The Stirrings of Silence: The Roots of Beauty in the Muromachi Period
The stirrings of tranquility: The roots of beauty in the Muromachi period
Before the brilliance of gold leaf blooms,
Its roots grew quietly and deeply in the soil.
The Muromachi period was a time when Japanese culture gained "tranquility" and "spirituality."
The Muromachi Period: The Intersection of Samurai and Court Nobles, Zen and Art
The Muromachi period (1336-1573) was a time when the Ashikaga clan maintained public order in Kyoto.
During this period, Japanese culture was divided into three major streams:
• Korean culture throughout the region: War tales and linked poetry born out of turmoil
• Kitayama Culture: The brave samurai culture symbolized by the Golden Pavilion during the time of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
Higashiyama Culture: The beauty of wabi-sabi symbolized by the Silver Pavilion during the reign of Ashikaga Yoshimasa
These three cultures have transitioned from splendor to tranquility, just like the changing of the seasons.
Higashiyama Culture: The Beauty of Wabi-Sabi and the Philosophy Residing in the Silver Margins
Higashiyama Villa was built by Ashikaga Yoshimasa as a place of seclusion after the Onin War.
The Higashiyama culture was born there.
• Ginkakuji Temple: A symbol of simple and tranquil beauty, in stark contrast to the opulence of the Kinkakuji Temple.
• Dry Landscape Garden: A spiritual creation that uses stones and sand to create a landscape without using water.
• Shoin-zukuri: An architectural style that became the prototype for later Japanese-style houses.
• The origin of the tea ceremony: The nature of "Soan tea" by Murata Juko
This culture is a fusion of Zen philosophy and the sensibility of wabi-sabi, and is close to the "richness in silence" that WABISUKE pursues.
Performing Arts and Popular Culture: The World of Noh, Kyogen, and Otogigusa
The Muromachi period also brought about profound changes in the world of performing arts.
• Noh: A mysterious performing art perfected by Kan'ami and Zeami
• Kyogen: Comedy that depicts the laughter and satire of the common people
• Otogi-zoshi: Short stories depicting the dreams and predictions of the common people, such as "Issun-boshi" and "Monokusa-taro"
These events broadened the scope of culture by providing a place where the sensibilities of the common people and the spirituality of the samurai intersected.
Zen and Art: A Sense of Enlightenment in Ink Paintings
Zen philosophy has also had a profound influence on painting.
• Josetsu's "Gourd and Sweetfish": A national treasure that visualizes Zen riddles
• Sesshu's landscape paintings: spiritual landscapes depicting nature and humanity in detail
These works, fearing inexpressible emotions and moments of enlightenment, are also in line with WABISUKE's "Beauty of Words and White Space."
The roots of Muromachi - the quiet force that supported the flowers of the Azuchi-Momoyama period
If the Azuchi-Momoyama period was the "flower" of culture, then the Muromachi period was its "root."
The spirit of wabi-sabi, Zen philosophy, stories of the common people, and architecture of tranquility.
All of this became the deep soil that supported the splendor that followed.
The world depicted by WABISUKE also places great importance on the "beauty of the roots."
The power in silence, the emotion in the margins, and the philosophy that resonates through the ages.