So Maison et Objet 2023 took place from 19th-23rd January in the north of Paris. And it took 1h to get the venue Villpinte. But it was worth it.
Firstly, there are so many exhibiters. There are 7 halls for their booths and products. All related to house deco, utensils, gifts, furniture…etc. Very decorative and varied items.
We, of course, went to talk with Japanese producers at the exhibition. It seems that the theme was somewhat related to “sustainability”. Most of them are public funded to be there, like JETRO. Therefore they are not big productions, they are chosen to show cultural aspect of contemporary “crafts” to the international scene Maison et Objet.
Kabazaiku: Tomioka-shoten
The first booth we visited was Kabazaiku producer, Tomioka-shoten from Akita. As you can read with our article on Kabazaiku, it’s a traditional craft in Kakunodate, Akita in north of Japan. The talk with the company owner was a bit shocking. Let us talk about it later in the other article, as it will be a bit volumy.
Yamabudou basketry: Yama-biko
The second booth was Yama-Biko, wild vine basketry. We learned a lot of things about mountains in Japan. How the cultivation and harvest of wild vine go and the cycle of Japanese mountain nature.
The owner lives in Nagano and his creations are collaboration with other craftspeople. The photo shows their basket bag with indigo Saki-ori textile. Also there was a basket with leather-like paper Gikaku-shi. Their goal is also harmony and sustainable creation with the nature. We would like to visit their company in Japan one day and have an interview there.
Sensuji-takezaiku: ANCOU
The next one was ANCOU. The company who design new style of Sensuji-takezaiku in Shizuoka. It is a bamboo based craft, but not a basketry.
Bamboo is an easy growing material in Asia in general and popularly used. Sensuji-takezaiku has historically been making insect baskets for nobles. Now they propose light shade with their thin bamboo strings. It is light, and natural sustainable.
Uchiwa Japanese fan: Uchiwaya Ryo
Then we moved to Uchiwaya Ryo from Kagawa. The company has a part dedicated to traditional Japanese fan Uchiwa.
Uchiwa still very much appears in contemporary Japanese life. However we don’t see bamboo based ones anymore. They produce the traditional bamboo and Wa-shi paper Uchiwa. Kagawa prefecture doesn’t produce Wa-shi paper much. So they also collaborate with other crafts makers in other regions.
Ancient stencil dyeing: Ebisuya
The last producer we visited was Ebisuya from Iwate. They produce textile with stencil dyeing.
It is a not regional craft, but it has a very old history. This craft started with the artisans who followed the lord in the Edo-period (17th C). The artisans originally came from Kyoto, which had been the centre of the culture whole Japanese history.
Iwate prefecture used to be called Nambu clan, and it was a remote north dominion. Therefore the stencil technique had been untouched and kept its old style. That is why their stencil patterns are named “ancient”.
There were more Japanese craft producers in the Maison et Objet, but well, we picked ones that most attracted us.
What we see there is their tradition and production are actively in the living people. However their lineage thrives thin. What we can do is understand and support their production to keep going on, because once it is lost, nevermore. They do not need huge demand (they cannot produce a lot either), they need acknowledgement and some people who love it. That is a model of sustainable production and commerce in craft.