The philosophical pillar of mingei is “hand-crafted art of ordinary people”. Yanagi Soetsu discovered beauty in everyday ordinary and utilitarian objects created by nameless and unknown craftsmen. According to Yanagi, utilitarian objects made by the common people are “beyond beauty and ugliness”.
- gorindou
- era: edo
- age: 1603 - 1868
- material: stone
- size: 8"w x 12"h x 4"d
- item number: 001
- price: $200
- kasur
- era: taisho
- age: 1912 - 1926
- material: 100% cotton
- size: 14"w x 16"h x "d
- item number: 002
- price: $75
- bear
- era: showa
- age: 1930 - 1940
- material: wood
- size: 9"w x 12"h x 6"d
- item number: 003
- price: $85
- usubata
- era: taisho
- age: 1912 - 1926
- material: bronze
- size: 10"dia x 9.5"h
- item number: 011
- price: $350
- basket
- era: showa
- age: 1926 - 1990
- material: bamboo
- size: 23"w x 9.5"h x 15"d
- item number: 004
- price: $75
- sakiori
- era: showa
- age: 1926 - 1990
- material: 100% cotton
- size: 26"w x 70"h x "d
- item number: 012
- price: $300
- hibachi
- era: taisho
- age: 1912 - 1926
- material: wood, copper
- size: 14"dia x 10.5"h
- item number: 005
- price: $450
- gong
- era: taisho
- age: 1912 - 1926
- wood: keyaki (zelkova)
- size: 15"w x 12"h x 17"d
- item number: 006
- price: $1250
- shishi kibori
- era: meiji
- age: 1868 - 1912
- wood: keyaki (zelkova)
- size: 12"w x 13"h x 18"d
- item number: 007
- price: $1650
- oke
- era: taisho
- age: 1912 - 1926
- wood: hinoki (cypress)
- size: 14"dia x 23"h
- item number: 013
- price: sold
- tetsubin
- era: taisho
- age: 1912 - 1926
- material: iron
- size: 6.5"dia x 5.5"h
- item number: 008
- price: $75
- tsukue
- era: taisho
- age: 1912 - 1926
- wood: kiri (paulownia)
- size: 36"w x 14"h x 15"d
- item number: 009
- price: $375
- kawara
- era: meiji
- age: 1868 - 1912
- wood: clay ()
- size: 17"w x 10"h x 3"d
- item number: 010
- price: $250