THE ART OF HYOSO: Japanese Scroll Mountings by Yukio Yamamoto

For the first time in the UK, work by acclaimed master craftsman Yukio Yamamoto will be showcased in a new exhibition. This offers a rare opportunity to discover and appreciate hyoso, the traditional Japanese craft of mounting artworks.

Yamamoto has over fifty years experience of hyoso and his hanging scrolls illustrate the sophisticated partnership of artist and craftsman in Japan.

Hanging scrolls first appeared in China over a thousand years ago. Because they were easy to carry around and were capable of being produced in large quantities, Buddhist religious paintings began to be mounted on scrolls, and as a result became more popular as Buddhism spread. They soon became indispensable items for manor houses of samurai warriors and court nobles, and came to be considered the most valuable treasures among family heirlooms. Today, the importance of hanging scrolls in Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines as well as in the tea ceremony remains strong, as does their place in the Japanese home, with scrolls selected according to the season; demonstrating how traditional culture is preserved and incorporated into everyday life in Japanese society.

This exhibition is supported by Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto City and the Kyoto Shimbun Newspaper Co Ltd.

To coincide with The Art of Hyoso: Japanese Scroll Mountings by Yukio Yamamoto, Mr Yamamoto gave a demonstration of scroll mountings to a small audience at Daiwa Foundation Japan House on the opening day of the exhibition.

Mr Yamamoto also held a specialised workshop for conservators at the Hirayama Studio on the 10th May 2006, organised by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation in association with the British Museum.