 |
 |
Detail, tea bowl
|
|
|
Through November 8, 2009 (Closed May 11-22, 2009 for rotation of light-sensitive works.)
Freer Gallery of Art |
|
Clay vessels are remarkably durable, yet they are vulnerable to breakage if mishandled or dropped. Japanese craftsmen created a unique method of mending ceramics. They drew on the longstanding practice of using the plant resin lacquer as an adhesive to rejoin broken ceramics but transformed the appearance of the repair by sprinkling the lacquer with powdered gold, thus creating a new component for appreciation. "Gold" lacquer repairs became closely associated with ceramic utensils used for tea (chanoyu). This small exhibition presents thirteen ceramics from China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan mended and enhanced by this distinctive Japanese technique.
|
|
|
More Japanese Art
• Contemporary Japanese Porcelain
• Japanese Screens
• Moonlight and Clouds
Japanese Art in Our Collections
|
|
