karamono 唐物

Lit. Chinese things. The term is especially common in *chanoyu 茶湯 to designate paintings, ceramics, lacquerware, textiles, and other crafts, but has been used in a variety of contexts since the 8th century. The appeal of karamono, as distinct from *wamono 和物 or Japanese objects, is rooted in a fascination with the exoticism and prestige of Chinese culture. However, many karamono were not produced in China but came from Korea or other regions. Reverence for karamono is often associated with Ashikaga Yoshimasa 足利義政 (1436-90) whose collection of them was unsurpassed.