GOLD, (H) 15 CM. PHOTO: COURTESY OF SANNENKAZA MUSEUM – TAASA Review June 2022

of art were produced for the art exhibitions and Japanese artists garnered international prestige by taking prizes.

The international exhibitions showcased the very best of Japanese decorative art, and the imperative of international competition stimulated artists to extraordinary new creative work. Much of the export work was designed for Western taste, producing designs and objects unlike anything made for the Japanese market, and traditional wares were modified for Western needs: tea cups for export required handles; scroll paintings and embroideries were mounted as screens.

Some techniques were applied to totally new forms: ceramic art, metal work and cloisonne was fashioned into flat panels to be hung as ‘pictures’; metal workers, wood and ivory carvers created okimono, small sculptures for display...