Inspired design : Japan's traditional arts
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Inspired design : Japan's traditional arts
5 Continents, c2005
Available at 12 libraries
  Aomori
  Iwate
  Miyagi
  Akita
  Yamagata
  Fukushima
  Ibaraki
  Tochigi
  Gunma
  Saitama
  Chiba
  Tokyo
  Kanagawa
  Niigata
  Toyama
  Ishikawa
  Fukui
  Yamanashi
  Nagano
  Gifu
  Shizuoka
  Aichi
  Mie
  Shiga
  Kyoto
  Osaka
  Hyogo
  Nara
  Wakayama
  Tottori
  Shimane
  Okayama
  Hiroshima
  Yamaguchi
  Tokushima
  Kagawa
  Ehime
  Kochi
  Fukuoka
  Saga
  Nagasaki
  Kumamoto
  Oita
  Miyazaki
  Kagoshima
  Okinawa
  Korea
  China
  Thailand
  United Kingdom
  Germany
  Switzerland
  France
  Belgium
  Netherlands
  Sweden
  Norway
  United States of America
Note
Bibliography: p. 314-315
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Almost every visitor to Japan finds him/herself fascinated by locally manufactured objects - perhaps a pair of chopsticks that cleverly employs the node of a bamboo stem, a box of matches with bold calligraphy, or an artistic arrangement of steppingstones in the garden of a temple - the designs of which reveal a unique genius unlike anything that is seen elsewhere. The Japanese artisan seems to have an uncanny knack of being able to look at basic materials - clay, fabric or metal, and imagine what he can make out of them - in a way that is markedly different from the way that they are looked at in other countries. Inspired Design covers the whole range of traditional crafts made in Japan, both historic and contemporary. Starting with a description of the land of Japan, stretching from Siberian forests (Hokkaido island) to the sub-tropical islands of Okinawa, and its natural materials - animal, vegetable and mineral - the book describes how Japanese artisans have used these raw materials to make a vast variety of extraordinarily designed crafts, many of which are different from those seen elsewhere.
The introductory essay addresses the unique genius of Japanese design resulting from a combination of forces: nature, the aesthetic principles of Zen in art, the the influence of the tea masters on artistic experession etc. The introduction also addresses the place of craftsmen in pre-modern Japanese society, apprenticeship and the transmission of techniques, and how different types of crafts were made for different social classes. The three main parts of the book are devoted to: crafts made from animal products (part I), including imported ivory, tortoise-shell, stag-antler, leather, shark and ray skin; crafts made from vegetable products (part II), including wood, bamboo, straw and reeds, lacquer, hemp, linen, paper; crafts made from mineral products (part III), including stone, ceramic, metals. Throughout the book particular aspects of Japanese society necessary to understand the use of the artefacts are explained; from the tea ceremony to how the Japanese bathe, from the use of masks in performing arts to the Japanese art of wrapping. A glossary of Japanese terms is included.
by "Nielsen BookData"