{"id":18,"date":"2017-11-09T16:08:23","date_gmt":"2017-11-09T21:08:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/18w-japn-025-kyoto\/?page_id=18"},"modified":"2018-01-26T06:37:45","modified_gmt":"2018-01-26T11:37:45","slug":"craftsman","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/18w-japn-025-kyoto\/craftsman\/","title":{"rendered":"Way of Life as a Craftsman"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u8077\u4eba\u3068\u3044\u3046\u751f\u304d\u65b9<\/h2>\n<p>4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Buddhist statues sculptor, Mr. Gaky\u00fb Miyamoto \u5bae\u672c\u6211\u4f11<\/p>\n<p>5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Noh mask maker, Mr. \u00d4tsuki K\u00f4kun \u5927\u6708\u5149\u52f2<\/p>\n<p>6)\u00a0 Noh costume maker, \u4f50\u3005\u6728\u80fd\u88c5\u675f\u5e97 Sasaki Noh Costume Studio<\/p>\n<p>Interests\/Motivations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The mechanics of each craft<\/li>\n<li>The circumstances\/context in which these craftsmen have worked over time<\/li>\n<li>How each one attempts to balance tradition and modernity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Buddhist Statuary &#8212; History<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Buddhist statuary was introduced to Japan around the 7th century. Prior to this time, Buddhism had roots in China, Korea, and India, its spiritual birthplace, and Japanese statuary was simple in its depiction of <i>kami<\/i>, Japanese deities worshipped throughout the country, and its terra-cotta material. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">From this point of origin, Buddhist statuary grew increasingly common as the religion expanded its influence within Japan. Government officials, military officers, Buddhist priests, and elite patrons (many of whom fit within many of these categories) commissioned these statues in a variety of materials and sizes. Those in charge of making them were typically involved in the construction of a temple until the <i>busshi<\/i>, or Buddha statue sculptor, became an officially recognized term and practice. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The 8th and 13th centuries are seen as the golden ages of Buddhist statuary. During these times, the art of sculpting Buddhas developed in terms of style and difficulty, aided by government backing. The extant works from the former period are classified as \u201cTempyo sculpture,\u201d notable for their clay and dry-lacquered forms, while those of the latter are called \u201cKamakura sculpture,\u201d known for their consistency and quality achieved by the likes of Unkei Busshi. Four factors engendered the second golden age in particular: the culture promoted by the military administration, the increased demand for Buddha statues because of Buddhist temple construction, the inspiration coming from extant 8th-century sculptures in Nara, and the influence of Sung Dynasty statuary. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The 14th-century Muromachi period marked the gradual decline of Buddhist statuary, for the ruling military administration (samurai) favored Noh and sculpted portraits of priests, two artistic practices institutionally and financially backed at the expense of <i>busshi<\/i> nationwide. In modern times, these craftsmen face an additional hurdle: the lower numbers of Japanese who practice Buddhism, which has caused the closure or the adaptation of thousands of temples today.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Noh Masks &#8212; History\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The exact origin of Noh masks is undecided among scholars, but there are two theories that are generally accepted. One theory is that Noh masks originated from folk masks in the early 14th century. The other theory is that both Noh masks and folk masks originated from an unknown mask in the early 14th century. Scholars have divided the creation of Noh masks that we know today into three periods: formation period (early 14th century &#8211; mid 16th century), refinement period (mid 16th century &#8211; mid 17th century), and retrospection (mid 17th century &#8211; 1868).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the formation period, the different classes of Noh masks were created. These classes are Okina, Kishin, jo, young man, woman, and onryo. The refinement period is when the honmen (exemplary masks) were made. These masks are considered the best masks that were made. The retrospection period was focused on carving utsushi (replicas of honmen), and very few new types of masks were made. Noh mask carving was halted by the Meij<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">i restoration that began in 1868.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Noh Costumes &#8212; History<\/p>\n<p>Noh plays did not use specialized costumes in its beginnings in the 14th century. Instead, it used everyday samurai costumes due to its close ties with the samurai. In the 15th century, a few Noh specific costumes arose, such as maiginu robes, which is used for goddesses. In the late 16th century, the elite samurai class began wearing clothing with more extravagant weaving and bolder designs. The Noh costumes followed the same trend with the use of vibrant textiles such as karaori, which is mainly used for women&#8217;s roles. These types of clothing persisted in Noh even when the elite samurai class did not use them anymore. Noh plays became officially supported by the government in the Edo period (1615-1868) by the Tokugawa Shogunate. With the support of the elite class of Japan, the volume of Noh costume production increased, and they became even more extravagant. Many costumes incorporated gold in their designs as a result of Noh&#8217;s close ties with the elite class.<\/p>\n<p>Noh costumes consist of a few components. The outer robes are divided into wide-sleeved robes (osode) and short-sleeved robes (kosode). They also have inner robe, trouser (hakama), wig, and sash components. Other accessories, such as neck pieces, are also included in some roles.<\/p>\n<p>Presentation Script:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 1: Kyoto: Ways of Life as Craftsmen<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">C: Hi, my name is CJ Salapare.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">S: And my name is Si Hou Lon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">C: Today, we\u2019re going to be discussing our exploration of the way of life as a craftsman, with emphasis on Zen Buddhism and Noh plays. During our stay, we met with three craftsmen in particular: Gakyu Miyamoto, a Buddhist statue sculptor, Ohtsuki Kokun, a Noh mask maker, and Sasaki Yoji, a Noh costume maker. All three showed us what they\u2019ve devoted their lives to produce and how they\u2019ve done so, the in-person nature of which radically altered how the both of us now perceive these three crafts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 2: Pre-Kyoto Questions<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">C: Before embarking on this trip, we had to familiarize ourselves with the three practices we would see in person within a couple days\u2019 time. During this process, we developed a series of questions we wanted to explore, with some questions pertaining to artistic issues and others tapping into larger cultural concerns:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What is the importance of tradition? Is modernity always good?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In what order do we place conceptions of labor within a hierarchy of cultural value? <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What does it mean to be an artisan\/craftsmen? Are they artists?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tradition and modernity: are they mutually exclusive or dependent? <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 3: Gakyu Miyamoto &#8212; January 16, 2018 (Miyamoto-sensei) <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">S: The first artisan we met was Gakyu Miyamoto, the Buddha statue sculptor whose beautiful works you might have seen around this building, Terminal Kyoto. We had looked up his works in Williamstown and were already amazed, but his photos did not do these sculptures justice. Before elaborating upon his works, Miyamoto-sensei delved into his carving process, which you see pictured. Various blocks of cypress will be gradually chipped away until they become something like\u2026 (turn to next slide)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 4: Conventional Buddha pictures <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">S: These Buddha sculptures, many of which are exhibited mere meters away. They are highly stylized, influenced by traditional guidelines, as noted in the hand gestures and body position, among other factors. We were engrossed by his anecdotes of creating each statue, but more immediately, by the experience of being so close from each carved feature. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 5: Unconventional Buddha pictures <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">S: Miyamoto-sensei told us about how he had been studying fashion design before dropping everything to become a busshi, or Buddhist statue sculptor, and honing his craft without distraction for the next nine years. After learning the basics, he realized he could play around with his statuary, specifically with that of the Daruma. We fawned over the balance achieved between craftsmanship and contemporary sensibility &#8212; sculptures that are cute yet solemn, and playful but also spiritual.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 6: Miscellaneous <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">S: On top of these Buddha statues, Miyamoto-sensei also carves other unrelated works, like the mirror stand on the left. It is representative of the clouds, turning the mirror into either the moon or sun. He even creates personally significant statues, like the hybrid of Kannon and St. Mary that sits upon a hand, which he gave to his wife for their engagement. We all swooned! Over the course of our session, we felt a deep connection with the works on display but also with the sculptor responsible for creating them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 7: Ohtsuki Kokun<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">C: A couple days later, we visited Ohtsuki Kokun, one of the city\u2019s most esteemed Noh mask makers. Like Miyamoto-sensei, Kokun-sensei was eager to show us his carving process, as seen here, which consists of wood carved, covered with gesso, and then painted. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 8: Other masks<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">C: We had read a lot about the interplay of light on Noh masks and their subtlety of expression pre-Japan. However, it was a tad disappointing watching the performance and having neither the eye nor attention to focus on it intently. However, we were able to see this at play within Kokun-sensei\u2019s studio. The photo on the left shows various masks of young women in different emotional states, while the right is of demonic beings. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 9: Different <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">C: To the right are some Kyogen masks of foxes, but what really struck us were the new masks he has been working on, which are either fresh interpretations of Noh masks or ones for entirely new plays that he is writing. The right photo shows a mask of a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">spirit<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> who is ostensibly innocent but is more malicious than perceived &#8212; her face is rendered in mosaic form, so that it shifts from a Pointilist-esque composition to something more sinister. Seeing this degree of creativity in a practice that is so rigidly defined was honestly refreshing to us. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 10: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">S: The Noh costume maker Sasaki Yoji was the last artisan whom we met. He is a part of a family enterprise, the history of which was evident in the facility in Nishijin. To the right are some of the sumptuous fabrics that have come out of this remarkable place, which feels like you are transported back in time. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 11: Looms<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">S: We were blown away by how time and history could be so palpable, from the looms that have been used for over a hundred years (and are still going strong) to the punchcard system for weaving individual threads into patterns. Everything about it was steeped in the continuity of tradition, reinforced by the younger employee present among all his elderly counterparts. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 12: More Looms<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">S: Seeing each individual thread woven in time and time again until a rhythm was achieved was oddly relaxing and mind-blowing. It\u2019s a painstaking task, but one that certainly reaps a bountiful reward, albeit not in the conventional sense of profit. We\u2019d like to think that the contribution to extending tradition is priceless in value. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 13: Did we find any answers?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">C: After visiting all three artisans, our conceptions of their work were founded upon real-life encounters instead of only scholarly articles and books. We felt that we made headway in the questions we posed before departure: we\u2019ve grown to see tradition as a fundamental foundation or framework for any form of culture, but that modernity necessitates new approaches. One fact is clear: stagnancy is an equivalent for decay. Thus, these two forces must uneasily coexist within the practices of craftsmen but also within the larger domestic and international contexts of Japan and the world. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 14: Hierarchy of Value: Labor<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">C: One part that filled us with sadness was seeing these handcrafted works made at the hands of devoted individuals one moment, and stumbling upon factory-made and cheap reproductions at stores moments later. One great example of this is the daruma, which you see pictured twice. Does the presence of the latter reduce the value of the former? We worried that it weakened one\u2019s interest in handmade goods, which are understandably more expensive, but also thought of the potential it wields: by circulating these images, can we use them to increase the awareness and importance of these artisan practices? <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 15: What is an artisan? Can they be artists? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">S: We also discovered that the term \u201cartisan\u201d is interpreted in different ways. Miyamoto and Kokun-sensei are able to sign their works and to declare a sense of artistic ownership, whereas the various weavers at Sasaki-sensei\u2019s facility leave little trace of individuality. Their fabrics are simply commissioned, made, and sold. In a similar vein, the freedom to interpret these also varies, but all three have some space for creativity within the boundaries of tradition. Lastly, and most evocatively, we felt intimately connected with the people behind these crafts. Looking through the magnifying glass to see the complex stitching to gazing at the chisel marks on the inside of the mask was a beautiful means of interacting with another person\u2019s product of work, love, and devotion. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Slide 16: Tradition and modernity: are they mutually exclusive or dependent? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">C: Our final question is one that we are still ruminating about at this time of speaking, and for the many years to come. Before the trip, we were of the mind that modernity simply left no room for tradition &#8212; the latter had to go. After meeting with these craftsmen, we realized that these forces are not necessarily opposed&#8211;from hearing about new treatments of old materials, to seeing a young face within a profession of elderly masters, the coexistence of old and new, and traditional and modern is evident within the craftsman\u2019s studio. Step outside and you will see it wherever you go: there are the temples that have vending machines, and the concrete buildings that surround their roof-tiled walls. Tradition is everywhere in this city that we\u2019ve had the privilege to know intimately. There\u2019s a reason why Kyoto is known as the cultural capital of Japan: in its balance of these two forces, it feels so wonderfully alive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sources:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Denney, Joyce. \u201cNoh Costume.\u201d In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000\u2013.<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/toah\/hd\/nohc\/hd_nohc.html\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">http:\/\/www.metmuseum.org\/toah\/hd\/nohc\/hd_nohc.html<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (December 2008)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Elisseeff, Danielle, and Vadime Elisseeff. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Art of Japan<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. H.N. Abrams, 1985.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">http:\/\/gakyu.jp\/english.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Karetzky, Patricia. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Early Buddhist Narrative Art: Illustrations of the Life of the Buddha from Central Asia to China, Korea, and Japan<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. University Press of America, 2000.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Krishan, Y., and Kalpana K. Tadikonda. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Buddha Image: Its Origin and Development<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, 2012.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marvin, Stephen E. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Heaven Has a Face, so Does Hell: The Art of the Noh Mask<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Vol. 1, Floating World Editions, 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pulvers, Solrun H. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Noh Mask and the Mask Making Tradition<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Australian National University, 1978. &lt;https:\/\/openresearchrepository.anu.edu.au\/bitstream\/1885\/116909\/2\/<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">b1224871x_Pulvers_Solrun_Hoaas.pdf&gt;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Manzo, Nomura. \u201cMask Making.\u201d <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Noh and Kyogen Masks and Performance<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, edited by Thomas Leabhart, Mime Journal, 1984, 171-176.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Takeda, Sharon Sadako., et al. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Miracles &amp; Mischief: Noh and Kyogen Theater in Japan<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2003.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tanaka, Kanoko. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Absence of the Buddha Image in Early Buddhist Art: toward Its Significance in Comparative Religion<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. D.K. Printworld, 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThoughts on More than 300 Years of Noh Costume Making.\u201d The Noh.com. Accessed January 2018. http:\/\/www.the-noh.com\/en\/people\/sasaeru\/007_yasujiro.html<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tsuda, Noritake. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ABC of Japanese Art<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Toppan Printing Company, 1937.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0\u8077\u4eba\u3068\u3044\u3046\u751f\u304d\u65b9 4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Buddhist statues sculptor, Mr. Gaky\u00fb Miyamoto \u5bae\u672c\u6211\u4f11 5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Noh mask maker, Mr. \u00d4tsuki K\u00f4kun \u5927\u6708\u5149\u52f2 6)\u00a0 Noh costume maker, \u4f50\u3005\u6728\u80fd\u88c5\u675f\u5e97 Sasaki Noh Costume Studio Interests\/Motivations: The mechanics of each craft The circumstances\/context in which these craftsmen have worked &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/18w-japn-025-kyoto\/craftsman\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-18","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/18w-japn-025-kyoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/18w-japn-025-kyoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/18w-japn-025-kyoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/18w-japn-025-kyoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/18w-japn-025-kyoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/18w-japn-025-kyoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":699,"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/18w-japn-025-kyoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18\/revisions\/699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.williams.edu\/18w-japn-025-kyoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}