“Take heed of the humble; be what you are by birthright; there is no room for arrogance,” wrote Soetsu Yanagi in The Unknown Craftsman, published during Japan’s folk craft movement in the 1920s. According to Yanagi, the craftsman should be anonymous, and his wares produced by hand, inexpensive and used by ordinary people in everyday life. In an age when the stamp of the designer is often the most desired facet of an object, it is refreshing to find that the hallmarks of Japanese design, anonymity and quality, are now enjoying fresh appreciation.
“注意要謙虛謹慎、做你與生俱來的自己、沒有傲慢自大的余地，”柳宗悅(Soetsu Yanagi)在1920年代日本民間工藝運動期間出版的《未知的工匠》(The Unknown Craftsman)著作里寫到。根據柳宗悅的說法，工匠應當隱姓埋名，產品應當手工制造、物美價廉且供普通人在日常生活中使用。設計師的標記往往是一件物品最受喜愛的特征；在這樣一個時代，可以令人振奮地發現日本設計的特點--匿名性和高質量--現在，它們正受到越來越多的新的青睞。