Japanese art encompasses the painting, sculpture, ceramics, lacquer, metalwork, textiles, prints and other crafts produced in Japan over many centuries. It is admired for its refinement, attention to natural forms, technical brilliance and the close relationship between fine and decorative arts.
Key traditions include ink and colour painting on scrolls and screens, the woodblock prints of the ukiyo-e school by artists such as Hokusai and Hiroshige, Buddhist sculpture, porcelain from Arita including Imari and Kakiemon wares, Satsuma earthenware, lacquer with gold maki-e decoration, and carved netsuke and inro. When Japan reopened to the West in the 1850s and 1860s, and especially during the Meiji period, a flood of Japanese goods reached Europe and America through trade and international exhibitions. Much was made specifically for export, including elaborate bronzes, cloisonné enamels, ivories and decorated ceramics. Collectors look for quality of workmanship, signatures and marks, and good condition, bearing in mind that later copies and pieces with misleading marks are common. Japanese art sits comfortably in Western interiors and played a major role in shaping the Aesthetic movement.
