William Gibson is describing the haunting elegance of hikaru dorodango. His essay in TATE Magazine, “Shiny Balls of Mud: William Gibson Looks at Japanese Pursuits of Perfection” was my first exposure to this trend sweeping through Japan.
Hikaru dorodango are balls of mud, molded by hand into perfect spheres, dried, and polished to an unbelievable luster. The process is simple, but the result makes it seem like alchemy.
A traditional pastime among the children of Japan, the exact origin of hikaru dorodango is unknown. The tradition was dying out until taken up by Professor Fumio Kayo, of the Kyoto University of Education, as a means to study the psychology of children’s play. In the course of his research, Kayo developed a simple technique for creating dorodango. With the help of Japanese media, Kayo has revived and extended the popular reach of this tradition to the point where it is now an international phenomenon. […] (via dorodango | about)
Insomma che è ‘sto Hikaru Dororando? Semplicemente, l’arte di modellare il fango in palle lisciate fino a diventare lucide: mutuata da un passatempo tradizionale dei bimbi giapponesi e diventata un vero e proprio “trend” in madrepatria. Per chi ha problemi con l’inglese, anche qui da noi qualcuno ne ha scritto; una veloce ricerca trova e.g. cristiancontini, Rammit e Roberto Ravalico. Sembra però che da noi questa simpatica attività proprio non prenda piede… Eppure è tanto economica quando piacevole e suppongo soddisfacente nei risultati, inoltre direi non scevra di connessioni con pratiche zen che tanto vanno di moda!
![William Gibson is describing the haunting elegance of hikaru dorodango. His essay in TATE Magazine, “Shiny Balls of Mud: William Gibson Looks at Japanese Pursuits of Perfection” was my first exposure to this trend sweeping through Japan.
Hikaru dorodango are balls of mud, molded by hand into perfect spheres, dried, and polished to an unbelievable luster. The process is simple, but the result makes it seem like alchemy.
A traditional pastime among the children of Japan, the exact origin of hikaru dorodango is unknown. The tradition was dying out until taken up by Professor Fumio Kayo, of the Kyoto University of Education, as a means to study the psychology of children’s play. In the course of his research, Kayo developed a simple technique for creating dorodango. With the help of Japanese media, Kayo has revived and extended the popular reach of this tradition to the point where it is now an international phenomenon. […] (via dorodango | about)
Insomma che è ‘sto Hikaru Dororando? Semplicemente, l’arte di modellare il fango in palle lisciate fino a diventare lucide: mutuata da un passatempo tradizionale dei bimbi giapponesi e diventata un vero e proprio “trend” in madrepatria. Per chi ha problemi con l’inglese, anche qui da noi qualcuno ne ha scritto; una veloce ricerca trova e.g. cristiancontini, Rammit e Roberto Ravalico. Sembra però che da noi questa simpatica attività proprio non prenda piede… Eppure è tanto economica quando piacevole e suppongo soddisfacente nei risultati, inoltre direi non scevra di connessioni con pratiche zen che tanto vanno di moda!](http://12.media.tumblr.com/2UZ4WDQq4ftmjwx3GYWmf83So1_500.jpg)
![The effects of the World Wart II have not only resulted to the death of millions, but also a long-standing disturbance on the lives of those who survived, particularly children. […] Among those who suffered this effect is Teresa, a young Polish girl who lost her family during the war. While in staying in a concentration camp, she drew an unrecognizable image on the blackboard, which was somewhat chaotic. When ask what her drawing was, she pertained to it as her “home.” (via Photos that Changed the World)](http://5.media.tumblr.com/2UZ4WDQq4db44ihu226yP5pL_400.jpg)
