Late-Edo-period design in both textiles and lacquerware is distinguished by a penchant for near-invisible tiny details and minutely worked techniques that situate value in time and skill rather than precious materials. This program discusses the philosophical and practical background to iki -- an understated aesthetic that characterizes much of Shibata Zeshin's work -- and examines the beauty of hidden design in Japanese and Western culture. Panelists Sharon S. Takeda, Senior Curator and Department Head, Costumes and Textiles at Los Angeles County Museum and distinguished independent scholar Terry Satsuki Milhaupt join curator Joe Earle in a dialogue on a variety of topics, including the impact of Western design on Japan and, reciprocally, Japan's influence on the West. Followed by a reception.  Held in association witht he gallery exhibition: The Genius of Japanese Lacquer: Masterworks by Shibata Zeshin.

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