“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.
“注意要谦虚谨慎、做你与生俱来的自己、没有傲慢自大的余地，”柳宗悦(Soetsu Yanagi)在1920年代日本民间工艺运动期间出版的《未知的工匠》(The Unknown Craftsman)著作里写到。根据柳宗悦的说法，工匠应当隐姓埋名，产品应当手工制造、物美价廉且供普通人在日常生活中使用。设计师的标记往往是一件物品最受喜爱的特征；在这样一个时代，可以令人振奋地发现日本设计的特点--匿名性和高质量--现在，它们正受到越来越多的新的青睐。