luni, 9 iulie 2018

The Finer Points Of Japanese Cloisonne

By Dennis Graham


Artistic expression is a cornerstone of humanity. The ability to look at the world and capture the beauty of it is something that is uniquely human. Now, given the sheer number of people out and about in the world, it would only make sense that each culture has its own way of expressing their own artistic visions, and Japanese Cloisonne is just one of them.

Cloisonne is a method for applying art. While the actual terminology has etymological roots in France, the practical examples that most people will think of are anything but. Most of them are East Asian in origin, coming from countries like China and yes, Japan.

Its history in Japan begins in the Meiji era. Back then, the samurai, formerly members of the ruling class akin to the knights of Europe, had fallen far from its pedestal. Many of them were living from paycheck to paycheck, literally since most of their income was a meager subsidy. But one of them decided to do it, through artistic methods. So that samurai then grabbed some enamel from China, and then took the whole thing apart, learning the means through which it was fabricated. Then that samurai started making things of their own and teaching others, leading a boom in the industry and for the country to become a top exporter when it reopened to outside trade less than two decades later.

The thing, there really are not that many practical functions for cloisonne. The fact is that art itself is not very practical. Art does not lend itself well to practicality. But still, the world without it would be nothing short of dull. So it makes the world a little less dull, puts a little bit more color in life.

The way it is done is fairly simple. First, fine wires must be applied in order to lay out the area to be decorated. Then enamel paste is applied on to the designated areas, almost in the same manner as a child would color in a coloring book. Once that is done, the whole thing is heated and then subsequently polished.

There are still ways for it to be used in the modern day. For example, since the process can be very time consuming, it can be therapeutic. Any person who engages in it is going to have to block the whole world out and focus on it completely.

There are going to be some supplies that are needed. First will be the copper bowl or dish or plate or jar. Then some wires. Then some enamel, because the whole thing needs some coloring otherwise there would be no point to it.

There is going to be quite a bit of time expended on the activity. Anyone who wants to do this needs to be sure. Because it will not get done in a matter of seconds. It will take quite a while.

The thing about human beings is that they are likely the only animal capable of significant abstract thought. They sure as hell are the only animal capable of creating art. The fact is, even when the species as a whole was still in its relative infancy, it was still creating and appreciating art. Paintings scrawled on the walls of cave prove that, as does hollowed out bones that served as rudimentary flutes. Given all that evidence, it can be rightly inferred that man has appreciated the arts for at least a few thousand generations before the modern era.




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