Introduction

Yūkei, like much Japanese, travels obliquely into the West. Dictionaries point to a mysterious, secluded and personal path. The word echoes with connotations of little-traveled tracks through deep mountains. To follow these alters the rhythms of daily life and brings the unexpected. The word eludes an easy equivalent in English. Nonetheless, it speaks to the surprising experiences which deepen life, and our own reflective paths.

This, our sixth catalogue, wanders across many provinces of Japanese art. From Buddhist stone and Shintō sculpture, we turn to some medieval ceramics with volcanic, natural ash glaze effects. The exuberance of 16th and early 17th century, Momoyama period design brings us to Edo period earthenware. Imaginative and amazingly abstract, this pottery echoes with spontaneous and playful qualities that remain fresh today. Also from the Edo period, we illustrate rare pieces of metalwork, lacquer, and wood. Though seldom seen, the best Japanese furniture opens our eyes to the architectural elegance with which it was made. With a handful of Ainu textiles, we touch on one of the world’s great folk and design traditions. Again, we bring you some ornaments for tea, before returning to the great tide of Japanese modernism at the end of the 19th through the 20th century.

Japanese artists approached the modern era with fresh optimism. As with traditional Japanese art, their work from the past century continues to celebrate the natural world. As such, it implicitly brings us into relationship with a wider universe. Japanese craftsmanship remains unrivaled, in itself a kind of homage to the beauties of nature and a link between the human and the natural. As these artists explore abstraction, their work increases our feeling for the mystery and wonder of the place in which we live.

Like our earlier catalogues, Yūkei forms a visual miscellany of Japanese art. The forward portion consists of images, arranged in rough chronological order. However, the progression favors a conversation between pieces, so the time periods seem at points less important than the way certain objects speak to one another. At the back of the book you will find descriptive information on particular art works, along with information on public exhibitions sponsored by the Japanese government, and a bibliography.

Japanese art continues to surprise us and deepen our lives after more than a quarter of a century. We hope our idiosyncratic paths through this tradition likewise bring joy and light to you.