*PLEASE NOTE THAT PARTS OF THIS SYLLABUS ARE STILL TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE

2024.1.16
みやこ

世界に通じる 京 の職⼈
Kyoto Artisans and their Worlds
KCJS, Spring 2024, Tuesdays 13:10–16:25
Instructor: Melissa Rinne
Teaching Assistant: Sumin Chou
Since its inception in 794, the ancient capital of Kyoto has been a center for Japan’s high-end
artisanal industries. Neighborhoods, and even streets, were often defined by the various guilds
that prospered throughout different parts of the city, from the famed weaving workshops ofNishijin to the hand-applied yūzen dyeing used for the finest kimono, from objects crafted for daily
life in Kyoto machiya (townhouses) to the exclusive implements made for the court, elite warriors,and practitioners of chanoyu (tea) by hereditary family workshops dating back multiple
generations. For centuries, decorative and applied arts made in “Miyako” have exemplified thepinnacle of refinement and quality.
This course will explore Kyoto‘s centuries-old artistic traditions in such areas as woven anddyed textiles, bamboo, paper, ceramics, and lacquer, through engagement with the city’s living
artists and craftspeople. In addition to learning about the production techniques used in various
artistic mediums and the intricate divisions of labor within each industry, we will look how
multigenerational businesses are reinventing themselves to meet the needs of the modern society,sometimes straddling the line between artisan and artist. When possible, we will also visit major
art exhibitions, guided by leading artists in these craft (kōgei) genres. We will also learn about
efforts to preserve traditional industries into the future.
During site visits to artist studios, workshops, and exhibitions, students will be expected
not only make careful observations but also to ask questions reflecting their understanding of thereadings, take detailed field notes, and consider approaches to the study of materials, techniques,contemporary craft, and intangible cultural heritage. Success in this class will require a high degreeof initiative and proactive participation, a commitment to doing the readings and to submitting
fieldwork reports (1000+ words per week) documenting these visits. In addition, students will be
responsible for promptly writing thank you letters to the artists visited on a rotating basis (several
letters per student per semester). Due to the size of the studios we will visit, this class will belimited to approximately ten students, chosen through essays written after the first class.
In lieu of a final exam, students will give a presentation on the research topic of theirchoice and write a final paper (approx. 2500–5000+ words) based on their own research andanalysis on a traditional industry, artistic practice, or other area of choice. Assessment will bebased on classroom participation and thank you letters (20%), fieldwork reports (40%), final
presentation (15%), and final paper (25%). Class attendance is mandatory.
In preparation for the final presentation and paper, each student must identify a particulararea of interest and engage in independent research, including some combination of interviews,
site visits, and library and web research in Japanese and English. Students should discuss theirplans for these reports with the instructor(s) as early as possible in the semester in order to jointly
consider the resources that might be available.
**This syllabus is subject to change. The class will be limited to ten students.

Schedule
CLASS 1, JANUARY 16:
Orientation Lecture and Nitten Exhibition
We will begin with an introductory lecture introducing the professors and describing the courseand expectations for students. The class will be limited to 10 students, so those who wish toparticipate will be expected to write a personal essay describing why they wish to take the class.
We will then go together to Okazaki We will then go to the nearby Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of
Art to see the Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition), a prestigious annual exhibition founded in 1907,
where contemporary artists working in traditional mediums present their work to a national
audience.
We will first be given an introduction to the Calligraphy division by calligrapher Ishizuka Atsushi,
who works as a professional calligrapher and teaches calligraphy at universities, high schools, andprivately. There we will be given a special introduction to the Crafts division by artists whose works
is being shown.
CLASS 2, JANUARY 23
Kawai Kanjiro’s House and the Kyoto National Museum
This class will focus on ceramics and the mingei (folk craft) movement, beginning with a visit to theformer home of potter, calligrapher, essayist, and designer, Kawai Kanjirō (1890–1966) for a
special look into the heart and soul of one of Japan’s most influential twentieth-century artists. We
will then follow up with a visit to the Kyoto National Museum to see examples of ceramics, textiles,
calligraphy, lacquer, painting, metalwork, and other artistic genres from premodern Japan, manyof which were made in Kyoto.
Readings/Video:*Leach, Bernard and Yanagi Soetsu. The Unknown Craftsman: A Japanese Insight into Beauty. (Theentire book is recommended, but you’re free to select readings that most interest you.)
Watch all of this video on the Kyoto National Museum in preparation for the KNM visit: “Art for
Breakfast 2022: An Insider’s Introduction to the Kyoto National Museum” (1 hr., 13 min.)https://asiasociety.org/video/art-breakfast-2022-insiders-introduction-kyoto-national-museum
Optional:*Robert Moes, Japanese Folk Art. Art Services International, 1995. Pp. 1-30.
* Richard L. Wilson, Inside Japanese Ceramics: Primer of Materials, Techniques, and Traditions.
Weatherhill, 1999
Robert Yellin’s Website with Japan Times articles: http://www.e-yakimono.net/
CLASS 3, JAN 30:
Tea Gathering at the Kyoto National Museum
For this class, we will have a specially prepared tea gathering in the tearoom Tan-an at the Kyoto
National Museum. Some of the utensils that will be used were made by artists whose studios wewill visit during this class. After a brief introduction to chanoyu, the culture of tea appreciation in
Japan, students will experience formal tea preparation inside a traditional tearoom, hosted by atea master of the Urasenke tea tradition. All students must read The Book of Tea by Okakura
Kakuzō (Tenshin) before class and come prepared to discuss it during sessions before and after thetea ceremony experience. Please dress very warmly with plenty of underlayers, as this tea
experience will take place in a traditional tearoom surrounded by garden. There may be additionaltime to finish viewing galleries in the Kyoto National Museum.

CLASS 4, FEB. 6:
LacquerIn this class, we will take an in-depth look at the world of lacquer through a visit to the Kyoto homeand studio of a leading Kyoto lacquer artist Nishimura Keikō III, whose family has been engaged inlacquering for the past century. Their studio specializes in plain, undecorated lacquers, artisans ofwhich have traditionally been known as “nurishi.” The studio has trained numerous young artisansin specific areas of lacquer making, including wood turning on a lathe and lacquering, and these
apprentices continue to work with him even after going independent. The artist, who also
produces contemporary abstract art objects, will tell us about the work of the studio and various
initiatives, including the revival of historical lacquers and planting of lacquer trees in areas aroundKyoto. We will also be able to view flower arrangements in lacquer vessels by his wife andmanager, Nishimura Yōko.
Readings:
Haino Akio, “The Momoyama Flowering; Kōdaiji and Namban Lacquer,” in James C. Y. Watt and
Barbara Brennan Ford, eds., East Asian Lacquer: The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection (NewYork, N.Y.: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1991), 163 –73.
Ann Yonemura, Japanese Lacquer. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1979), 1-106.
Handbook for the Appreciation of Japanese Traditional Crafts
https://www.nihonkogeikai.or.jp/en/urushiwork (Online publication, read “Urushi Work” chapter
carefully for vocabulary)

CLASS 5, FEBRUARY 13
Uji and Asahi Ware
For this class, students will travel to the kilns of Asahi ware (Asahiyaki), which has been producedfor over 400 years in Uji, south of Kyoto. Uji is also known as the center of tea culture in the region
around Kyoto. After hearing from the potters about the history and use of this type of ceramic,
students will have a hands on experience trying their hand at slab building, making a hand formed
tea bowl or teacup out of a slab of clay. Students’ works will be fired in the kiln by the staff and sent
back to KCJS before the end of this semester.
About Asahiyaki: https://asahiyaki.com/about.php
Readings: TBD
CLASS 6, FEBRUARY 20
From Artisan to Fiber Artist: GalleryGallery and National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto
For this class, we will first visit the Nishijin studio of Kawashima Keiko, long time director of thepioneering Kyoto fiber art space GalleryGallery (closed 2022), which was founded by artist
Kobayashi Masakazu and others, many of whom began their careers working for Kawashima
Textile Company (no relation; we will visit Kawashima Textiles in another class). She will lead a
discussion about the significance of Kyoto as a leader in the realm of fiber art in the last three
decades of the twentieth century. We will then travel to the National Museum of Modern Art
Kyoto, for a tour of the exhibition KOBAYASHI Masakazu and His Contemporaries – Beyond Fiber Art(on view until March 10) by MoMAK deputy director and chief curator Ikeda Yuko. This is a rareopportunity to learn about Kyoto textile artists who rose to the top of the international art scenefrom key individuals at the source.

Readings/Video:
Before class sure to watch the entire video “Textile Magicians,” a film by Cristobal Zanartu (56 min,1997). https://vimeo.com/139602030
The creations of five Japanese contemporary fiber artists in the cedar forests near Kyoto, Japan.
With: Masakazu Kobayashi, Chiyoko Tanaka, Jun Tomita, Naomi Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Shindo.
Winner of the JURY PRIZE at the 40th TOKYO FILM FESTIVAL, GRAND PRIX at the 20th UNESCO
FILM FESTIVAL OF FILM ON ART.
Ikeda Yuko, “Kobayashi Masakazu and Japanese Fiber Art –Between Tradition and Freedom” in
KOBAYASHI Masakazu and His Contemporaries – Beyond Fiber Art (exhibition catalogue) Kyoto:
National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, 2024, 32 –43.
CLASS 7, FEBRUARY 27
Yūzen Dyeing at Chiso; Innovative Weaving at Hosoo Textiles
Founded in 1555, Chiso is one of the oldest and most influential textile companies in Kyoto,commissioning the majority of handmade, bespoke yūzen dyed kimono produced in the ancient
capital. We will visit the Institute for Chiso Arts and Culture, founded in 2017, where we will learn
from director Kato Yuriko about the history of this company and the processes of producing yūzendyed kimono, executed with paste-resist and hand-applied or stenciled dyes, sometimes
embellished with embroidery. After that, we will visit Hosoo Textiles, founded in 1688 and now
producing contemporary textiles inspired by historical prototypes but using cutting edge
technology.
Readings:
Vivian Li and Christine Starkman, eds., Kimono Couture: The Beauty of Chiso. (Lewes, UK: GILES,
2020), 1–112.
CLASS 8, MARCH 12
Kawashima Selkon Textile Company
This class will focus on the weaving industry in Kyoto. We will visit one or two weaving companies.
One of them, Kawashima Selkon is one of the largest luxury textile companies in Kyoto. Foundedin Kyoto in 1843 and now headquartered in northern Kyoto, Kawashima Orimono was known for
producing textiles for the imperial household and for international exhibitions in the nineteenth
and early twentieth centuries. Today, it produces a range of textiles, from handwoven pattern
weave and tapestry weave obi to massive handwoven tapestry stage curtains to industrially woven
interior fabrics. The company also is in possession of a vast collection of rare Japanese historicaltextiles.
Readings*Hareven Tamara. “A World within a World” in The Silk Weavers of Kyoto; Family and Work in a
Changing Traditional Industry. (Univ of California, 2002), pp 25-50*(Optional): Rinne Melissa, “Glossary,” in Tokyo National Museum and Asahi Shimbun, eds.,
Kimono: Fashioning Identities. (Tokyo: Asahi Shimbun, 2020) p 371-375.
*(Optional): Textile glossary in When Art Became Fashion, (LACMA) for reference.
CLASS 9, MARCH 19
Kyoto Kimono Industry

For this class, we will welcome kimono producer Hara Naoki, president of Futaya. After graduatingfrom the National Defense Academy and travelling the world as a member of the Maritime SelfDefense Force, Mr. Hara recognized the power of culture and entered the Kyoto kimono industry
as a producer. He will share his experience and perspectives in a discussion with students. In
addition, he will lead us on a tour of studios of three highly specialized kimono artisans, possibly
including background dyeing (hikizome), crest making (mon norioki), and crest washing (mon arai).
The kimono industry is highly segmented by specialty, and artisans often do only one limited partof the process, cultivating their skills and expertise over years and decades. Even Kyoto residents
working in the kimono industry rarely get to visit such workshops, so this is an extremely special
opportunity for our class.
Readings:
TBD
CLASS 10, MARCH 26
BambooThis class will focus on the various uses of bamboo. We wil visit a multi-generational bamboo bow
maker to see how bows are made for the Japanese traditional martial art of kyūdō (archery). We
will then visit a traditional business in the heart of the city, which specializes in sudare blinds madefrom bamboo and reeds.
Readings:
Melissa M. Rinne, Masters of Bamboo: Artistic Lineages in the Lloyd Cotsen Japanese Basket
Collection. (San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2007) pp. 14-42, 126-139.
*Nancy Moore Bess. Bamboo in Japan. (Kodansha International, 2001) p. 15-51. Bamboo in the
Home p. 114-125, Bamboo and Martial Arts p. 182-186*Robert T. Coffland. Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Arts. Art Media Resources. Ltd., 2000. 7-15,
30-34, 48-53

CLASS 11 April 2
Karakami Block-Printed Paper
For this class we have a lecture and hands on demonstration by Sugawara Fumiha, an artist of
karakami, the mica-printed paper used for the most important fusuma sliding door panels in
traditional Japanese architecture. This will be followed by a hands-on workshop for students.
Suggested Readings:*Engel, Heinrich. The Japanese House, a Tradition for Contemporary Architecture. Tuttle, 1964. P.
410-450 + section on tools and materials passed out in class.
*Cram, Ralf Adams. Japanese Houses: A Classic Look at Japanese Architecture. Tuttle. P. 11-21, 85103, 104-114.
*General/ Optional): Kazuo Nishi and Kazuo Hozumi, What is Japanese Architecture? Kodansha
International. 1983. P. 74-7, 80-87* Background culture: Tanizaki Jun’ichiro, In Praise of Shadows.
Senda, Seiji, Erika Suzuki, Tetsuo Kikuchi, Mitsunori Suda,and Yuka Takai, "Process Analysis of
Kyo Karakami Manufacturing," in Vincent G. Duffy (Ed.), Digital Human Modeling: Applications in
Health, Safety, Ergonomics and Risk Management: Human Modeling. 6th International Conference,DHM 2015. Held as Part of HCI International 2015, Los Angeles, CA, USA, August 2–7, 2015
Proceedings, Part I. New York: Springer, 2015, 368-378.
CLASS 12 APRIL 9
Final Presentations I
CLASS 12 APRIL 16
Final Presentations II
Final papers due April 18 12:00 noon
Reference Books for Further Study
GeneralMason, Penelope. History of Japanese Art. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 1993.
Mizoguchi Saburo. Louise Cort, tr. Design Motifs. Weatherhill/,Shinbundo, 1973
Paine, Robert and Alexander Soper. The Art and Architecture of Japan. Penguin Books. 1955,1981.
The Japan Craft Forum. Japanese Crafts. Kodansha International, 2001.
Bamboo and woodBess, Nancy Moore. Bamboo in Japan. (Kodansha International, 2001.) Robert
T. Coffland. Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Arts. Art Media Resources.
Ltd., 2000.
Rinne, Melissa. Masters of Bamboo: Artistic Lineages in the Lloyd Cotsen
Japanese Basket Collection. Asian Art Museum. 2008.
Sekijima, Hisako. Basketry: Projects from Baskets to Grass Slippers. Kodansha
International. 1986.
Mertz, Mechtild, Wood and Traditional Woodworking in Japan. Kaiseisha Press, 2011.
Carpentry and architecture
Brown, S Azby.The Genius of Japanese Carpentry. Kodansha Inter. 1995.
Carver, Norman F. Japanese Folkhouses. Documan Pr Ltd. 1984/2006
Cram, Ralf Adams. Japanese Houses: A Classic Look at JapaneseArchitecture. Tuttle.
Cram, Ralf Adams. Impressions of Japanese Architecture and the Allied Arts.
Tuttle, 1982.
Engel, Heinrich. The Japanese House, a Tradition for Contemporary
Architecture. Tuttle, 1964
Kyomachiya Council. Kyoto Machiya Revitalization Project. 2011.
Ludvik, Catherine. Michiru Kanade, et al. Chūgūji Imperial Convent, Yashiro
Asano pub. 2009Roderick, John. Minka, My Farmhouse in Japan. Princeton Architectural Press,
2007.
Seike Kiyosi. The Art of Japanese Joinery, Weatherhill, 1977, 81.
Kazuo Nishi and Kazuo Hozumi. What is Japanese Architecture? A survey ofTraditional Japanese Architecture. Shokokusha pub., 1983

Papermaking and printing
Barrett, Timothy. Japanese Papermaking: Traditions, Tools, and Techniques.
Weatherhill, 1992, 2004.
Design Exchange. Karacho: Karakami Paper in Kyoto. Design Exchange, 2004.
Hunter, Dard. Papermaking: The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft.
Dover Pub, 2011
Needham, Joseph. Science and Civilization in China: Vol 5, Chemistry andChemical Technology, Part 1, Paper and Printing. Cambridge University Press,
1985.
TextilesKyoto Shoin’s Art Library of Japanese Textiles –20 volumes
Benjamin, Betsey Sterling. The World of Rozome: Wax-Resist Textiles of Japan.
Kodansha International. 1996.
Kyoto National Museum, ed. (Yamakawa and Bethe). Transmitting Robes, Linking Minds: the Worldof Buddhist Kasaya. Kyoto National Museum. 2010
Bethe, “Reflections on Beni: Red as a Key to Edo-Period Fashion” in When Art Became Fashion. (p.
133-151)
Brandon, Riko Mochinaga. Country Textiles of Japan: The Art of Tsutsugaki. Weatherhill, 1986.
Hareven Tamara. The Silk Weavers of Kyoto; Family and Work in a Changing Traditional Industry.
University of California Press. 2002.
Kirihata Ken, “Yūzen Dyeing: A New Pictorialism” in When Art Became Fashion.
Murashima, Kumiko. Katazome, Japanese Paste-Resist Dyeing for Contemporary Use. Lark Books,
1993
Nakano Eisha with Barabara Stephan. Japanese Stencil Dyeing: Paste-Resist Techniques.
Weatherhill, 1982.
Noma Seiroku. Armins Nikovskis tr. Japanese Costume and Textile Arts. Weatherhill. The
Heibonsha Survey of Japanese Art. Weatherhill, 1974.
Sandberg. Indigo Textiles: Technique and History.
Stinchecum, Amanda. Kosode: 16th to 19th Century Textiles from the Nomura Collection. Japan
Society and Kodansha International. 1984
Takeda, Sharon, et al. When Art Became Fashion. Los Angeles County Museum, 1992
Wada Yoshiko, et al. Shibori: The inventive Art of Japanese shaped Resist dyeing: Tradition,
Techniques, Innovation. Kodansha International. 1983.
Ceramics
Cort, Louise Allison. Shigaraki Potter’s Valley. Kodansha International, 1979
Cort, Louise Allison, et al. Isamu Noguchi and Modern Japanese Ceramics: a
Close Embrace of the Earth. Smithsonian Institute, Washington, 2003
Fujioka Ryoichi. Louise Cort, tr. Tea Ceremony Utensils. Weatherhill/ Shibundo, 1973
Honolulu Academy of Arts, Yakimono: 40000 Years of Japanese Ceramics. 2005
Kawahara Masahiko. The Ceramic Art of Ogata Kenzan. Japan Arts Library. Kodansha International,
1985
Leach, Bernard and Yanagi Soetsu. The Unknown Craftsman: A Japanese Insight into Beauty.
Kodansha Amer. 1990
Pitelka, Morgan. Handmade Culture: Raku Potters, Patrons, and Tea Practitioners in Japan.
Wilson, Richard. Inside Japanese Ceramics. Weatherhill, 1995,1999
Lee Anthony. Japanese Tea Ceremony. Robson Books, 2008.

Sadler, A. L. Cha-no-yu The Japanese Tea Ceremony. Tuttle, 2001.
Code of Conduct
As members of an academic community, each one of us bears the responsibility to participate inscholarly discourse and research in a manner characterized by intellectual honesty and scholarly
integrity. Collaborative scholarship requires the study of other scholars' work, the free discussion ofsuch work, and the explicit acknowledgement of those ideas in any work that inform our own. This
exchange of ideas relies upon a mutual trust that sources, opinions, facts, and insights will beproperly noted and carefully credited. In practical terms, this means that, as students, all work
submitted in this course, whether in draft or final form, must be your own. You must be responsible
for the full citations of others' ideas in all of your research papers and projects; you must be
scrupulously honest when taking your examinations; you must always submit your own work andnot that of another student, scholar, or internet agent. Any breach of this intellectual responsibility
is a breach of faith with the rest of our academic community. It undermines our shared intellectual
culture, and it cannot be tolerated.
The use of ChatGPT or any other AI tools for course assignments (with the exception of
artificial neural networks like DeepL for machine translations, duly cited) is tantamount toplagiarism. Any cases of plagiarism or cheating will be reported to Columbia Undergraduate Global
Engagement and the academic advisor at your home institution and are subject to the code ofacademic conduct there. In such cases, your final grade will be determined by your homeinstitution and not by KCJS.