The Japanese concept of beauty

    The measure of beauty among the Japanese is expressed by four concepts - sabi, wabi, shibuy and yugen. The first three concepts are rooted in the ancient religion of Shinto, and yugen is inspired by Buddhist philosophy. In traditional Japanese aesthetics, sabi, wabi, shibuy and yugen define the essence of beauty.

    Sabi literally means rust. This concept conveys the charm of worn charm, something that has aged over time, patina, traces of the touch of many hands. Sabi is a natural, natural beauty born of time, its seal. It is believed that time helps to identify the essence of things.

    That is why the Japanese see evidence of age as a special charm. They are attracted by the dark color of wood and the old moss-covered stone in the garden. The category of sabi expresses the connection between art and nature. The more different the signs of time, the more valuable things are. The Japanese like to brew tea in a teapot made of unfired clay. With each brewing, the aroma becomes richer, and the teapot more expensive. The cup will be perfect after the glaze on its inside is covered with a network of cracks.

    Wabi is the absence of the intentional, the beauty of simplicity. This concept is associated with the practicality, functionality and beauty of objects. Beauty and naturalness for the Japanese are concepts of identity. Wabi is a bridge between art and everyday life. The concept of wabi is very difficult to explain in words, it must be felt.

    Wabi and sabi eventually began to be used as a single concept - wabi-sabi, which then acquired a broader meaning, becoming the everyday word shibuya.

    Shibui is the beauty hidden in the material with its minimal processing and the practicality of the product. The combination of these two qualities is considered ideal by the Japanese. Over the centuries, the Japanese have developed the ability to recognize and recreate the qualities that define the word shibuy, almost instinctively.

     Yugen is a hint, a beauty that lies deep within things without coming to the surface. An object that is finished is uninteresting. Japanese art also denies symmetry - it embodies repetition. The secret of art is to listen to the unspoken, to admire the invisible. This is also the fourth criterion for the Japanese concept of beauty.

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