silver paint, and in many cases the coloured outlines are drawn first then filled in. The brushwork of the rocks is particularly skilful. The back of the silk is painted with gold to strengthen the colours. The painting is a fine example of an artist of the Kamakura period (1185-1333) adapting the earlier styles of the Nara period (710-94). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Brooke Sewell Bequest Fund Height: 1230.000 mm Width: 874.000 mm Fukūkensaku Kannon with two Guardian Deities, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps150553_m.jpg Japan Kamakura period, late 12th century - 13th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD389 (1967.2-13.02) Japan Kamakura period, 14th century AD, or later Following his victory in the civil wars between his own Minamoto clan and the Taira clan in 1185, Yoritomo (1147-99) founded a new system of warrior rule in Kamakura. This ended a period of some 600 years of centralized authority of the imperial court at Kyoto. Yoritomo is here shown seated on a tatami dais, wearing sokutai formal court costume and cap, and carrying a ceremonial board (shaku). The decorated hilt of a long sword (efu no tachi) juts forward from his waist. The inscription above in coloured cartouches celebrates his military prowess and political authority. This is a copy of one of a set of three hanging scrolls (designated in Japan as 'National Treasures') preserved at Jingōji Temple in Kyoto. The three scrolls are traditionally said to depict Minamoto no Yoritomo, Taira no Shigemori and Fujiwara no Mitsuyoshi. According to tradition, they were painted by the court portraitist Fujiwara no Takanobu (1142-1205) or, alternatively, they may have been dedicated at the new Sentō'in sub-temple of Jingō-ji, founded about 1230. However, there has recently been a lively debate in Japan about the Jingō-ji scrolls. A new theory suggests that they may depict members of the succeeding Ashikaga dynasty: Ashikaga Tadayoshi, Ashikaga Takauji and Ashikaga Yoshiakira respectively. The theory also suggests that the paintings were donated to the temple by Tadayoshi in 1345. The inscription on this copy, clearly identifying the sitter as Yoritomo, has been used to support the traditional attribution. However, recent conservation and analysis of this scroll in the Oka Studio at the Kyoto National Museum have revealed physical characteristics which suggest that the copy may have been made as late as the Edo period (1600-1868). The original identity of the sitter is still hotly debated. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Purchased with the assistance of G. Eumorphopolous and the National Art Collections Fund Height: 1450.000 mm Width: 885.000 mm Minamoto no Yoritomo in court dress, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps344485_m.jpg Japan Kamakura period, 14th century AD, or later British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD10 (1920.7-13.01) Unknown 1600-1630 Object Type Most Japanese export lacquer was made to order in forms suited to Western interiors and lifestyles. This object corresponds to the basin of a European metalwork basin and ewer set, which would be used for washing hands after dinner. Time Japanese lacquerware was first shipped to Europe during the late 16th century and was quite unlike anything that had been seen there before. It became extremely sought after and was imported in large numbers throughout the 17th century. Most European country houses and palaces possessed examples of Japanese export lacquer. Design & Designing Up until the 1620s export lacquer was produced in a distinctive style known as Namban. This was a manner of decoration that combined elements of Chinese, Korean and Gujurati work from India. It made extensive use of inlaid mother-of-pearl with gold and black lacquer. The decoration covered the entire surface and included the use of ornate borders, characteristics not found on lacquerware made for the home market in Japan. The Namban style is found both on objects for the foreign market and on religious paraphernalia used by Japanese Christians. W.13-1957 Presented by The Art Fund Depth 8.7 cm Diameter 49.3 cm Basin http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT9021.jpg Japan Wood, covered in black lacquer, with gold hiramaki-e lacquer and mother-of-pearl inlay Unknown 1630-1690 Object Type This panel is thought to have originally been part of a cabinet or screen made in Japan for the European market. Since lacquer had no natural equivalent in the West, Japanese lacquerware was always much in demand. This resulted in objects being cut up and reused when sections became damaged or when fashion changed. Although lacquerwork for the Japanese home market rarely depicted detailed figures, men and women dressed in kimono are often found on export products designed to appeal to Westerners. Time Japanese lacquerware was first shipped to Europe during the late 16th century and was quite unlike anything seen before. It was much admired and was imported in large quantities throughout the 17th century. Most European country houses and palaces possessed examples of Japanese export lacquer. Places High quality export lacquer was made to special order in Kyoto, Japan's former imperial capital. It was then transported to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch merchants. W.181-1910 The Salting Bequest Height 22 cm Width 65 cm Depth 1.5 cm Panel http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM5338.jpg Japan Wood, covered in black lacquer, with gold, black and red hiramaki-e and takamaki-e, inlaid with silver and gold foil and mother-of-pearl Unknown ca. 1630 (Stand) 1680-1700 Object Type Most Japanese export lacquer was made in forms suited to Western interiors and lifestyles. This object is in the form of a cabinet with internal drawers that has no equivalent in Japan. To make it more practical, stands were frequently added in the West. Materials & Making The sap from the lacquer tree could be processed to produce a glossy, durable and highly attractive decorative surface. Japanese lacquer-ware was first shipped to Europe during the late 16th century and was quite unlike anything seen before. It was much admired and was imported in large quantities throughout the 17th century. Most European country houses and palaces possessed examples of Japanese export lacquer. Places High-quality export lacquer was made to special order in Kyoto, Japan's former imperial capital. It was then transported to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch merchants. From the early 17th century onwards, the Dutch were the only Europeans allowed to trade in Japan, which they did through the Dutch East India Company. FE.38:1 to 13-1978 Height 107.5 cm (on stand) Width 67 cm Depth 36 cm Cabinet on stand http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL3068.jpg (Cabinet) Japan (Stand) Netherlands (probably) Cabinet of lacquer on wood; stand of painted pine Liberty & Co. Ltd. (retailers) ca. 1890-1900 Decorative schemes in the Aesthetic style often included imitation leather wallpapers. Some arbiters of taste, such as the writer Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), preferred them to conventional wallpapers because of the rich and luxurious effect they created. He recommended their use in his series of lectures on interior decoration. He also hung a Japanese leather paper in the drawing room of his ‘house beautiful’ at 16 Tite Street, London. This paper was one of several made for Liberty & Co., the London department store. Liberty’s specialised in Aesthetic style and oriental furnishings. The paper may have been made in Japan, where there were a number of workshops specialising in the production of imitation leather papers in the later 19th century. They manufactured them for the European market. E.436-1999 Given by Mr Paul Reeves Height 28.7 cm Width 16.8 cm Wallpaper http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL7147.jpg Japan (possibly) Embossed paper with bronze metallic pigment Unknown 1670-1700 Object Type Figures of animals, which are often found in pairs, are especially common among early Japanese export porcelain. Lions in Japan are often found as guardian figures, but this symbolism is unlikely to have been known in the West. The use of bright enamel colours on a fine white body is characteristic of the so-called Kakiemon style. The family of decorators who worked in the Kakiemon kiln are reputed to have introduced the techniques of overglaze enamelling to Arita in the 1640s. Kakiemon-style wares were the costliest and most sought after of all Japanese export ceramics. They were widely copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place Kakiemon-style wares were transported by sea from Imari, the port nearest to Arita in western Japan. Porcelain for export was sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time From 1639 until the mid-1850s merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced in this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of the 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.35-1958 Height 12 cm Width 14.2 cm (head to tail) Depth 11 cm (maximum, front to back) Figure http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM5314.jpg Arita, Japan Porcelain, with Kakiemon-style decoration in overglaze enamels Unknown 1700-1720 Object Type This bottle, of a type made solely for export, is one of a pair (C.1517-1910) previously in the collection of the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace. The small chrysanthemum-shaped stopper echoes the chrysanthemum design that appears on one of the four sides. The designs on the three other sides feature the peony, prunus and squirrel-and-vine. The blue, red and gold Imari-style colour scheme was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place Imari was the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelains for export were sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time From 1639 until the mid-1850s merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced in this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of the 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.1518-1910 The Salting Bequest Height 24 cm (including inserted stopper) Width 10.8 cm Depth 10.8 cm Bottle http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT9019.jpg Arita, Japan Porcelain, with Imari-style decoration in underglaze blue, and overglaze enamels and gilt Miyake, Issey, born 1938 (designer) 1990s In the early 1990s, small bags with designer logos swung all over London, New York and Paris, and only the trained eye could distinguish the real articles from the counterfeit. Stalwarts such as Jane Shilton continued to provide quality for many women with their affordable and well-made range of handbags. Shoe shops and boutique groups produced accessories that perfectly complemented their styles. Meanwhile, fashion designers featured more and more accessories at their catwalk shows, with hats, bags and shoes supplying the fizz, and the sale, for many collections. This black leather bust-shaped handbag by Issey Miyake plays on the idea of the femininity of the handbag--formed into a hollow torso it is subtle and disconcerting. T.149-1991 Given by Francesca Galloway Height 52.5 cm (including handle) Width 40 cm Depth 21 cm Handbag http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN9206.jpg Japan Shaped leather Kiyomitsu 18th century-19th century The blade of this Japanese guardless dagger (‘aiguchi’) is signed Kiyomitsu. It probably dates from the 18th or 19th century. The hilt and scabbard are of a hard dark wood with the grain emphasised, inlaid with insects and snails in ivory and pearl-shell in low relief. The mounts are of silver engraved with ‘karakusa’ scrolls. There is a small utility knife (‘kogai’) in the side of the scabbard. The blade and mounting are contemporary with each other. Daggers were worn both by samurai and by non-samurai, including, increasingly, the merchant classes. Merchants tended towards gaudier mountings for their blades, so the restrained colours of the lacquer and metal fittings on this dagger would indicate that it was probably made for a samurai, perhaps an older gentleman. 65 to C-1907 (Scabbard) Length 32.1 cm (Dagger) Length 20.7 cm (blade) Dagger and scabbard Aiguchi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9344.jpg Japan (Dagger) Forged steel (Scabbard) Lacquered wood, with ivory, mother-of-pearl and silver decoration Japan Kamakura period, early 14th century AD Jion Daishi (AD 632-82) was the Chinese patriarch of the Hossō (Chinese: Faxiang) sect, which he brought to Japan from China and which became one of the main six sects of Nara Buddhism. His original Chinese name was Guiji. His portrait was kept for veneration in Hossō temples throughout Japan, especially the great temples of Kōfukuji, Yakushiji and Hōryūji. Special 'Jion Daishi meetings' were held from the tenth century onwards when his portrait was displayed. This accounts for the relatively large number of surviving paintings from this time. The patriarch is portrayed here as a tall, imposing figure with bushy eyebrows and strong features. The inscription at the top gives a brief account of his life. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Height: 1675.000 mm Width: 855.000 mm Height: 1675.000 mm Width: 855.000 mm Hanging scroll painting with a portrait of the monk Jion Daishi http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps120774_m.jpg Japan Kamakura period, early 14th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD377 (1964.7-11.01) From Japan Kamakura period, 13th century AD Gyōdō was a ceremony derived originally from China in the Tang dynasty (AD 618-906). Priests wearing bodhisattva masks paraded outside temples. Bodhisattva masks are particularly associated with the raigō forms of these ceremonies, which enacted the welcome of the dead into Paradise by the Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitabha). This example is made of lacquered, painted and gilded wood. The procession was led by dancers carrying a shishi mask to exorcise the route. Gift of Lady Francis Oppenheimer Height: 23.000 cm Width: 20.030 cm Bodhisattva mask for Gyōdō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339677_m.jpg From Japan Kamakura period, 13th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1963.7-22.1 From Japan Kamakura or Muromachi period, 14th-15th century AD Aizen is one of the five Myō-ō (Sanskrit: Vidyarajas), 'Kings of Light', personified spells and protectors of the esoteric Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism, whose principal deity, Dainichi Nyōrai (Mahavairacana), is the Buddha from whom boundless light emanates. Aizen is usually portrayed wearing a lion-skin hat or wearing a shishi head-dress and he sits on a lotus throne. He has six arms, each holding one of his attributes: bow, arrow, vajras (thunderbolts), some missing from this figure. The figure is made of lacquered and pigmented wood, with crystal inlaid eyes and some metal fittings. The crystal eyes inset from the back of the head, the hollowed base and the treatment of the flesh suggest that it was made by a later artist of the thirteenth-century Kei school of sculpture centred around Unkei, the natural son of the sculptor Kōkei who revived the energetic style of the Tempyō era (AD 729-49). The pigment was probably reapplied in the nineteenth century when the dais was also restored. Asia JA 1885.12-27.27 Figure of Aizen Myō-ō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339877_m.jpg From Japan Kamakura or Muromachi period, 14th-15th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Kamakura / Muromachi period, 14th century AD The Buddhist deity Benzaiten (Sanskrit: Sarasvati), is depicted playing a biwa, a kind of four-stringed lute. She is seated on a rocky dais covered in lotus leaves which is lapped by frothing waves. Beyond in the distance a waterfall cascades down from a mountainous valley. Benzaiten derived from the ancient Indian river goddess Sarasvati, who in Japan went on to be associated with water, the harvest, speech, learning and the arts. From the Kamakura period (1185-1333) onwards she was also widely venerated as a deity of good fortune. The combination of a highly detailed and brightly coloured figure with an ink-wash landscape is typical of many Buddhist paintings from the Kamakura and Muromachi (1333-1568) periods. Particular stylistic and technical features suggest that this painting was made in the era of the Northern and Southern Courts (1336-92): the leaping gold flames on the halo - executed in raised shell-white gesso (mori-age) covered in gold paint - and the combination of blue hair tresses edged at the forehead in pale green. Most other paintings of Benzaiten from this period depict her as a beauty in Chinese costume and her appearance here, as a bodhisattva with jewelled crown and necklace, is unusual. From 1999 to 2000, the painting was repaired and remounted in the Oka Studio at the Kyoto National Museum with assistance from agencies of the Government of Japan. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Height: 1355.000 mm Width: 574.000 mm Height: 1355.000 mm Width: 574.000 mm Benzaiten, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps344484_m.jpg Japan Kamakura / Muromachi period, 14th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD28 (1924.7-14.02) Japan Kamakura period, early 14th century AD The bodhisattva Jizō (Sanskrit: Ksitigarbha) was widely worshipped in Japan from the late Heian period (794-1185) as the deity who would save the faithful should they be reborn into one of the hells of the Six Realms. In the Kamakura period (1185-1333) he is generally portrayed as a compassionate young monk dressed in monastic robes and stole (kesa) and carrying a ringed travelling staff and a sacred jewel. He is most often shown, as here, floating down to greet the believer on a cloud (raigō-zu). The delicate sensitivity of the facial features and detailed and elaborate lotus and hemp leaf patterning on gold that covers the robes indicate a date in the late Kamakura period (early fourteenth century). At the top of the hanging scroll are the outlines of Mt. Kasuga and Mt. Mikasa, under which hover five seated Buddhist deities regarded as the 'original state' (honji) of the native Shintō deities of the Kasuga Shrine, Nara. Jizō was regarded specifically as the Buddhist counterpart of the Shintō deity Ame-no-koyane-no-mikoto, enshrined in the Third Hall of the Kasuga Shrine. The painting therefore reflects the honji suijaku ('manifestation from the original state') doctrines of the medieval period (twelfth to sixteenth centuries), which sought to unify the two religions of Buddhism and Shintō, and is a regarded as a kind of mandala of the Kasuga Shrine. The painting is said to derive from the Jizō-in Temple in Itano District, Tokushima Prefecture. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) Brooke Sewell Fund Height: 1349.000 mm Width: 404.000 mm Mandala of the Kasuga Shrine Deity in the form of the bodhisattva Jizō, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps157092_m.jpg Japan Kamakura period, early 14th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD390 (1967.6-19.05) Japan Kamakura period, late 13th century AD With the spread of faith in the Jōdo (Pure Land) sect of Buddhism during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the bodhisattva Jizō (Sanskrit: Ksitigarbha) was widely worshipped by the general populace as a salutary deity: Jizō would rescue them if they were reborn into one of the many hells vividly described in the doctrines of the sect. He is shown in the guise of a travelling monk with ringed staff and sacred jewel, who intercedes in the Six Realms of Birth to save the faithful and take them to the Western Paradise of the Buddha Amida (Amitabha). The bodhisattva directs a calm, benevolent gaze down towards the distressed believer, and his delicate fingers gesture with great sensitivity. The halo is outlined in simple cut gold-leaf (kiri-kane). It is more common for Jizō to be shown coming towards us from a distance on a cloud (raigō-zu). The pose here, therefore, with the large figure standing statically on a pair of lotus-flower pedestals, is unusual. Certain technical and stylistic features suggest a date in the later thirteenth century, which is relatively early for Jizō imagery. These include the generally subdued colouring of the robe and the monk's stole held with a metal ring at the shoulder (kan-kesa), as well as the strong, modulating ink outlines of the drapery. The ancient silk support is damaged in many places, particularly the area of Jizō's right arm and shoulder. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 948.000 mm Width: 382.000 mm The bodhisattva Jizō, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps101717_m.jpg Japan Kamakura period, late 13th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 18 (1913.5-1.055) From Japan Kamakura period, 13th century AD The Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitabha) was the principal deity in temples of the True Pure Land or Jōdo Shinshū sect. It often formed the central element of a triad, flanked by two bodhisattvas. Here, Amida holds his hands in a gesture that welcomes the souls of the dead faithful to the Pure Land (Sukhavati). As with many statues of this period, the figure is made using the yosegi zukuri technique, with a number of pieces of wood hollowed out and fixed together. The realistic eyes are made of crystal and inserted from the inside of the head before the statue was finished. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) Asia JS 1945.4-19.1 Height: 96.000 cm Wooden figure of the Buddha Amida http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps154509_m.jpg From Japan Kamakura period, 13th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Edo period, AD 1796 The Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitabha) is shown in a standard iconography, descending on a cloud accompanied by the bodhisattvas Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) and Seishi (Mahasthamaprapta). However, the entire painting - outlines, drapery and areas of colour - is composed of tens of thousands of spidery written characters quoting text from the three great sūtras of the Jodō (Pure Land) sect of Japanese Buddhism. This tour de force of fanatical piety was the work of an otherwise obscure official named Katō Nobukiyo (1734-1810). His most ambitious project was a set of fifty such scrolls showing the five hundred arhats done for the Zen sect temple Ryūkō-ji in Edo, which took five years from 1788 to 1792 to complete. The signature reads 'Tōbu Shiragane Tamagawa jō Enjinsai kōnen rokujū-san ju kin shoga, ('Respectfully written and painted by Enjinsai at the old age of 63 years, at the upper reaches of the Tamagawa River at Shiragane in Eastern Musashi Province') and the seals read 'Enjinsai' and (?) 'Nobukiyo in'. William Anderson Collection Height: 1323.000 mm Width: 382.000 mm Katō Nobukiyo, Descent of the Buddha Amida with two attendant bodhisattvas, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338414_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1796 British Museum: Asia JA JP 3453 (1881.12-10.04) From Japan Kamakura-Muromachi period, 14th-15th century AD This head of the Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitabha), ruler of the Western Paradise, is one metre tall, and must have come from a statue many times life size, possibly seated. This may have been the central figure of a triad, with the bodhisattvas Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) and Seishi (Mahasthamaprapta) on either side. The face has the marked expression of compassion, which characterizes Buddhas. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: master