Recapturing the beauty of the floating world

MANILA, Philippines - One of the most fascinating periods of Japanese art is the Edo period (1603-1868), when the peace and prosperity under the Tokugawa Shogunate gave rise to the idle, transient Floating World. The novelist Asai Ryoi defines it in his 1661 novel, Ukiyo-monogatari (Tales of the Floating World): “Living only for the moment, savoring the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms and the maple leaves, singing songs, loving sake, women and poetry, letting oneself drift, buoyant and carefree, like a gourd carried along with the river current.”

It was in the entertainment and theater district of the Floating World that the urban bourgeoisie of merchants, artisans and samurai developed a very special way of life with its own distinct literature and art, which came to be known as ukiyo. Ukiyo eventually acquired a new meaning: it came to signify the elegant world of stylish pleasures. Not surprisingly, there was an increased demand for more sumptuous clothes and accessories so kimonos, lacquer-ware and other related industries flourished, producing some of the most beautiful fabrics, crafts and works of art that we can appreciate today.

The tradition of creating rich brocades has been passed on through the centuries, with Japanese women still wearing the most gorgeous kimonos and obi belts. Obis, which were often more expensive than the kimono itself because of more intricate weaves, have become welcome accessories for the home as table runners and cushions.

Accent pieces like kyosoku pillow armrests used for tea ceremonies and tatami rooms feature the painstaking urushi lacquer finish, which has been perfected through generations.

The Edo era also witnessed the creation of ukiyo-e, “pictures of the floating world,” the splendid genre painting of the bourgeoisie. A tidal wave of hedonism ushered in a cultural and artistic current of a strength equal to that of classical Japanese arts and just as quintessentially Japanese.

Initially, the subject matter was up-market, with references to literature or Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji) episodes. Thanks to the art of woodblock printing, ukiyo novels and images eventually found their way to urban citizens. Featuring heroes modeled on city dwellers, ukiyo-e celebrated the chic diversions of urban pleasure districts, the kabuki theater, festivals and travels. Although woodcuts developed their own distinctive style, it was one informed by fashion and novelty. Thriving on the latest ideas and what was in vogue, ukiyo-e possessed its own formal aesthetic and had no spiritual relationship with trends in classical painting. 

Portraits of actors were popular, a specialty of Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825), who depicted them as you would see them exactly on the performing stage. Portraits of the most accomplished courtesan were also in demand, showing off her extravagant kimonos and the latest hairstyle like a fashion model, and enjoying her leisured way of life. She was a star and her portrait, bought by avid admirers as well as those who wished they could afford her, increased the demand for her and the profits of her house. 

The Kaei era (1848-1854) witnessed the coming of many foreign merchant ships to Japan, thus bringing cultural changes that were reflected in the ukiyo-e produced during this period. Chikanobu’s collection of prints titled Shin Bijin (True Beauty) featured Japanese women with western influences in hairstyle and dress. The Meiji Restoration in 1868 further opened Japan to imports from the West, including photography and printing techniques, which caused ukiyo-e to become less fashionable. These woodblock prints, on the other hand, became a major inspiration in Europe for artists like Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Klimt and many others, who started a wave of “Japonism,” influencing the artistic movements of Impressionism and Art Nouveau.

This legacy of Edo as an art form spanning more than three centuries has traveled the world and had a profound influence on modern painting and art as we know it — a fact that makes us appreciate its significance today.

A collection of Edo and Meiji paintings, woodblock prints and objects are available at Firma, G/F Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City. Tel. 757-4009 or e-mail firma2@vasia.com.