The idea of “cultivating a noble spirit in outward poverty” is one of the basic ethical principles formulated in the 13th century by Dogen Zenji, the founder of the Japanese Soto School of Zen, and it is also closely related to the aesthetic concept of wabi-sabi. The wabi-sabi ideal of beauty centres on simplicity, modesty and restraint, preferring for instance the ash-glazed to the glossy, the profound to the superficial, the austere to the ornate.
The packaging for the miniatures by Austrian ceramist Thomas Bohle was designed for an exhibition in Tokyo and seems to be a visual expression of these ideals. Reflecting the formal rigour and elegance of the ceramic vessels, the packaging complements their quality with a self-contained and sophisticated solution. The particular folding of the double-layered cardboard makes the boxes open like blossoms that present the ceramic vessels as the central elements of a unity. The reduced design of the box features a cardboard inlay consisting of rings which can be added or removed to fit the size of the ceramic object and hold it perfectly in place as if displayed on a small stand. The lid of the box features a small envelope containing the product portfolio en miniature.
Reference:
http://www.red-dot.de/
