Shosoin Patterns - A long journey of beauty and a resonance with the modern era
Shosoin Patterns: A Long Journey of Beauty and Its Resonance with the Modern World
Under the clear skies of Nara, the Shosoin Repository quietly ticks away the passage of time. Residing within this storehouse-style treasure trove are more than just ancient art. There are designs that have traveled from the far west—memories of different cultures woven with the Japanese climate—a "beauty of fusion."
Patterns travel – the Silk Road and Shosoin
Many of the Shosoin treasures were donated to the museum following the eye-opening ceremony for the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple in the 8th century. Among them are numerous designs that were brought over via the Silk Road from India, Persia, Central Asia, and the Tang Dynasty.
For example, the "Hosoge" flower, a mystical flower symbolizing a Buddhist utopia, has its roots in the lotus motifs of Sassanid Persia and the decorative patterns of the Tang Dynasty. This flower, which does not exist in reality, is like a plant found in dreams, and it evokes feelings of nostalgia in us.
Reference: Nara National Museum | Shosoin Exhibition Archive
The "grape arabesque" is a symbol of fertility and rebirth. The grape pattern of West Asia was fused with arabesque and was widely used in Japan on Buddhist altars and textiles. The pattern was not merely decorative, but a "visual language" that contained prayers and ideas.
Hanakui-dori: The poetics of narrative patterns
One of the most popular is the "flower-eating bird." The bird, holding a flower in its mouth, dancing among arabesque patterns is like a scene from a story. Birds are messengers of life, and flowers are symbols of prosperity. This combination can often be seen in dyed and woven textiles and mother-of-pearl inlay work from the Nara period.
Reference: Agency for Cultural Affairs | Cultural Heritage Online: Mother-of-pearl box with flower-eating bird design
This motif can also be applied to modern character designs and textiles.
The Shosoin Treasures: "Beauty of Fusion" - Not Uniquely Japanese, but a Sublimation of Japanese Tradition
The Shosoin patterns are not a "uniquely Japanese culture." Rather, they are the crystallization of "cultural sublimation" that was achieved by accepting, assimilating, and reconstructing encounters with different cultures.
• Rather than simply copying foreign designs,
• Integrating Japanese views of nature, religion, and aesthetics,
• Regenerate them into patterns that have new meaning and beauty.
This process is an attitude that is relevant to us today. Don't be afraid of different values, accept them, and find your own individuality in them. Isn't this the same philosophy that WABISUKE aims for: "universality" and "resonant design"?
Shosoin patterns living on in the modern era - from architecture to products
The Shosoin patterns are by no means a relic of the past. Their symbolism and poetic power are still alive and well in modern architecture and product design.
• A story-telling product tag with a flower-eating bird theme
• "Spatial design decorative pattern" that makes use of the curves of the Hosoga flower
• A "seasonal color and pattern calendar" that references grape arabesque
These developments are not simply a revival, but a creative act of "cultural reinterpretation."
Reference: Tokyo National Museum | Shosoin Patterns and Contemporary Design
Conclusion: Patterns resonate across time
The Shosoin patterns continue to speak to us even today, spanning a thousand years. They are a testament to the aesthetic sense that underlies Japanese culture: "accepting differences and harmonizing them."
WABISUKE aims to create such a "resonance that transcends time and culture." Like the Shosoin patterns, we hope that our words, spaces, and products will become flowers that quietly bloom in someone's heart.