Download or read book Handmade in Japan written by Gestalten and published by Gestalten. This book was released on 2020-03-31 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Japan Crafts Sourcebook written by Japan Craft Forum and published by Kodansha. This book was released on 1996 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book to present today's traditional crafts under one cover and the first and only guide to the contemporary craft centers of Japan. A monumental effort seven years in the making, the Japan Crafts Sourcebook catalogs an array of items found throughout the country and discusses their history, background, and contemporary standing. An insightful introduction by Diane Durston delves into the intricacies of Japanese craft and contemplates the future of Japan's ongoing artisan traditions. With over ninety items from all genres - textiles, ceramics, wood, bamboo, lacquer, paper, and metal - and a wealth of illustrations, the Japan Crafts Sourcebook provides the perfect introduction to this cherished but vanishing world, and will prove invaluable for artists, craftspeople, designers, researchers, and lovers of the handmade object everywhere.

Download or read book Traditional craftsmanship in Japan written by Hermann Candahashi and published by tredition. This book was released on 2024-01-23 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dear readers, I am pleased to present to you, after a longer time of research and preparation, my new book on Japanese craftsmanship. Like all the creations within it, this book adheres to the principle of Wabi-Sabi and cannot illuminate all facets and characteristics of this vast realm of Japanese traditions. Nevertheless, it may be suitable to inspire you to further explore aspects of these fascinating art forms. If I succeed in this with you, I would have achieved my goal. An excerpt: "Japanese craftsmanship possesses the unique ability to blend artistry and functionality. It spans from the traditional tea ceremony to intricately crafted ceramics, from finely carved woodwork to breathtaking textiles. These traditions are passed down from generation to generation, serving as expressions not only of skill but also of deep cultural and religious significance. Imperfection in them is not seen as failure, as it might be in Western countries, but rather as a path to a rarely attained perfection. A key aspect of Japanese craftsmanship is the reverence for nature and simplicity. Many artisans draw inspiration from nature, whether it be the elegant line of a bonsai tree or the flowing movement of a koi fish. This connection to nature is reflected not only in the motifs but also in the materials used. Wood, bamboo, paper, and silk often form the foundation for these artistic creations. The transmission of craftsmanship occurs in specialized workshops, where masters of their craft pass on their skills to apprentices. These apprenticeships are characterized by dedication, discipline, and a profound respect for the craft. Apprentices not only learn the technical skills but also the philosophy behind each technique. It is this fusion of technique and spirituality that makes Japanese craftsmanship truly unique. One of the most fascinating examples of traditional craftsmanship in Japan is the art of Kintsugi, the repair of ceramics with a mixture of gold or silver lacquer. Instead of hiding the breakages, they are accentuated with precious metals, adding not only an aesthetic element but also conveying a philosophical message – the beauty of repair and the appreciation for the impermanent. In the upcoming chapters, we will delve into the various facets of Japanese craftsmanship, from the intricate Noh masks to the precise artistry of Samurai swords. Join us on a journey through centuries of tradition and innovation as we explore the legacy of Japanese craftsmanship..."

Download or read book Traditional Arts and Crafts of Japan written by Christopher Dresser and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 1994-01-01 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Great Victorian classic offers unsurpassed coverage of architecture, ornament, pottery, calligraphy, drawing, lacquerware, metalware, textiles, religious symbols and more. Fascinating insights into Japanese culture: dancing girls, hara-kiri, tea-drinking ceremony, shrines and scenery, vegetation, etc. Over 200 exquisitely drawn illustrations. A delight for art and antique collectors, art historians, crafts enthusiasts, any lover of Japan.

Download or read book The Traditional Crafts of Japan Wood and bamboo written by and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 1. Textiles I--2. Textiles II--3. Cermanics--4. Lacquerware--5. Wood and Bamboo--6. Metal and Stone--7. Paper and Dolls--8. Writing utensils and household Buddhist altars--A. Weaving and Dyeing--B. Ceramics and Lacquer--C. Woodworking and Metalworking--D. Papermaking and Brushes and Sumi ink.

Download or read book Vanishing Japan written by Elizabeth Kiritani and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2012-01-17 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This classic text of Japanese culture contains a wealth of information about traditional Japan and Japanese customs. Pawnshops and handmade paper, shoe shiners and Shinto jugglers, money rakes and mosquito netting--all these were once a familiar part of daily life in Japan. Many elements of that daily life, like the Obon dances and oreiboko apprenticeships, have no counterpart in any other culture: they are purely unique to Japan. But with the tremendous changes of the modern age, most traces of traditional life in Japan are fast disappearing, soon to be gone forever. Still, there are a few holdouts, especially in Japan's shitamachi, or working-class neighborhoods, where many of the survivors of Japanese crafts, art forms, and festivals are making their last stand. Vanishing Japan is a must-read for tourists, historians, architects, or artists who are interested in Japanese culture.

Download or read book The Genius of Japanese Carpentry written by Azby Brown and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2014-01-07 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book The Craft of the Japanese Sword written by Leon Kapp and published by Kodansha International. This book was released on 1987 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From raw steel to tempered blade, this text presents a visual account of thencient craft of swordmaking as practiced in modern Japan.

Download or read book Japanese Crafts written by Japan Craft Forum and published by Kodansha. This book was released on 2001 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Japan Craft Forum - an association of traditional craftsmen and womenhich maintains and promotes irreplaceable skills and techniques - presentsn illustrated volume of Japan's traditional crafts. The chapters cover suchopics as: ceramics; textiles; woodcraft; bamboo; and lacquer ware. Aibliography of books in English, a bilingual glossary and crafts index, and bilingual index of craft museums and centres in Japan are also included.

Download or read book Japanese Studio Crafts written by Rupert Faulkner and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A beautiful presentation of outstanding works of craft being created in Japan today.

Download or read book Handmade Culture written by Morgan Pitelka and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2005-10-31 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Handmade Culture is the first comprehensive and cohesive study in any language to examine Raku, one of Japan’s most famous arts and a pottery technique practiced around the world. More than a history of ceramics, this innovative work considers four centuries of cultural invention and reinvention during times of both political stasis and socioeconomic upheaval. It combines scholarly erudition with an accessible story through its lively and lucid prose and its generous illustrations. The author’s own experiences as the son of a professional potter and a historian inform his unique interdisciplinary approach, manifested particularly in his sensitivity to both technical ceramic issues and theoretical historical concerns. Handmade Culture makes ample use of archaeological evidence, heirloom ceramics, tea diaries, letters, woodblock prints, and gazetteers and other publications to narrate the compelling history of Raku, a fresh approach that sheds light not only on an important traditional art from Japan, but on the study of cultural history itself.

Download or read book The Art of Japanese Architecture written by David Young and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2019-03-26 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Craftland Japan written by Uwe Röttgen and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2020-05-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A stunning photographic survey of Japan’s most ingenious contemporary artisans. Generations of artisans in Japan have forged and refined their crafts to become the envy of the world. Each of the country’s regions are renowned for specific traditions relating to local materials and the natural world in which they are produced. While tourists and design enthusiasts have long acknowledged the unique history and quality of Japanese craftsmanship, very few crafts have made their way outside the country, preventing many from witnessing the quality of Japanese workmanship for themselves. With the aim of sharing these unseen treasures with the wider world, designers Uwe Röttgen and Katharina Zettl set out to find the finest examples of Japanese craftsmanship, traveling around the country to document the makers, their workshops, and the landscapes that influence them. Craftland Japan is the result of this extraordinary journey into the heart of Japanese culture. Featuring twenty-five expert artisans, Craftland Japan reveals the techniques and materials that are used to produce a wide variety of beautiful objects, from porcelain bowls to indigo-dyed fabrics to paper. This book is a celebration of how Japan’s union of craft, design, materiality, and landscape continue to flourish in contemporary interpretation, however much the world around them has changed.

Download or read book Japanese Wooden Boatbuilding written by Douglas Brooks and published by . This book was released on 2021-09 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the story of the author's apprenticeships with Japanese masters to build five unique and endangered traditional boats. It is part ethnography, part instruction, and part the personal story of a wooden boatbuilder fueled by a passion to preserve a craft tradition on the brink of extinction. Over the course of 17 trips to Japan, Douglas Brooks traveled over 30,000 miles to seek out and interview Japan's elderly master boatbuilders; he built boats with five of them, all in their seventies and eighties, between 1996 and 2010. For most of them, Brooks was their sole and last apprentice. Part I introduces significant aspects of traditional Japanese boatbuilding: design, workshop and tools, wood and materials, joinery and fastenings, propulsion, ceremonies, and the apprenticeship system. Part II details each of his five apprenticeships, concluding with a poignant chapter on Japan's sole remaining traditional shipwright. This fascinating book fills a large and long-standing gap in the literature on Japanese crafts, and will be of interest to boatbuilders, woodworkers, and all those impressed with the marvels of Japanese design and workmanship.

Download or read book The Beauty of Everyday Things written by Soetsu Yanagi and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2019-01-31 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The daily lives of ordinary people are replete with objects, common things used in commonplace settings. These objects are our constant companions in life. As such, writes Soetsu Yanagi, they should be made with care and built to last, treated with respect and even affection. They should be natural and simple, sturdy and safe - the aesthetic result of wholeheartedly fulfilling utilitarian needs. They should, in short, be things of beauty. In an age of feeble and ugly machine-made things, these essays call for us to deepen and transform our relationship with the objects that surround us. Inspired by the work of the simple, humble craftsmen Yanagi encountered during his lifelong travels through Japan and Korea, they are an earnest defence of modest, honest, handcrafted things - from traditional teacups to jars to cloth and paper. Objects like these exemplify the enduring appeal of simplicity and function: the beauty of everyday things.

Download or read book Omiyage written by Kumiko Sudo and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2012-09-18 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bestselling author Kumiko Sudo creates 45 exquisite handmade gifts in fabric, each with a flair that is uniquely Japanese. Easy-to-follow patterns, beautiful photographs, and colorful step-by-step drawings help the projects come together quickly--many in less than an hour. Whether they are created in kimono silks or in contemporary cottons, these tiny boxes, purses, decorative toys, incense pouches, and good luck charms all make delightful gifts.

Download or read book Inspired Design written by Michael Dunn and published by 5 Continents Editions. This book was released on 2005 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title covers a huge range of Japanese traditional crafts - both historic and contemporary. It includes a comprehensive introductory essay and a glossary of Japanese terms.