Monday, July 9, 2018

Pretty Pictures With Japanese Cloisonne

By Dennis Graham


There are some things in the world that are unique to humanity. While it is often thought that things like murder and homosexuality are exclusively human, they are not. But what is exclusively human is art. Now, there are billions of people who are moving about the planet. These people are divided geographically. Now, this division has fostered unique cultures. Given that art is unique to humanity and that culture makes humans distinct from each other, it follows then that the way art is expressed will differ from one culture to another, like Japanese cloisonne.

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.

In the Meiji period, the samurai class, once proud and noble, was way down on its luck. Many of them were forced to subsist on a meager government income, a far cry from being among the most respected in their societies, serving at the pleasure of their lords and vassals. While many of them realized that their pay was not going to be enough, only one of them decided to do something about through artistic expression. That one samurai took some china that came from China and then disassembled it, finding out how it was made and in essence, reverse engineering the whole process. They were then able to produce a small dish of their own making.

Cloisonne has a singular use. That would be to make things pretty. Admittedly, a lot of the things that is applied on are well enough without it. It is not as if having pretty flowers on a plate makes the food any more delicious. No, the food will still taster the same. But at least the plate will be prettier.

It is life a coloring book. First, thin wires are used to create the outlines. Then enamel paste is applied for color. Then the whole thing is hit with a little bit of heat then with some polish to make all shiny and pretty.

There is still some use for it in the modern day. First of all, the process is timeless. Simply painting things straight on an empty canvas like a jar is all well and good, but there is far less care taken into it. Now, the cloisonne process, while taking a little longer, is also going to a cut above.

The materials involved should be easily obtained. The first would be the canvass, so to speak, which is to be made of copper. Then there is the wiring. The last thing will be the enamel paste, in order to facilitate the application of color.

Patience is a virtue. Since this can take time, an artist needs to have a clear schedule. They also need the patience to get through it without blowing a gasket.

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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