Traditional Craftsmanship: Works by Living National Treasures

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Japan's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. Established in 1950, this law brought not only tangible but also intangible cultural property under national protection. Intangible cultural property includes technical artistry found in traditional music and other performing arts, and also encompasses traditional craftsmanship techniques.

The first designation of intangible property was made in 1955. Since then, artists and groups with the highest levels of technical mastery in fields of traditional decorative arts such as lacquerware, textiles, metal art, and ceramics have been designated as Holders of Important Intangible Cultural Property. These highly skilled artisans are commonly known as "Living National Treasures."

This designation is not part of an award system for the individuals themselves, but rather a way of preserving the skills that they hold and ensuring that they can be passed down to future generations. For this reason, the system entails the recording of the techniques of all designated artisans for posterity.

In 2000, these records and a selection of works by Living National Treasures were transferred from the Ministry of Culture to the Tokyo National Museum, and have since been exhibited annually. This year's exhibition showcases superb examples of Japanese craftsmanship in the fields of lacquerware, metal art and ceramics.