Lantern Maker

Lantern Maker presents the craftsman who created one of Japan's most distinctive and visually important traditional objects — the painted paper lanterns (chochin) that hung at shops, temples, shrines, festivals, and theatrical establishments throughout the country. The lantern maker's craft required skill in both structural and decorative arts: the bamboo frame had to be correctly proportioned, the paper stretched and pasted without wrinkles, and the painted decoration — often a family crest, a shop name, or a festive design — applied with the assurance of an experienced decorator. Mori documented this trade with the same respectful attention he brought to all of Japan's traditional craft vocations.