Japanese May 2, 2002: Sansai-style miniature art
I was invited by my friend to visit the 5th "Sansai-style miniature art exhibit."
	The site was Akansas gallery in Oita City. A large flower arrangement welcomed me at the entrance.
The open entrance leads me into a calm space attended by my friend in Kimono costume.
"Sansai-style miniature art" in new to my ears. I was lectured by the friend by looking the arts. The art is called "Bankei." It means a small cosmos created on square or round shaped flower bowls by setting up seasonal landscapes of the seas and mountains using sand and cray. On the left is "Pompeii" on a rectangular flower bowl, and on the right is "Lavender flower garden" on a oval tray.
	Bankei art was started by Ms. Otomaru Kousen in 1918. It includes not only concrete world but also abstract world like this work called Cosmos using golden powder.
The third chief Kousen Nagatomi created this work from black soil by using a paddle. The work is called "Early summer stream" which depicts a wonderful landscape of the stream and rocky mountains on a water bowl.
Ms. Kousen explained me about the Sand painting art which is called Koukawa picture. It uses many kinds of colorful sand.
	My friend's work is called 3-D picture, or Tsuchi-e. It was made from cray and paintings over it. She has been learning it for less than a year. The work looks very lovely, however.
The teacher made this work called "A oak tree", a small cray art with vastness of the cosmos.
I was very happy to leaen about Bankei art.