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unrecorded maker, probably Tohoku
cotton quilted with cotton thread
Literally meaning 'little stabs', sashiko is a method of sewing together one or more layers of cloth with running stitch. Used to reinforce fabric to make it warmer and last longer, the technique is characterised by distinctive stitching patterns, of which three are visible here. This garment's excellent condition suggests it was not worn for farm work, complicating Yanagi's judgement that folk craft's beauty was always connected to its use.*
From the exhibition
Art Without Heroes - Mingei
(March - September 2024)
Art Without Heroes: Mingei is the most wide-ranging exhibition in the UK dedicated to Mingei, the influential folk-craft movement that developed in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s. With works including ceramics, woodwork, paper, toys, textiles, photography and film, the exhibition incorporates unseen pieces from significant private collections in the UK and Japan, along with museum loans and historic footage from the Mingei Film Archive.
Mingei is a term coined by the Japanese philosopher and critic Yanagi Sōetsu (1889-1961) to mean ‘the art of the people’ and ascribes cultural value and aesthetic purity to traditional craft objects, unnamed makers and a simpler way of life. The exhibition considers Mingei both as a historical moment and as a set of principles that remain relevant to contemporary craft, manufacturing and material consumerism worldwide.
Like the British Arts and Crafts movement, Mingei was a response to rapid industrialisation. Mingei developed in dialogue with the work of William Morris and his contemporaries, within a specifically Japanese context that included the strong influence of Pure Land Buddhism. The exhibition also introduces the significance of Korean, Okinawan and Ainu objects to the Mingei movement, showing how these independent cultures contributed to what tends to be seen as a quintessentially Japanese aesthetic.
Divided into three parts, the exhibition starts with the 19th-century craft objects the Mingei movement looked to for inspiration. The second part of the exhibition focuses on the origin and evolution of the Mingei movement during the 20th century. Spearheaded by Yanagi, Japanese studio potter Hamada Shōji (1894-1978) and British studio potter Bernard Leach (1887-1979), it proposed an alternative to the rise of industrialism that accompanied the modernisation of Japanese society. Together Yanagi, Hamada and Leach, who described themselves as the ‘three musketeers’, championed the Mingei ideals of ‘art without heroes’, true beauty and traditional craft skills, leading a revival of interest in folk crafts.
The final section of the exhibition considers 21st-century iterations of the Mingei movement and modern re-interpretations of its core values. It shows how the term ‘Mingei’ has been reinterpreted and reclaimed by contemporary artists, including work by Theaster Gates which explores the spiritual and artistic dialogue between Black and Japanese craft traditions, a key concern of his practice.
[*William Morris Gallery]
Taken at the William Morris Gallery
unrecorded maker, Ōbori kiln, Fukushima Prefecture
glazed stoneware
This distinctive painted horse decoration is typical of Ōbori sōmaware. Originally made in the 17th century as pottery for the feudal lords of the Sōma domain, by the 19th century it had become popular amongst the local people. The left-facing horse motif is a symbol of good luck in Japan.*
From the exhibition
Art Without Heroes - Mingei
(March - September 2024)
Art Without Heroes: Mingei is the most wide-ranging exhibition in the UK dedicated to Mingei, the influential folk-craft movement that developed in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s. With works including ceramics, woodwork, paper, toys, textiles, photography and film, the exhibition incorporates unseen pieces from significant private collections in the UK and Japan, along with museum loans and historic footage from the Mingei Film Archive.
Mingei is a term coined by the Japanese philosopher and critic Yanagi Sōetsu (1889-1961) to mean ‘the art of the people’ and ascribes cultural value and aesthetic purity to traditional craft objects, unnamed makers and a simpler way of life. The exhibition considers Mingei both as a historical moment and as a set of principles that remain relevant to contemporary craft, manufacturing and material consumerism worldwide.
Like the British Arts and Crafts movement, Mingei was a response to rapid industrialisation. Mingei developed in dialogue with the work of William Morris and his contemporaries, within a specifically Japanese context that included the strong influence of Pure Land Buddhism. The exhibition also introduces the significance of Korean, Okinawan and Ainu objects to the Mingei movement, showing how these independent cultures contributed to what tends to be seen as a quintessentially Japanese aesthetic.
Divided into three parts, the exhibition starts with the 19th-century craft objects the Mingei movement looked to for inspiration. The second part of the exhibition focuses on the origin and evolution of the Mingei movement during the 20th century. Spearheaded by Yanagi, Japanese studio potter Hamada Shōji (1894-1978) and British studio potter Bernard Leach (1887-1979), it proposed an alternative to the rise of industrialism that accompanied the modernisation of Japanese society. Together Yanagi, Hamada and Leach, who described themselves as the ‘three musketeers’, championed the Mingei ideals of ‘art without heroes’, true beauty and traditional craft skills, leading a revival of interest in folk crafts.
The final section of the exhibition considers 21st-century iterations of the Mingei movement and modern re-interpretations of its core values. It shows how the term ‘Mingei’ has been reinterpreted and reclaimed by contemporary artists, including work by Theaster Gates which explores the spiritual and artistic dialogue between Black and Japanese craft traditions, a key concern of his practice.
[*William Morris Gallery]
Taken at the William Morris Gallery
Attus (robe), late C19th early C20th
unrecorded maker, Hokkaido Prefecture
elm fibre and cotton
Attus are Ainu clothing woven from the fibres of atni (Manchurian elm) and other trees. In the spring there is lots of water stored inside the tree, making it easy to cleanly peel the bark. This peeled bark is then boiled or left to sit in a hot spring until the fibres become soft and can be turned into thread. At first the fabric is stiff, but becomes softer with use, shaping itself to the wearer. There are other types of Ainu clothing besides attus, including items made from cotton, meaning there are many types of authentic clothing besides those made from bark.*
From the exhibition
Art Without Heroes - Mingei
(March - September 2024)
Art Without Heroes: Mingei is the most wide-ranging exhibition in the UK dedicated to Mingei, the influential folk-craft movement that developed in Japan in the 1920s and 1930s. With works including ceramics, woodwork, paper, toys, textiles, photography and film, the exhibition incorporates unseen pieces from significant private collections in the UK and Japan, along with museum loans and historic footage from the Mingei Film Archive.
Mingei is a term coined by the Japanese philosopher and critic Yanagi Sōetsu (1889-1961) to mean ‘the art of the people’ and ascribes cultural value and aesthetic purity to traditional craft objects, unnamed makers and a simpler way of life. The exhibition considers Mingei both as a historical moment and as a set of principles that remain relevant to contemporary craft, manufacturing and material consumerism worldwide.
Like the British Arts and Crafts movement, Mingei was a response to rapid industrialisation. Mingei developed in dialogue with the work of William Morris and his contemporaries, within a specifically Japanese context that included the strong influence of Pure Land Buddhism. The exhibition also introduces the significance of Korean, Okinawan and Ainu objects to the Mingei movement, showing how these independent cultures contributed to what tends to be seen as a quintessentially Japanese aesthetic.
Divided into three parts, the exhibition starts with the 19th-century craft objects the Mingei movement looked to for inspiration. The second part of the exhibition focuses on the origin and evolution of the Mingei movement during the 20th century. Spearheaded by Yanagi, Japanese studio potter Hamada Shōji (1894-1978) and British studio potter Bernard Leach (1887-1979), it proposed an alternative to the rise of industrialism that accompanied the modernisation of Japanese society. Together Yanagi, Hamada and Leach, who described themselves as the ‘three musketeers’, championed the Mingei ideals of ‘art without heroes’, true beauty and traditional craft skills, leading a revival of interest in folk crafts.
The final section of the exhibition considers 21st-century iterations of the Mingei movement and modern re-interpretations of its core values. It shows how the term ‘Mingei’ has been reinterpreted and reclaimed by contemporary artists, including work by Theaster Gates which explores the spiritual and artistic dialogue between Black and Japanese craft traditions, a key concern of his practice.
[*William Morris Gallery]
Taken at the William Morris Gallery