This March 2021 issue (No. 534) of Me no Me (目の眼) comes from the long-running Japanese magazine dedicated to antiques, traditional crafts, fine art, ceramics, and the culture of collecting. Founded in 1977, Me no Me is particularly valued for its specialist articles, conversations with collectors and dealers, and beautifully photographed historic objects.
The main feature is 「ビンスキの系譜 — ノ貫〜侘数寄〜秦秀雄」, exploring the lineage and spirit of binski (ビンスキ)—an unconventional approach to connoisseurship closely connected with the Japanese appreciation of wabi, tea aesthetics, and antique objects. The feature traces this sensibility through historical and modern figures, including Hechikan (ノ貫), the legendary tea practitioner associated with Sen no Rikyū’s era, and Hata Hideo (秦秀雄), an influential 20th-century connoisseur and collector.
Rather than approaching antiques purely through rarity or monetary value, this issue explores the more personal side of collecting: how an individual develops an eye for objects, discovers beauty in imperfection, and creates relationships between seemingly unrelated works.
The distinctive cover brings together several well-known figures from the Japanese world of antiques and connoisseurship, surrounded by ceramics, lacquerware, vessels, and other collected objects. It perfectly captures the intimate and conversational character of Japanese kottō culture.
Size: 18 x 25cm
154 Pages
