Japanese Pet Jewelry

Japan will celebrate the relationship between pet and master this March at the Japan Pet Fair. The show, sponsored by the Japan Pet Products Manufacturers Association, will take place in Yokohama and is said to be the largest pet expo in Asia. I hope to attend next year to experience the Asian pet boutique market first hand. As an art historian and designer, I will have to settle for appreciation and reflection of Japanese culture and art.

In my opinion, the Japanese do not separate art from craft or design, but rather, all are one. From flower arrangements to the service of tea, the purpose is to bring harmony.  This does not necessarily mean symmetry or lack of excitement, quite often there is whimsy and play involved in Japanese artistic expression. 

In Japan, the tendency is to divide on a slant or a diagonal, to blur or diffuse geometry.  Such a concept is one that I employ when designing human and pet jewelry.  There are times when I am often symmetrical in design, but more often than not, I prefer off center designs, or ones with no perceivable pattern.  I love to incorporate this concept of whimsy and humor in my designs. 

Wabi Sabi, a Japanese design aesthetic, is an expression of simple elegance.  As explained by James and Sandra Crowley “Wabi Sabi Style,” the Japanese concept of beauty is experiential, “Beauty is a sensory experience resulting from the process of creating order [….] it is viewed as a vital human need.” (p 2)

While Beasty Bling may be considered a bit gaudy by Wabi Sabi standards, it is the experience of beauty as sensory that is so appealing to me.  I am always aware of creating order and harmony in the process of designing each human or pet jewelry piece. In each case, I consider the relationship of one bead next to the other and what is conveyed.

The Japanese have been combining beauty with everyday objects for centuries. A concept I hope to bring to the pet boutique market in the U.S. Texture, color and shape are elements that are consciously employed in the making of what many Americans may consider mundane. I hope that Beasty Bling brings the U.S. pet boutique market beauty in the everyday adorning of our furry comrades.