Page 6 - The Meiji Aesthetic Christie's Hong Kong.pdf

明心匠治：亞洲私人收藏明治時代精品
THE MEIJI AESTHETIC: SELECTED MASTERPIECES FROM A PRIVATE ASIAN COLLECTION
THE MEIJI AESTHETIC:

SELECTED MASTERPIECES FROM A PRIVATE ASIAN COLLECTION

明心匠治：亞洲私人收藏明治時代精品

nspired by the extraordinary craftsmanship and sophisticated Meiji art was more than an opening door to the Western
Iuniqueness of Meiji-period Japanese art, the owner of these world, it also liberated the defnition of art in Japan. By
pieces determined in the 1990s to build a private collection of employing highly skilled traditional artisans in new ways,
masterworks in a range of media that is now one of the most placing classical elements in a new setting of art making and
important of its type in the world. Like so many collectors encouraging individual innovation, the period fostered a
who expand and winnow their collections as their tastes revitalization of Japan’s long and proud history of art. Among
change, his intention here is to offer others the opportunity to the most concerted efforts the government undertook was
own works that have attracted him for so long. to safeguard the cultural heritage of Japan, inventorying
collections, establishing a cultural ministry and designating the
The Meiji era (1868–1912) represents an outpouring of nation’s treasures.
intellectual and artistic diversity that was unsurpassed by
anything in Japan before or since. After two centuries of Japan may also be said to have rediscovered the ties it had
shogunal rule and isolation from the rest of the world, except already built for centuries with its neighbors that was voiced
for strictly controlled trade with Portuguese, Dutch and by Okakura Kakuzo’s (1863–1913) notion “Asia is One,”
Chinese merchants, the country made a headlong plunge into refected in a number of symbolic pieces in the collection here.
modernity. The government dispatched missions to the West “It is in Japan alone,” he wrote, “that the historic wealth of Asiatic
to study government administration, educational systems, culture can be consecutively studied through its treasured specimens”
transportation, industrial production––in short, any aspect (Okakura, Ideals of the East: The Spirit of Japanese Art, 1904).
needed to participate in the international community as an
equal. Art was deemed a viable export to expand domestic In this special year that marks the 150th anniversary of the
industry and, in turn, to bring into Japan much needed foreign Meiji Restoration, we invite you to enjoy the beauty of such a
currency. One need only think of the sensation Japanese art remarkable, splendid period of Japan.
caused in the 1870s in Europe and America and its infuence
on European painters, printmakers, glass makers, jewelers,
poets, composers, architects and the style Art Nouveau. And

日本明治時代藝術巧奪天工，匠心獨運，本珍藏主人為 而，明治藝術不僅象徵東西方接軌的新時代，更把日本
之深受啟發，自九十年代起展開收藏鑑賞之旅，及後庋 藝術本身的定義徹底解放。聘用大量受傳統訓練的匠師
藏愈豐，品種琳琅滿目，至今成為該類別全球數一數二 製作新形式藝術、在嶄新的創作模式下注入古典元素，
之私人珍藏。收藏家往往隨著個人品味變化，而對藏品 以及鼓勵個人化的大膽革新，皆使日本源遠流長、燦爛
不斷整理。本珍藏主人亦然，相信藝術珍藏聚散有時， 輝煌的藝術史得以復興。明治政府功勞有緒，最為人稱
如今借此良機公諸同好，讓其鍾情經年的名品佳器，遇 頌的莫過於積極保護日本的文化遺產、為藝術珍藏建立
上下一位有緣人。 紀錄系統、開設文化省廳，還有篩選國寶。

明治時代（1868-1912年）社會在思想及藝術創作方 日本與鄰國文化千百年來交流緊密頻繁，有說明治時代
面，皆湧現紛繁稠沓的多樣性，可謂史無前例，猶勝後 隨著岡倉覺三（天心）之「亞洲一體論」，重燃起一股
世。在此之前，日本經歷了接近兩個世紀的幕府統治及 東洋的覺醒，並且蔚然成風。是次不少富代表性的藏
鎖國政策，期間僅容許與葡萄牙、荷蘭及中國受嚴密監 品，正好反映出如此思潮。「單單在日本，已能透過研
控下的有限貿易。惟此狀況結束後，國家隨即大步跨進 究其奇珍異寶中連貫地讀出無比豐富的亞洲文化史。」
現代化的一頁。明治政府派遣使者到西方學習行政、教 （岡倉覺三，《東洋的理想》，1904年）
育、交通與工業等系統 — 簡單而言，即所有能夠參照
國際社會運作模式的範疇，皆有所涉獵。當時藝術被視 今年正值明治維新一百五十週年，我們謹藉此機會誠邀
為一種有利可圖的出口貿易，能擴充本地生產，同時為 閣下一同回顧這個璀璨時代之瑰麗風采。
國庫帶來非常渴求的外幣資金。另一方面，日本藝術於
1870年代在歐美地區所掀起之風潮，以及對歐洲繪畫、
版畫、玻璃、珠寶、詩歌、音樂、建築及新藝術運動
（Art Nouveau）風格等方面之影響，可謂嘆為觀止。然