Exhibition Talk: Hidden Beauty in Edo Design May 13, 2008

Late-Edo-period design in both textiles and lacquerware is distinguished by a penchant for near-invisible tiny details and minutely worked techniques that situate value in time and skill rather than precious materials. This panel discusses the philosophical and practical background to iki -- an understated aesthetic that characterizes much of Shibata Zeshin's work -- and examines the beauty of hidden design in Japanese and Western culture.