Closed | Mondays |
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Hours | 10 am to 5 pm(Entrance closes 30 min. before closing) |
General admission | Adult 1100 yen, Student 800 yen |
Gallery | 1/2 |
Lacquer, urushi in Japanese, has been used since ancient times as a coating for implements and furniture used in daily life in Japan. The use of maki-e techniques to decorate lacquerware with gold began in Japan when beautifully decorated lacquerware was introduced from China during the eighth century. Maki-e lacquerware has developed into one of Japan’s iconic craft arts and is renowned worldwide.
From the middle ages on, a related tradition developed of holding lacquerware from China and the Korean peninsula (known collectively as karamono lacquerware) in particularly high regard. Rare and precious examples of karamono made using techniques such as raden mother-of-pearl inlay, chōshitsu carved lacquer, and zonsei colored lacquer now, moreover, survive only in Japan.
This exhibition provides straightforward explanations of the history, techniques, and designs of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean-peninsula lacquerware. We hope visitors will enjoy this opportunity to deepen their understanding of Japan’s rich lacquerware tradition.