Oribe Exhibition Creates New York Yen for Japanese Crafts, Culture and Sights

Furniture World Magazine

The Asian influence on home furnishings has created an enormous impact on the U.S. market. Gifu Prefecture, a rural region in central Japan known for its beautifully crafted ceramics, furniture, textiles and paper, is about to show New York City why this trend remains so popular. To honor the creative spirit and contemporary influence of Furuta Oribe, a 16th century samurai, tea master and ceramic artist born in Gifu, the industries and artisans of the area will show their work at the Oribe Exhibition in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall from Tuesday, October 28 – Sunday, November 2. Gifu Prefecture is the largest ceramics center in Japan dating back to ancient times, while world-renowned “Mino Paper” has been manufactured in Mino City for 1300 years. The region is also the home of the legendary Hida Artisans, woodworkers who have been creating extraordinary furniture for generations since the Yamato Dynasty in the 6th Century. “We want New Yorkers to have an opportunity to see what Gifu has to offer,” says Gifu Governor Taku Kajiwara who will be in New York to launch the show on October 28. Elements of Style The Oribe Exhibition provides a rare opportunity to experience a genuine slice of modern Japan here at home. Visitors will be able to view more than 500 objects, including ceramics of breath-taking beauty, elegant Japanese furniture in contemporary settings, and a splendid assortment of Japanese paper lamps constructed of handmade “Mino Washi” paper. Additionally, a 16-seat theater will show two short films about the culture, industry and attractions of Gifu. A section of the exhibition is dedicated to the favorite sightseeing destinations the region such as Shirakawa-go, a village of unique farmhouses with steeply pitched thatched roofs where some villagers still make their living rearing silkworms. UNESCO lists the village as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Kimono Parade The Oribe Exhibition also treats visitors and patrons of Grand Central Terminal to a twice-daily Kimono parade followed by a 20-minute performance by a variety of Japanese artists. The entertainment lineup includes Taiko drummers, known for their athletic and boisterous playing using drumsticks the size of baseball bats; Kabuki performers with faces like porcelain; and the Shishimai (Lion) dance, an acrobatic folk dance performed by two men in richly detailed lion costumes. Performances are scheduled Tuesday through Friday, at 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM. There are no performances on the weekend. Samurai Tea Master Furuta Oribe’s original and unrestrained approach to the practice of the tea ceremony led to the development of the bold, beautiful and unusually shaped ceramics that initiated the Momoyama period (1573-1615), a time of dramatic change in Japanese art and society. “Today Oribe’s art and ideas continue to inspire wonderful new products from Gifu,” says Governor Kajiwara. “The ceramic pieces, hand-made paper lamps and much of the furniture in the exhibition are fine examples of Oribe Style for contemporary life.” The Oribe Exhibition is open Tuesday, October 28 through Sunday, November 2, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The exhibit closes at 3pm on Sunday.