 Arts of Japan
Japanese arts evolving through practices very different from occidental traditions have an enduring fascination for westerners. Three experts examine the exquisite arts of the kimono and Japanese prints and the military arts of the Samurai.
Sumptuous Silks: Japanese kimono from 1600 to present day
Wednesday 6 April
Japan has a very rich textile history, the major focus of artistic expression being the kimono. We examine the style, decoration and social significance of the luxury garments created during the Edo Period (1615-1868), when a highly fashion-conscious consumer society developed and consider the status of kimono in Japan today
Anna Jackson, the V&A.
Playful Transformations in ‘Floating World’ Prints
Wednesday 13 April
Woodblock prints of bold actors and warriors, majestic landscapes, passionate woman, represent one of the glories of the Edo period. Western eyes see the immediate image but artists worked under political constraints producing images with veiled references to circumvent the censors
Lecturer: Ellis Tinios author of Japanese Prints: Ukiyo-e in Edo 1700-1900
The Art of War; the Arts of Peace
Wednesday 20 April
Many myths have grown around the samurai, Japan’s warrior class. This talk, illustrated with images of their armour and swords, will show how the class evolved into an aristocratic military government which ruled Japan for almost 700 years. We will also see their influence on the production of metalwork, ceramics and lacquerware as well as their patronage of the Noh theatre and Tea Ceremony.
Lecturer: Gregory Irvine the V&A
10.30-11.30 in the Linbury Room
Series of 3 £25 (£20 Friends) Single lecture £10 (£8 Friends). Coffee afterwards
|
