The history of art, design and fashion includes quite a few creative minds who injected in their works, clothes and accessories Oriental moods and who were particularly inspired by Japan. Yet the influence was mutual and throughout history there were continuous exchanges between Japan and the West.
In Autumn the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris will celebrate this connection in the event "Japon - Japonismes, 1867-2018" (15th November 2018 - 3rd March 2019) that will include 1,500 works - from objects of art and design to fashion creations, graphic art and photographs.
Since its foundation in 1864, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs has been preserving and presenting Japanese art in France: in 1869, the institution organised the first major exhibition of Oriental and Japanese art and, around the same time, during the Meiji era, Japan opened to the West.
As the decades passed, the museum kept on acquiring and exhibiting further pieces that have allowed visitors from all over the world to admire delicate lacquers and discover more about the Japanese techniques behind textiles, prints, porcelain pieces, sandstone and metal works."Japon - Japonismes, 1867-2018" will occupy three levels of the Rohan wing of the museum and will be divided into five themes - actors of discovery, nature, time, movement and innovation - with settings designed by Sou Fujimoto, who represents a new generation of minimalist Japanese architects.
The first section constitutes an introduction to Japanese art and to the role of World Expositions in the transmission of the Japanese culture from 1867: travellers and merchants such as Henri Cernuschi, Émile Guimet, Hugues Krafft, Siegfried Bing, Florine Langweil or Hayashi Tadamasa contributed to bring a variety of objects all over Europe, from lacquers and ceramics to prints, baskets, combs, textiles, kimonos, wallpapers and katagami stencils.
The "Nature" section is conceived as a source for flora and fauna inspirations for many Japanese and Western artists, while "Time" is partially related to the natural theme since it looks at the rhythms of the seasons, but also at traditions during the Edo period (1603-1868) with a focus on everyday life and uses, such as the ceremony of the tea, incense and calligraphy or contemplation and spirituality. "Movement" is the section dedicated to the fans of the performing arts as it looks at costumes and masks in theatre and sumo, while offering the chance to explore interior design pieces such as Sori Yanagi's "Butterfly Stool", a furniture piece with the dynamism and agility of a butterfly, and Charlotte Perriand's iconic bamboo chaise longue.
The journey ends with the "innovations" section that illustrates the end of the 19th century with traditional techniques adapted to our times to produce more unique pieces. This last part summons the big names (from Japan or inspired by Japan) in the history of fashion from the 20th and 21st centuries - from Madeleine Vionnet to Junya Watanabe via Paul Poiret, from Issey Miyake and Junko Koshino to Comme des Garçons and John Galliano.
Besides, the exhibition will offer the opportunity to compare and analyse differences and similarities in the works of Japanese and French artists and designers, among them Hokusaï, Emile Gallé, René Lalique, Shiro Kuramata, and Ikkō Tanaka (the exhibition will feature the 2016 capsule collection by Issey Miyake featuring Tanaka's works).
As a bonus visitors will also be able to discover the works of seven French craftsmen who participated in the exhibition "Wonder Lab", presented at the Tokyo National Museum in 2017 - Jean Girel, Michel Heurtault, Sylvain Le Guen, Laurent Nogues, François-Xavier Richard, Pietro Seminelli and Nelly Saunier.
Image credits for this post
1. Issey Miyake, Ikko Tanaka, Série n°1 - 1, 2018 © Issey Miyake INC. / photo Françis Giacobetti
2. Sori Yanagi, Butterfly stool, Japan, Manufactured by Tendo Mokko Tokyo, Édition Steph Simon, 1956, Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD Paris / photo Jean Tholance
3. Oki Sato, Cabbage seat, Nendo Editions, Japan, 2008, Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD Paris / photo Jean Tholance
4. Chiyogami, Decorated paper, Japan, 19th century, Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD Paris / photo Jean Tholance
5. Ando Hiroshigé, "The Temple of Rinzyuzan in Asakusa", print, Japan, 1856, Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD Paris / photo Jean Tholance
6. Charles Boutet de Monvel, Crane, belt buckle, France, 1900-1903, Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD Paris / photo Jean Tholance
7. Charlotte Perriand, Rocking lounge chair, Japan, 1940, Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD Paris / photo Jean Tholance, Adagp, Paris, 2018
8. François-Eugène Rousseau, "Mont Fuji", vase, Paris, circa 1884, Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD Paris / photo Jean Tholance
9. Armour Robe, Japan, Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD Paris / photo Jean Tholance
10. Genlis & Rudhard, Vase, Paris, circa 1863, Musée des Arts Décoratifs © MAD Paris / photo Jean Tholance
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