The Mark of Beauty

Sakan Plastering (2016x1)

Air date: Jun 13, 2016

This episode focuses on the skills associated with traditional-style Japanese plastering, whereby a plasterer with his trowel can transform a wall into a work of art. We look at how a trowel can make walls truly shine, for example, in kote-e, the frieze- and relief-like ornamentation in the shape of dragons and tigers, which were meant to guard the home. We feature some examples of kote-e by outstanding craftsmen in the Edo period (1603-1868) and what they have to tell us.