The Art of Japanese Craft

The Art of Japanese Craft
Author: Felice Fischer
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 64
Release: 2008
Genre: Art
ISBN:

From Japan's first forays onto the international stage of world's fairs in the late 19th century to the dynamic creativity of the 1920 and 1930s, from the heady post-World War II period to the present day, Japanese crafts have exhibited a rich diversity of media and techniques. One of the first illustrated surveys in English of modern-era Japanese crafts--including ceramics, lacquerware, metalcraft, and wood--this elegant book, with 70 color illustrations, is an invaluable guide for the collector and scholar. Focusing on an important collection of Japanese crafts destined for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the text discusses the artists and ideas that shaped and defined the aesthetic of 20th-century Japan, noting that this nation--which so deeply appreciates and fosters its crafts traditions--hails its artists as "living national treasures." The book also includes artists' biographies and reproductions of their signatures and marks. Published in association with the Philadelphia Museum of Art Exhibition Schedule: Philadelphia Museum of Art (December 6, 2008 - fall 2009)

Art of the Japanese Sword

Art of the Japanese Sword
Author: Yoshindo Yoshihara
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Total Pages: 592
Release: 2012-09-10
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 1462909965

In The Art of the Japanese Sword, master swordsmith Yoshindo Yoshihara offers a detailed look at the entire process of Japanese sword making, including the finishing and appreciation of Japanese blades. Japanese sword art stands out in many ways: functionality as a weapon, sophisticated metallurgy and metalsmithing, the shape of the blade itself--all contribute to the beauty of these remarkable weapons. The Art of the Japanese Sword conveys to the reader Japanese samurai sword history and Japanese sword care, as well as explaining how to view and appreciate a blade. With 256 full-color pages, this sword book illustrates in meticulous detail how modern craftsmen use traditional methods to prepare their steel, forge the sword and create the unique hardened edge. By gaining a good understanding of how a sword is actually made, the reader will be able to appreciate the samurai sword more fully. Topics include: Appreciating the Japanese sword History of the Japanese sword Traditional Japanese steelmaking Making the sword Finishing the sword

Craft Culture in Early Modern Japan

Craft Culture in Early Modern Japan
Author: Christine Guth
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2021-09-21
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0520379810

"Crafts were central to daily life in early modern Japan. They were powerful carriers of knowledge, sociality, and identity, and how and from what materials they were made were matters of serious concern among all classes of society. In Craft Culture in Early Modern Japan, Christine M. E. Guth examines the network of forces--both material and immaterial--that supported Japan's rich, diverse, and aesthetically sophisticated artifactual culture between the late sixteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries. Exploring the institutions, modes of thought, and reciprocal relationships among people, materials, and tools, she draws particular attention to the role of women in crafts, embodied knowledge, and the special place of lacquer as a medium. By examining the ways and values of making that transcend specific media and practices, Guth illuminates the 'craft culture' of early modern Japan"--

The Influence of Japanese Art on Design

The Influence of Japanese Art on Design
Author: Hannah Sigur
Publisher: Gibbs Smith
Total Pages: 222
Release: 2008
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1586857495

During America's Gilded Age (dates), the country was swept by a mania for all things Japanese. It spread from coast to coast, enticed everyone from robber barons to street vendors with its allure, and touched every aspect of life from patent medicines to wallpaper. Americans of the time found in Japanese art every design language: modernism or tradition, abstraction or realism, technical virtuosity or unfettered naturalism, craft or art, romance or functionalism. The art of Japan had a huge influence on American art and design. Title compares juxtapositions of American glass, silver and metal arts, ceramics, textiles, furniture, jewelry, advertising, and packaging with a spectrum of Japanese material ranging from expensive one-of-a-kind art crafts to mass-produced ephemera. Beginning in the Aesthetic movement, this book continues through the Arts & Crafts era and ends in Frank Lloyd Wright's vision, showing the reader how that model became transformed from Japanese to American in design and concept. Hannah Sigur is an art historian, writer, and editor with eight years' residence and study in East and Southeast Asia. She has a master's degree from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and is completing a PhD in the arts of Japan. Her writings include co-authoring A Master Guide to the Art of Floral Design (Timber Press, 2002), which is listed in "The Best Books of 2002" by The Christian Science Monitor and is now in its second edition; and "The Golden Ideal: Chinese Landscape Themes in Japanese Art," in Lotus Leaves, A Master Guide to the Art of Floral Design (2001). She lives in Berkeley.

The Craft of the Japanese Sword

The Craft of the Japanese Sword
Author: Leon Kapp
Publisher: Kodansha International
Total Pages: 176
Release: 1987
Genre: Antiques & Collectibles
ISBN: 9780870117985

From raw steel to tempered blade, this text presents a visual account of thencient craft of swordmaking as practiced in modern Japan.

Art of Japanese Architecture

Art of Japanese Architecture
Author: David Young
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Total Pages: 188
Release: 2019-03-26
Genre: Photography
ISBN: 1462906575

The Art of Japanese Architecture presents a complete overview of Japanese architecture in its historical and cultural context. The book begins with a discussion of early prehistoric dwellings and concludes with a description of works by important modern Japanese architects. Along the way it discusses the iconic buildings and architectural styles for which Japan is so justly famous--from elegant Shinden and Sukiya aristocratic villas like the Kinkakuji "Golden Pavilion" in Kyoto, to imposing Samurai castles like Himeji and Matsumoto, and tranquil Zen Buddhist gardens and tea houses to rural Minka thatched-roof farmhouses and Shinto shrines. Each period in the development of Japan's architecture is described in detail and the most important structures are shown and discussed--including dozens of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The aesthetic trends in each period are presented within the context of Japanese society at the time, providing a unique in-depth understanding of the way Japanese architectural styles and buildings have developed over time and the great variety that is visible today. The book is profusely illustrated with hundreds of hand-drawn 3D watercolor illustrations and color photos as well as prints, maps and diagrams. The new edition features dozens of new photographs and a handy hardcover format that is perfect for travelers.

The Art of Kintsugi

The Art of Kintsugi
Author: Alexandra Kitty
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing
Total Pages: 96
Release: 2020
Genre: Crafts & Hobbies
ISBN: 9780764360541

"Beauty in imperfection! Learn the ancient Japanese art of kintsugi and understand why, in the way of kintsugi artists, broken is better than new. This is your guide to putting the pieces back together to restore broken plates, vases, and other ceramics and glass items to be even better than before. Starting with repairing a simple dent or crack, you'll gain the skills to reconstruct goblets, vases, plates, spherical objects, and statues. Transform your broken pieces and heirlooms or create new works of art and wearable art with this method. Explore kintsugi's fascinating origins in 1400s Japan, its history, and its philosophy, along with ways to push the boundaries for your creations today. As you repair ceramic and glass objects--kintsugi works both for precious and thrift-store-level items--you'll learn the traditional methods as well as modern methods not taught elsewhere. You'll soon appreciate why kintsugi is the only Japanese art form that has taken a spiritual philosophy as its very purpose."--Provided by publisher.

The Japanese Art of the Cocktail

The Japanese Art of the Cocktail
Author: Masahiro Urushido
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2021
Genre: Cooking
ISBN: 0358362024

The first cocktail book from the award-winning mixologist Masahiro Urushido of Katana Kitten in New York City, on the craft of Japanese cocktail making Katana Kitten, one of the world's most prominent and acclaimed Japanese cocktail bars, was opened in 2018 by highly-respected and award-winning mixologist Masahiro Urushido. Just one year later, the bar won 2019 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best New American Cocktail Bar. Before Katana Kitten, Urushido honed his craft over several years behind the bar of award-winning eatery Saxon+Parole. In The Japanese Art of the Cocktail, Urushido shares his immense knowledge of Japanese cocktails with eighty recipes that best exemplify Japan's contribution to the cocktail scene, both from his own bar and from Japanese mixologists worldwide. Urushido delves into what exactly constitutes the Japanese approach to cocktails, and demystifies the techniques that have been handed down over generations, all captured in stunning photography.

Handmade in Japan

Handmade in Japan
Author: Gestalten
Publisher: Gestalten
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2020-03-31
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9783899559927

Discover the exceptional artistry and rich traditions being kept alive by Japanese artisans in the twenty-first century. In an era where global interest in handmade, small-batch products is heightening as a response to mass production, Handmade in Japan takes a look inside the workshops of the country's artisans, revealing their endless pursuit of excellence, and what it means to dedicate one's life to the stewardship of irreplaceable cultural heritage. International readers with an appreciation for handmade processes using sustainable materials will find inspiration in the exploration of craft ecosystems, such as the harvesting of natural lacquer in Iwate. Likewise, those who admire skill and beauty will enjoy discovering the lengths these makers go to in ensuring every product is perfect.

The Genius of Japanese Carpentry

The Genius of Japanese Carpentry
Author: Azby Brown
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2014-01-07
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1462913784

The Genius of Japanese Carpentry tells the story of the 1200-year-old Yakushiji monastery in Nara and the dedicated modern-day craftsmen who are working to restore what has been lost to the depredations of time, fire and warfare. Although the full monastery reconstruction will not be completed until 2030, one of the main temples, the Picture Hall, has been completely restored employing the same woodworking technology used to create the original building. This new edition of an architectural classic is by Azby Brown—one of the world's leading experts on Japanese architecture. It contains a new preface and many new text materials and photographs—most of them now available in color for the first time. Azby Brown chronicles the painstaking restoration of the temple through extensive interviews with the carpenters and woodworkers along with original drawings based on the plans of master carpenter Tsunekazu Nishioka. An inspiring testament to the dedication of these craftsmen and their philosophy of carpentry work as a form of personal fulfillment, The Genius of Japanese Carpentry offers detailed documentation of this singular project and a moving reminder of the unique cultural continuity found in Japan.