Amezaiku

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Amezaiku goldfish by Shinri Tezuka

Amezaiku (飴細工) is Japanese candy craft artistry. An artist takes multi-colored mizuame and, using their hands and other tools such as tweezers and scissors, creates a sculpture. Amezaiku artists also paint their sculpted candy with edible dyes to give the finished work more character. Animals, including goldfish and insects, are common amezaiku shapes created to appeal to children. Intricate animal characters are created with expert speed. Some amezaiku artists are also street performers who perform magic tricks and tell stories along with their candy craft entertainment.

History

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During the Heian period, the art of amezaiku was used in Japan for candy offerings made at temples in Kyoto.[1] The amezaiku craft spread beyond the temple during the Edo period, when many forms of street performance flourished in Japan[2] and when its base ingredient, mizuame, became widely available.[3] In Edo it emerged in its present artistic form.[4][5]

Methods

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The candy base is prepared beforehand, using a starchy syrup recipe that requires careful monitoring to ensure proper consistency and appearance. The mixture is kneaded and pulled by hand, and formed into a large ball to be stored until ready to use. At the stall, the candy ball is heated to make it pliable again. The artist puts their hand into the hot mass to pinch up the material necessary; this too is a skill, as the artist must learn to tolerate the painful heat of the medium. The hot candy is quickly rolled and mounted on a stick, then pulled, twisted and clipped into form, usually an animal of some kind and often intricate. Speed is necessary to the art since the sculpture must be completed before the candy cools and hardens again.[6]

One method formerly used in sculpting amezaiku was blowing into the candy by means of a straw, similar to glass-blowing. This practice was eventually prohibited in Japan as unhygienic, although other means of introducing blown air may be used.[6]

See also

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Amezaiku artist Masaji Terasawa performs at a Japanese festival

References

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  1. ^ "The Colors of Cool". Public Relations Office, Government of Japan. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  2. ^ Inaba, Chiho; Maruoka, Yukari; Ishikawa, Airi (13 February 2010). "Amezaiku". The Kyoto Project. Kyoto University of Foreign Studies. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  3. ^ Wetherille, Kelly (3 April 2014). "Candy Made With Craftsmanship". New York Times. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Amezaiku history". Amezaiku (in Japanese). 2002. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  5. ^ "飴細工" [Amezaiku]. Encyclopedia of Japanese Culture (in Japanese). 2004. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  6. ^ a b Kiritani, Elizabeth (1995). Vanishing Japan: Traditions, Crafts, & Culture (1st ed.). Rutland, Vt.: C.E. Tuttle. pp. 18–21. ISBN 978-0-8048-1967-1.

Other facts and History

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Amezaiku (飴細工) is the traditional Japanese art of sculpting intricate figures from soft, heated candy. The art form has deep historical roots in a similar, older Chinese tradition, and here are details about both. Amezaiku: The Nearly Lost Japanese Art of Candy Sculpture The Chinese Origin: Tang Ren (糖人) Amezaiku was originally imported into Japan from China during the Heian period (794–1185 CE). The original Chinese art is referred to as Tang Ren (糖人, táng rén, literally "sugar person/figure") or the related Chui Tang Ren (吹糖人, chuī táng rén, "blowing sugar person") and Tang Hua (糖画, táng huà, "sugar painting"). Ancient History: The creation of sugar figures in China dates as far back as the Tang Dynasty, where small, molded sugar animals were initially used for religious rituals or as palace snacks. The Blowing Technique: The Chui Tang Ren (chuī táng rén) method explicitly uses a technique of blowing air into a small ball of heated, pliable sugar through a straw or thin pipe to create a hollow, balloon-like figure. This is the very technique that was later adopted in Japan but subsequently banned in the 1970s for hygiene reasons. Tools and Process: Unlike the Japanese reliance primarily on hands and scissors, the Chinese form often uses a small copper or bronze ladle to pour the molten sugar onto a marble or metal surface, quickly shaping it with a spatula or knife, and then using a reed/straw for blowing. Cultural Status: Tang Ren (táng rén) is recognized as a significant piece of intangible cultural heritage in China, with the government and various artists actively working to preserve the craft. Additional Japanese Amezaiku Details Beyond the Chinese origin, here is more information about the Japanese craft: The Art and Process Speed is Paramount: The artisan has only about three to five minutes to sculpt the candy before it cools and hardens permanently. This need for speed requires immense skill and precision and is a key part of the performance. High Heat and Pain Tolerance: The mizuame syrup is heated to a scalding 80–90°C (176–194°F). Apprentices must develop a high tolerance for this heat, as wearing gloves inhibits the necessary dexterity and feel for the candy's consistency. Artisans often report that their hands harden and their nerves die off over time. The Candy Base ("Kinkato"): The base ingredient, mizuame ("water candy"), is a starchy syrup similar to corn syrup. The resulting candy base is a type of kinkato, a simple sugar confectionery. The preparation alone can take up to five hours of boiling to achieve the correct transparency and texture. Achieving White Color: To achieve an opaque white color from the naturally transparent base, the candy is kneaded and pulled by hand, which incorporates tiny air bubbles in a process called sarashi ame (sarashi ame). The Finishing Touch (Heat Lamp): After the sculpture is formed and painted with food dyes using fine brushes, some artists use a small electric burner or heat lamp to briefly heat the surface. This melts away minor imperfections and restores the candy's original glossy, glass-like sheen. Tools: Besides hands and traditional Japanese scissors (wa-basami or nigiri-basami), artisans use tweezers and fine paintbrushes to add details like eyes, scales, or fine patterns. The scissors are often custom-made for each artisan and are distinct from standard household scissors. History and Culture Edo Period Street Culture: During the Edo period (1603–1868), amezaiku became widely available to the public. Vendors (ame shokunin) entertained crowds with magic tricks and stories while rapidly creating candy figures, making the experience as much a performance as a sale. The most common design was a bird, leading to the nickname ame no tori ("candy birds") for the craft during this era. Artistic Documentation: The American painter Robert Frederick Blum documented the street performance aspect of the craft in his 1890 painting, "The Ameya," a work that brought Western recognition to the craft. Apprenticeship and Decline: The craft has historically been taught through a rigorous master/apprentice model, with no official written literature on the process. The difficulty, low income potential, and hygiene laws led to a significant decline in practitioners. Estimates suggest fewer than 100 skilled craftspeople (takumi) remain in Japan. Modernization: Contemporary artists such as Shinri Tezuka and Takahiro Yoshihara have established permanent, modern shops in Tokyo to bypass the street vendor regulations. They use social media to showcase hyper-realistic, "Instagram-friendly" creations of animals like goldfish and frogs to a global audience, thus keeping the tradition alive. International Presence: For many years, an amezaiku artist named Miyuki was a popular attraction at the Japan Pavilion in Disney World's Epcot Center, bringing the art form to an international audience.

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