Gold Leaf Workshop Shines Spotlight on Art Form
2015年10月18日(日) Report
Sunday afternoon provided a real treat for enthusiasts of Japanese traditional crafts. The festival offered a workshop on the time-honored Japanese gold leaf craftsmanship with a master, Norifumi Fujisawa. First, Fujisawa explained the current form of the 1,400 year-old practice and then participants got the chance to apply real gold leaf to a rock in the traditional manner. Participant’s ages ranged from three to well into middle age as they laid the extremely thin gold leaf on the stone according to the master’s instruction, delivering a fascinating, hands-on experience for all.
Fujisawa-sensei noted that he has been perfecting his craft for over 20 years and that despite the fact that the practice has such a long history there are probably less than 100 master craftsman in this field remaining in Japan. He related that he travels all over Japan to do gold leaf work. Fujisawa explained, “Usually I’m working on the decorative art of a temple. That’s my most frequent job. Everyone knows Kinkakuji temple in Kyoto, something like that.” He added, “Sometimes I work on Shinto shrines as well.” Fujisawa is clearly concerned with the survival of this sublime style of art. “There is a lot of knowledge in this tradition that is hard to communicate. I’m doing my best to keep it alive.”
At the closing of the workshop Fujisawa addressed the participants: “I’m happy that everyone here got a chance to experience working with gold leaf. This was a very special opportunity and one that was very cheap, given the cost of gold. I’ll continue working to spread the tradition”
