Ancient Japanese Art
The Origins Of Japanese Art Culture Today
Ancient Japanese Art, sounds boring right? Wrong… 4 Major facts about Japanese Art Culture. What has Manga (Japanese Comics) got to do with it? The secrets behind Ancient Japanese Culture Revealed.
There's a common saying that Japan is the land of contrasts.That is so true. Technology lives right next to Ancient Japanese culture, Modern Japanese Art co-exist peacefully with Ancient Japanese Art.
You can see it when you enter a modern Tokyo skyscraper and find traditional interior design.
Entertainment in Japan
for Businessmen still includes an evening in the company of a Geisha which plays traditional Japanese music.
Japanese homes have the latest electronic appliances side by side with Tatami floor mats and the family shrine.
What Is It About Japanese Art Culture That Keeps It So Lively?
Japanese people did an outstanding job of preserving the Ancient Japanese Art. It is part of everyday life and you see it everywhere. Generations of extremely disciplined and talented people, stood against an ever-changing world to keep their national identity.
That was the case with Japanese samurai swords which almost disappeared after World War II when production of the antique swords was banned.
Art was one of the ways the Japanese found to preserve their cultural uniqueness. Ancient Japanese art continues to do well today thanks to contemporary artists who combine the age old traditions with modern techniques and come up with unique art.
Ancient Japanese Painting
Did you know that until recently Japanese writing was still made with a Japanese Art brush rather than a pen?
It's called
Calligraphy,
and it is based on brush strokes that are flowing and unstructured.
Every Japanese person is familiar with the different techniques of using the brush. As a result Japanese painting and calligraphy were very common.
During the Edo period a new style of painting was created, using woodblock prints.
Ceramics were also an important part of Ancient Japanese art.
See my page on
Japanese tea sets.
The Antique Japanese Tea Sets form of art has developed during the 15th century, as
the tea ceremony
became part of everyday life in Japan. Artisan potters spend years honing their skills to create Tea sets under the guidance of the Master Artisan.
The unique qualities of this Japanese art form include A-symmetry in form and decoration, and empty spaces as a harmonizing motive. The Japanese brush strokes resemble the Japanese art of painting and calligraphy.
Japanese Art Culture
The history of Japanese art was influenced by periods of time when Japan shoguns reinforced a policy of isolation and banned all international trade.
These periods in the history of Japan are responsible for the development of such unique aesthetics.
If you'd like to learn more about Japan's history click on
Brief History of Japan.
Isolation allowed Japan's aesthetic art forms to develop on their own until contact with other cultures took place, such as the Chinese, Buddhist, and even the Western.
One of the major influences to Ancient Japanese Culture was Zen Buddhism.
The contribution of Zen to Ancient Japanese Art is seen in the Japanese Rock garden (as seen in the photo bellow), the Japanese style garden, flower arrangement (Ikebana), architecture, poetry, ceramics, calligraphy and other Japanese crafts.
Just as an example – according to Zen emptiness is a key element. That's why the landscape in Japanese paintings is brought to life with just a few strokes of the brush.
Japanese poetry - Haiku, also influenced by Zen, believes in simplicity.
Zen also believes in making minimal changes to nature and emphasizes natural materials when it comes to architecture and design.
You will never see a Japanese flower garden for instance. No flower beds. The elements used are rocks, water, sand and trees.
The gardener takes care of the Japanese style garden helping the landscape to stay as it is. Each tree is taken care of meticulously.
You can see trees that have a crutch that was put there to support the lower branches to prevent them from falling and changing the harmony of the scenery.
Ikebana flower arrangement too is arranged as if it was made by nature.
The Influence Of Japanese Art Culture On The West
The work of famous impressionist painter Claude Monet has been known to be heavily influenced by Ancient Japanese Art.
Certain periods in his art work combine Japanese art motives.
He even built a beautiful Japanese garden with a Japanese garden bridge in his house in Giverny, France.
Monet was not alone in this interest with the exotic. In the work of his colleagues living in Paris at the same time, Manet and Renoir, we can also see Japanese Artwork influence.
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