What is the difference between "Mingei" and "Kogei"?
What is the difference between "Mingei" and "Kogei"?
Reexamining the origins of beauty: two paths in Japanese handcraft culture
Introduction: Similar but different words, "Mingei" and "Kogei"
"Mingei" (folk art) and "kogei" (crafts) are both essential words when talking about Japan's handicraft culture. They both refer to beautiful hand-made items such as pottery, dyed and woven textiles, woodwork, and lacquerware. However, there are significant differences in the underlying ideas, goals, production systems, and relationship to society.
Understanding this difference is more than just a distinction in terms; it also touches on fundamental questions such as "What is beauty?" and "What does manufacturing mean in people's lives?"
Chapter 1: What is Craft?
Definition and characteristics of crafts
"Crafts" refers to the techniques and works that combine materials with skill and design to create items that are both beautiful and functional. Representative fields include pottery, lacquerware, dyeing and weaving, metalwork, and woodwork.
• Crafted by highly skilled artisans • Emphasis on artistic value and brand recognition • Often viewed at exhibitions and museums • Artist's name and place of origin are often clearly stated
Historical background of the craft
Crafts have been a part of Japanese culture since ancient times, and developed as tools to add color to the lives of the aristocracy and samurai classes. During the Edo period, distinctive regional crafts such as "Kyoto ware" and "Edo Kiriko" were born, and from the Meiji period onwards, their value as fine arts and crafts increased.
Chapter 2: What is Mingei?
Definition and philosophy of Mingei
"Mingei" is an abbreviation of "folk crafts" and refers to handmade items made by ordinary people for use in their daily lives. The concept was proposed by the philosopher Soetsu Yanagi in 1925, and is based on the idea of "beauty in utility."
• Everyday items made by anonymous artisans • Emphasis on practicality and simplicity • Reflection of local lifestyles and culture • Warmth of handcrafted items, not mass-produced
Yanagi Muneyoshi and the "beauty of utility"
Yanagi Muneyoshi believed that true beauty resided in inexpensive, simple everyday items, which were then called "getemono" (cheap items). Together with ceramic artists Hamada Shoji and Kawai Kanjiro, he developed the Mingei movement and discovered beauty in everyday items across the country.
"Beauty lies in use"
"The beauty lies in the unselfish handiwork of unknown artisans."
This philosophy was different from the idea of art as the supremacy, and aimed to combine life and beauty.
Chapter 3: Understanding the differences between Mingei and Kogei
Mingei and Kogei are both important concepts when talking about Japan's handicraft culture, but there are clear differences in their backgrounds and purposes. Below, we will organize the differences between the two in key areas.
[Creator]
Folk art: unknown artisans, local residents Crafts: famous artisans, artists
【the purpose】
Mingei: Practicality, beauty in daily life Crafts: Artistic quality, artistic merit, brand value
【design】
Mingei: Simple and unadorned crafts: beautifully designed
[Technology]
Mingei: Traditional techniques rooted in the local community Crafts: Specialized techniques of artisans
[Social evaluation]
Mingei: Crafts that are valued in everyday life: Crafts that are valued as items for exhibition, review, and handling
[Historical background]
Mingei: Crafts based on the ideological flow of Yanagi Muneyoshi: Rooted in ancient artisan culture
In this way, Mingei tends to pursue "beauty in everyday life," while Kogei tends to aim for "beauty as art."
Chapter 4: Why the Difference?
Differences in values of beauty
Crafts pursue "beauty to be seen" through techniques and designs, while folk art emphasizes "beauty to be used," that is, beauty that can be felt naturally in everyday life.
This difference became clear with the change in the view of art since the modern era and the ideological challenge of Yanagi Muneyoshi, who asserted that "beauty is not something that belongs to the privileged class, but is found in the lives of the common people."
Differences in production systems
While crafts often rely on the skills and brands of individuals and place emphasis on the artist, mingei is characterized by a communal production system that uses techniques and materials passed down throughout the region.
This difference can also be seen as the difference between capitalist commodity value and communal lifestyle culture.
Chapter 5: The intersection of folk art and crafts in the modern era
In recent years, the boundary between mingei and kōgei has become blurred. Some craft artists have mingei-like ideas, while others are reinterpreting mingei products using kōgei-like techniques.
Furthermore, with the spread of social media and e-commerce sites, previously unknown creators are increasingly being noticed, and the premise of Mingei as being made by "nameless artisans" is beginning to waver.
Nevertheless, the idea of Mingei, "finding beauty in everyday life," resonates deeply with modern sustainable values and the reevaluation of local culture.
Chapter 6: Mingei or Kogei: Which is better?
This question cannot be answered because they are based on different values.
• Crafts are a fusion of technology and art
• Mingei is the "fusion of life and beauty"
Both are beautiful things created by human hands, and both have enriched Japanese culture.
What's important is our own values: what we perceive as beautiful and what kind of lifestyle we want to cherish.
Conclusion: From the WABISUKE perspective
The "beauty of utility" of folk art is a concept that is highly compatible with a brand like WABISUKE, where life and poetry intersect. On the other hand, the "beauty of technique and design" of crafts has a strong persuasive power in terms of the symbolism of space and the transmission of value across generations.
How to combine these two paths? Or which one to place the emphasis on? The answer is left to the future space and story that WABISUKE envisions.