Exhibition: The Shine of Time — Japanese Lacquer in Applied Art

Museum of Japanese Art and Technology Manggha (main building)

Exhibition duration: 30.11.2025–22.02.2026
Opening hours: 10:00–18:00

• Curators:
• Joanna Koryciarz-Kitamikado
• Joanna Haba

• Exhibition design:
• Masakazu Miyanaga

“The Shine of Time — Japanese Lacquer in Applied Art” is a unique journey through one of Japan’s most exquisite and oldest crafts. The exhibition presents the richness of the urushi tradition — a natural lacquer obtained from tree sap, whose decorative and protective properties were used as early as nine thousand years ago. Among the exhibits are urushibako — caskets, boxes, small containers and vessels, decorated with techniques that demand extraordinary precision and patience. We present both masterpieces by former masters and works by contemporary creators who develop this art, drawing from tradition while responding to the sensibilities of the contemporary audience.

Visitors have the chance to learn about a wide spectrum of decorative techniques: the gold-sheen maki-e, the subtle mother-of-pearl inlay raden, and carved lacquer choshitsu. The exhibition also brings closer the process of creating lacquer works — from obtaining the resin, through its refinement, coloring and surface preparation, to the multi-stage application of successive layers.

The exhibition combines collections of Polish museum institutions and private collectors with works by Japanese artists and craftsmen, revealing the remarkable continuity of this art — from ancient rituals and everyday objects to contemporary artistic explorations. Urushi is more than a decorating technique. It is a material that links functionality with spirituality, the everyday with ritual, and tradition with modernity. Because of this, “The Shine of Time” becomes not only a presentation of beautiful objects but also a story about culture, mastery and exceptional devotion to craft.