Message #46131

[Joey Silver / Si Zhouyi 義周司]

Dear Adrian,
 
     You've now given me, and others on the Forum, the start to a serious education in Lacquer production!     I'm impressed. 
   
     And I agree with you, that to me personally,  Japanese lacquer ware is much superior to Chinese, at least in design. I love the space on Japanese wares, while Chinese tend to display a 'horror vacui' ["fear of open space"] type of design.

    Luckily, George is not a fanatic, so we are safe.

    But does all you've wriiten also apply to Chinese lacquer, or just Japanese?  What I mean is, was there no way to do finer work available to the Chinese artisans? I ask this for a specific reason.

    I've the privilege to be friendly with a couple in Japan who live within 1 hr. drive from Kyoto who are both craftspeople. He is an acomplished potter and she is an equally successful hand-weaver, at least in my opinion. I have purchased a lot of his beautiful B & W porcelain, mainly tea-ware, but also other objects; and I enjoy wearing a beautiful handwoven scarf by her.

    When I asked certain questions dealing with technique, they both had certain things they were able to do, but would not do, because these 'shorcuts' or 'timesaving acts' were unacceptable in Japanese craft producing. Their colleagues would have been offended, so my friends would not go against 'accepted Japanese craft practice'.

   While as a rule I respect Japanese craftspeople's loyalty to tradition etc, I am not hidebound, and I'd reckon, neither would the Chinese craftsmen have been.

   Best,
Joey