Teeutensilien - Dokumentarfilme zum japanischen Kunsthandwerk

The Art of Kakutani Ikkei
茶の湯釜-角谷一圭のわざ- Cha no yugama - Kakutani Ikkei no waza -

Director: KURAMOTO Shinobu
1983, 30 minutes, English & Japanese, DVD

The kettle is an indispensable part of the Japanese tea ceremony. The "Living National Treasure" Kakutani Ikkei demonstrates in detail the process of creating a kettle decorated with an elegant horse motif.

Setoguro, The Art of Kato Kozo
瀬戸黒-加藤孝造のわざ- Setoguro - Katô Kôzô no waza -

Director: MARUYAMA Masami
2013, 37 minutes, English, DVD

The history of the creation of black ceramic Seto tea bowls can be traced back to the second half of the 16th century. Following tradition, the "Living National Treasure" Katô Kôzô uses semi-underground kilns.

Functionality and beauty

Documentaries on Japanese arts and crafts

Japanese handicrafts are unique and are valued internationally for their functionality, perfection and beauty. Its production methods are characterized by high precision and craftsmanship, which have often been developed over centuries and passed on to subsequent generations.

Accompanying the exhibition "Japanese Happiness", 20 documentaries will be shown that were created between 1971 and 2019 and provide an insight into various areas of Japanese arts and crafts. On the one hand, they are dedicated to various materials such as paper, bamboo, wood, lacquer, metal and textiles, while on the other they present decorative techniques such as maki-e, yûzen and local characteristics.

What is particularly impressive is that the individual areas are presented using the example of outstanding personalities who have rendered outstanding services to the arts and crafts. These masters, including two women, were honored by the Japanese state with the designation "Living National Treasure" (Ningen kokuhô) for their outstanding ability to continue and preserve a traditional craft. This vividly illustrates the technical and creative skills required and the great effort needed to achieve a satisfactory result.