Product Description
The remarkable phenomenon of the twenty-first-century art world is contemporary Asian art. Fueled by a newfound openness in the East, and by an economic boom that has promoted a vibrant cultural confidence, art made in Asia or by Asian artists since the 1990s has become dynamic and exciting, acknowledged and appreciated by collectors, critics, and curators.

This authoritative, wide-ranging volume surveys the contemporary art of Asia, examining key issues and themes: art’s relationship to history and tradition, its engagement with politics, society, and the state, its exploration of consumerism and popular culture, and its interplay with the urban environment.

Artists range from the established—Nam June Paik, On Kawara, Yoko Ono, Cai Guo-Qiang, Takashi Murakami—to the emerging—Indonesian cartoon artist Wedhar Riyadi, Mongolian site-specific artist Chaolun Baatar, Pakistani graffiti artist Naiza Khan, Vietnamese-American photo artist Dinh Q. Le, and many more. Together, these artists represent the range of Asian countries, from Indonesia to Japan, Uzbekistan to South Korea, Iran to China. More than 230 sumptuous illustrations capture the full scope of the artists’ practice, from calligraphy, painting, sculpture, and photography to performance, installation, video, and Internet art. Complete with comprehensive biographies, Asian Art Now is both a superb critical overview and the consummate visual reference. ... Read more

Product Description
Fighting arts are as old as man himself and as varied as his languages. In Asia they developed to a degree of effectiveness probably unsurpassed elsewhere in the world. This book explains the relationships between fighting arts, assesses their strengths and weaknesses, and presents new material about hitherto unknown fighting methods. Written by two of the best-known and most widely published authorities in the field, it covers fighting methods and techniques found in eleven Asian countries-fighting techniques that range from the artful Chinese tai-chi and Burmese bando to Japanese jujutsu and the lethal pentjak-silat of Indonesia.

Documentation of these has been supplemented with a wealth of fascinating anecdotes. The reader learns of the daring exploits of the Japanese ninja, of Gama, perhaps the greatest of the great Indian wrestlers, of the Indonesian "trance" fighters-and hundreds of other tales that serve to illustrate some of the most deadly fighting systems that the world has known.

The volume is illustrated with over two hundred photographs and drawings, many of them depicting combat styles and techniques that have never been seen in the West. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts (Bushido - The Way of the Warrior)
Authors Donn F. Draeger and Robert W. Smith are well known experts in martial arts. The late Draeger was a recognized practitioner in several martial arts, a prolific author whose works are standard in aspects of the fighting arts.Smith, a teacher, author and expert on Chinese forms and techniques, extends his interest in this book to all Asian fighting arts. This extended edition in large paperback format,of the older version, Asian Fighting Arts, contains more than 200 photographs and drawings showing combat styles and techniques not seen before in western culture.
Considered a standard and definitive text in the field, it explains the relationships among the fighting arts, methods and techniques found in eleven Asian countries and a wealth of anecdotal material to illustrate some of the 'deadliest' fighting systems. A must for any martial arts library.

comprehensive, but ... accurate?
A nice overview of various martial arts taught in obscure and less obscure places. I think I most enjoyed the accounts of Pakistani and Indian wrestlers like Gama. These seem to be forgotten martial artists. There was also some interesting information about the martial arts of Indochina.

I give it one less star than perfect, as these same authors have been known to at least tell some tall tales under a psuedonym ("John F. Gilbey" is one of the two). Since I am no scholar of the martial arts, but rather a sort of consumer of them, I can't really tell if they're pulling our legs anywhere in this book. Some of the Okinawan stuff (which I am actually familiar with the history and practise of) was a bit sketchy, or at least poorly explained. I suspect the farther afield these guys get with the arts covered, the more stuff you might find like that. Who is going to check?

Good Study, Long on Scholarship
If you're looking for a how-to manual on any particular martial art or set of martial arts, go elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you're interested in a succinct history of martial arts from the Far East, then you're in luck. This is an older book in martial arts circles, but I think, if anything, that helps it. It's able to deliver its message without all the politics that have influenced martial arts over the last 35 years. On the other hand, there's been quite a bit more sholarship that would help the book considerably.
The book is well written. The authors provide plenty of english translations of the terms they use, so you're never left in the dark. I think the section on Okinawa, rightly seperated from China & Japan, was a bit short. This, and a bit of over emphasis on styles that didn't seem adequately representative of the art under discussion.
It's informative and a good read. Hard to say much more good about a book.

The best history of martial arts...ever
I found this book through a memorial to Draeger printed on a martial arts group. I bought several of his books but I am the most impressed with this one.Draeger and Smith do a great job of tackling an intense project.There is an overview of martial arts from around the world.The research for this is amazing.One may have faults with some of their statements but this is still a book that I return to again and again.If you want the history of martial arts then this is perhaps the only real choice. A must for your martial arts library.

Classic but outdated
Still a classic of martial arts literature after many decades.One reason the book has held up at all to time is simply that both authors are great writers and researchers as well as being accomplished martial artists.The writing has an academic quality not usually found in the martial arts books and magazines, which are often aimed at the lesser lights among us.In fact, I am too embarressed to be seen reading a copy of Black belt magazine nowadays, unless I have it hidden inside a copy of Hustler perhaps.

Yet the book has not held up in all aspects.Since it was written, there have been whole worlds of knowledge opened up to martial arts practitioners.This book was written in the dark ages, when real knowledge was kept hidden and what was taught openly was worse than garbage.Not only have many masters brought their arts into the open, but new trends have developed, new paradigms set, myths destroyed and more.

Something of this scope and quality is sorely needed today.Draeger is dead.Smith hasn't publshed anything recently that I am aware of.It may be up to someone else to do an updated survey of the martial arts.

Still a classic and a necessary part of any MA library. ... Read more

Product Description
Asian Art is the first comprehensive anthology of important primary documents and key contemporary scholarship on Asian art history.

• Traces the rich artistic traditions in China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia across time periods, media, cultural contexts, and geography - from the terracotta armies of the First Emperor of Qin to late 20th-century installation art
  
• Covers both imperially commissioned works and popular, vernacular art
  
• Includes an accessible introduction which provides suggestions of thematic connections across the vast array of visual culture and historical time covered
  
• Captures the diversity and depth of Asian art through primary documents - from inscriptions and imperial decrees to writings by artists and travellers - and through examples of the very best scholarship in the field
  
• 
  

  Features introductory material for each extract, an easy-to-navigate chronological structure, and has been extensively tested by the editors and their colleagues in classrooms.

Customer Reviews (5)

Needed for a class...
This was an older edition, but it is good shape and arrived without any issues. The teacher even suggested looking for an older edition to save us money. This fit the bill. Thank you.

Good, but needs some more editing and better visuals
La Plante's text is able to give you a good feel for the artistic culture of India, China, and Japan over the past several millennia, which is an immense task that he does well. This book, however, has pretty disappointing flaws.

Reviewers of this book have alrady excoriated it for lousy pictures, and while this does not destroy the book's good value, these complaints are valid. The picture of Mohenjo-Daro's "High Priest" statue is heavily shadowed, and many of the black-and-white photos simply do not do justice to the material. Even if the publisher refused to suck it up and splurge on more color, shots with a better layout and lighting would do wonders.

Another gripe is more technical, but could really confuse someone who is not familiar with Chinese names. La Plante, as a preface to his section on China, notes that he uses the Pinyin system of transcribing Chinese sounds into the Roman alphabet. For the most part, yes, he does use Pinyin, but he isn't entirely consistent. The great historian of China, Sima Qian, is spelled "Sima Chien", where "Sima" is in pinyin but "Chien" uses another transcription system. There are several other similar glitches. It's a silly mistake to make, and could throw off a student who is probably already intimidated by Chinese pronunciations.

The book does an excellent job of teaching you about different civilizations' artwork, especially considering the immensity of the cultures that are discussed and the relative thinness of the book--I just wish that some of these quirks would get ironed in the next editions, because then this book would really shine.

Has potential, but...
This has the potential to be a much-needed alternative to the classic introduction to Asian art by Lee, but the text is quite sketchy - it almost seems a write-up of LaPlante's lecture notes - and the illustrations are dreadful, certainly not anywhere close to the standards of contemporary art publishing.There are surprising gaps; there is no mention of Tori Busshi as the sculptor of the Shaka Triad at Horyu-ji, for example.Some line drawings are gawd-awful.With better editing and good pictures, this would be an excellent text.

Excellent Alternative to Sherman Lee
This text offers a basic survey of Asian Art history. Unlike A History of Far Eastern Art, by Sherman Lee, which is disproportionately weighted towards Chinese painting, La Planteis careful to balance between the three major art historical traditions of Asia (India, China, Japan). The author also covers developments in contemporary Asian art, as well as often neglected Islamic traditions in India. unfortunately, the book is not lavishly illustrated, but this is reflected in the reduced price, which makes the book more affordable for many students.

Interesting, but where are the pictures?
La Plante gives a great historical context to the art he describes.This helps to make the subject of Asian Art accessible and alive for the western reader.However, there is a surprising lack of visual images, consideringthe book's art-related content.And, most of the images are smallblack-and-whites.There are only a few select color photos.This makes ithard for the reader to fully appreciate and enjoy this subject.The bookis organized chronologically by country and covers India, China, and Japan. Painting, architecture, sculpture, and ceramics are the main types of artdiscussed.La Plante defines obscure terminology at the end of eachchapter, which is helpful.Altogether, a fine read for contextualinformation, best if paired with a good source of visual images of artsfrom ancient Asia. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Beautiful unparalleled book of the period
This is a beautiful book with text and photographs of the period art that cannot be found elsewhere. These Asian American artists of this first generation of immigrants lived through some problematic treatment and times and their work is relatively unknown by the public.The paperback version is a substantial book about 2 inches thick and it is wonderful that this is available at a reasonable cost that allows more people to own and experience it.This is also a lovely gift.

about time
It's about time we had a volume devoted to Asian American art history.The book is history in the making itself.A wonderful resource and highly recommended.

Asian American Art: a History 1850-1970
The most comprehensive work on this subject, which is a part of American art history but neglectedby academia. In recent years works on this subject start to appear on the market place, but no other book went the distance as this one does. A lot of blank areas of the Asian artists in American is reviewed or mentioned but on the survey end, however, there is no other book like this. A must read book if you are interested in the Asian American history, a must have if you are interested in the Asian artists and their historical positions in America, the book will take you to the beginning of the story and bring one closer to the now. ... Read more

Product Description
The definitive volume on contemporary Asian art, this illustrated book is the first to survey art created in Asia or by Asian artists from the 1990s onwards. In four thematic chapters, the full scope of Asian art is covered, from calligraphy and ceramics, to installation and internet art. The book provides a critical overview of the work of established stars Takashi Murakami and Zhang Huan, as well as emerging talents such as Indonesian cartoon artist Wedhar Riyadi and Pakistani graffiti artist Naiza H. Khan. With 200 colour illustrations and nearly 200 artists biographies, this is an indispensable introduction to contemporary art in Asia. ... Read more

Product Description
Modern Asian Art is a seminal publication focusing on the modern art of Japan, China, India, Thailand and Indonesia. Clark offers a unique viewpoint, debunking the idea of a single 'modern Asian art' and of a one-way flow of influence from West to East, presenting instead a complex ebb and flow of information and transformation, where many diverse modernisms interact. Through a series of empirical micro-histories the book proceeds to look closely at the conditions for art practice in each country. Prehistories, colonialism, transfers of information, the application of neotraditional art, arts infrastructure, types of artist, modes of exhibition, domains of practice, the avant-garde movement, the influence of nationalism, and issues of integration and autonomy are rigorously explored by the author. The dynamic realm of contemporary Asian art, which today takes the international stage, is also highlighted in later chapters. Modern Asian Art is a scholarly publication that offers specialists - academics, art historians and curators - a sophisticated reading of modern art discourses, while presenting the general reader and student of modern and contemporary Asian art with an insight into the art and recent histories of the Asian region. ... Read more

Product Description
For the fifth edition of his internationally renowned The Arts of China, Michael Sullivan has thoroughly revised and expanded every chapter of this classic history of Chinese art from the Neolithic period to the present day. This new edition reflects the latest archaeological discoveries, pays greater attention to the art of calligraphy, provides more information on Chan (Zen) art, and takes a close look at contemporary art. New images have been added to almost every chapter: the work now features more than four hundred photographs, maps, and illustrations, with more than two-thirds of them in full color.
Written in the engaging and lucid style that is Sullivan's hallmark, The Arts of China is readily accessible to general readers as well as serious students of art history. Sullivan's approach remains true to the way the Chinese themselves view art, providing readers with a sense of the sweep of history through China's dynasties. This organizational strategy makes it easy for readers to understand the distinct characteristics of each period of art and to gain a clearer view of how Chinese art has changed in relation to its historical context. With many improvements that bring it fully up to date, The Arts of China will remain the most comprehensive and widely read introduction to the history of Chinese art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Serves its purpose
I bought this book for a class, and I've been satisfied with it. The pictures are nearly all in color. The few pictures that are not in color, are usually not in color because we only have black and white photographs left. I would have appreciated greater information on the pieces in the illustrations. Sometimes a piece is pictured as an example without the caption or text going into exactly what aspects of the piece make it a typical example of the period. I had to rely more on my professor for that.

The book does a good job at talking about the religious, social, and scientific changes that effect the production and purpose of art.

The writing is very clear but fairly dry and academic, so it's not really a book that makes you want to sit down and read it for hours. I don't think I would have finished it if I wasn't taking a class using it, but I did learn a lot.

Great book with outstanding photos and illustrations!
I purchased this book as my starting book for learning about art in China. The book has beautiful illustrations and outstanding examples of Chinese Art. The text is easy to read while being highly informative. The book traces the history of Chinese Art through the dynasties up to the present. I wouldn't think this is just for the novice. There is enough information here to create an excellent understanding of Chinese Art. This would have to be one of the top books on this topic.

informative and easy to read
This is the textbook for a Chinese art history class I am taking. I don't normally enjoy reading my textbooks, but this one is an exception! It is informative, easy to follow, and written at a great introductory level (I have only had one previous art history class). Chapters are ordered and laid out in a sensible way and it is easy to re-find things and compare, for example, Shang period ritual bronzes to ritual bronzes from the Eastern Zhou.

I feel like this book would be best in conjunction with a class, in order to address other important works and go more in depth on certain topics that are only briefly covered in the book.

Great, colorful pictures!

Good price, too :)

Arts of China, 5th Edition
I am very picky about my textbooks, especially used, but they really sent me one in great condition. The item was as described and arrived in a timely manner. Definitely going to use them for my future textbook needs. Great job! ... Read more

Product Description
In 1925, twelve-year-old Doris Duke inherited a substantial fortune from her father, James B. Duke, a successful industrialist whose family founded the Duke Power Company and the American Tobacco Company. Doris Duke was an intensively private woman who disdained the celebrity that she inherited along with her wealth. In 1935 at age 22, she embarked on a honeymoon journey around the world, visiting Egypt, the near East, India, Singapore, Bangkok, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Japan, as well as sites in Europe. The cultures of Asia sparked Doris Duke's passion for Islamic and Southeast Asian art and culture, which in turn shaped the course of her life's work and cultural endeavors.

Inspired by her honeymoon travels, Doris Duke built a winter home in Honolulu in the late 1930s called Shangri La, which houses the vast and unique collection of Islamic art that she assembled over more than 60 years. In 1957, Doris Duke returned to Thailand for the first time since her honeymoon, and its art and culture subsequently became a major focus of her collecting. Over the next few years, she would embark on a new project: to recreate and furnish a Thai village--complete with a replica of a pavilion from the temple compound of the Royal Palace in Bangkok--to educate the American public about Southeast Asian art and culture. She envisioned the village as a gift for the people of Hawai'i.

Doris Duke: The Southeast Asian Art Collection features some ofthe objects she collected for the Thai Village Project, and revealsthe passion and talent of Doris Duke as a collector. It informsreaders about the historical significance of the art and offerssubstantial visual rewards. The author contextualizes and describesobjects in three main areas of the collection: sculpture, painting,and decorative and performing arts. This book's 100 plates and figuresillustrate over 200 of the more than 2,000 objects in Doris Duke'scollection, including works from Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, and Chinathat exemplify the breadth and quality of the collection: tall,elaborately carved pulpits from which a Buddhist priest would addressworshipers and monks; gilded figures of the Buddha; accordion-foldedmanuscripts and their decorated storage boxes; tall cabinets used formanuscript storage; offering vessels inlaid with mother-of-pearl;lacquer, nielloware, and the bencharong ceramics made inChina for the Thai market; carved ivory objects; and weapons.

In the course of her life, Doris Duke undertook a series of ambitious projects, both public and private, including Shangri La, the Thai Village Project, Duke Gardens at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, New Jersey, and the preservation of eighteenth-century architecture in Newport, Rhode Island. Of these endeavors, only the Thai Village Project was never completed, mainly due to obstacles in securing an appropriate site in Hawai'i. For nearly 30 years, its artworks and structures remained on public display and in storage at her New Jersey estate. To honor Miss Duke's intention that the collection be used to inform the public about Southeast Asian art and culture, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation recently donated many of the objects to The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and the Walters Art Museum of Baltimore and will be making additional gifts in 2003. This book is another aspect of the foundation's commitment to share her collection more broadly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Doris Duke: The Southeast Asian Art Collection
Gorgeous book giving a glimpse into the beauty created by (incredibly) a most tragic and materialistic woman.I hope in the not-too-distant future I will be able to visit Shangri-La. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A Delightful Book!
This book really fills a gap for people like me who enjoy Chinese art but have not known what the symbolism is all about. While it is a strenuous read in some parts, it is enlightening.

Good pictures, but don't expect to learn more about reading Chinese Paintings
I bought the soft cover edition of the book. At $16.50 (after discount), I feel it's a good buy. The book is produced in a large format, and the paintings are reproduced superbly on good quality paper. There are 36 works (mostly paintings but also a few calligraphic scrolls) gleaned from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The earliest work is by Han Gan (active 742-56) and the last by Gong Xian (1619-1689). Most of the artists are represented by a single scroll, with the exceptions of Ni Zan and Zhao Mengfu, who have two and three works on display respectively. The paintings and calligraphy are first presented in its full format, with subsequent reproductions of close-ups to show details.

The text, however, is disappointing. It's written mostly in a dry, academic style, and it hardly points the way to a deeper reading of the works of art. Most of the time it merely describes what's in the picture. Buy the book to feast on its sumptuously reproduced scrolls but look elsewhere to learn how to read Chinese paintings.
... Read more

Product Description
Japan's impact on Western art was as immediate and almost as cataclysmic as the influence of the West on Japanese life. After Commodore Perry opened Japan's door to the outside world in 1858--ending a 200-year period of total isolation--a wealth of visual information from the superb Japanese traditions of ceramics, metalwork, and architecture, as well as print-making and painting, reached the West and brought electrifying new ideas on composition, color, and design. One has only to see a celebrated painting by Monet, Degas, Whistler, or van Gogh, an Art Nouveau glass vase, or a lacquered hair comb side by side with its Japanese source to see how those ideas have inspired artists. Nor is the influence a superficial one: Japanese conventions of symbolism underlie the use of decorative motifs in European Symbolism and Art Nouveau, and the Zen idea of spontaneity is the ultimate source of both the apparently capricious shapes of Art Nouveau ware and the development of an abstract "calligraphy" in Abstract Expressionism. Siegfried Wichmann, the acknowledged expert on Japonisme, surrounds his breathtaking illustrations with a text that, in marshaling a wealth of detail, encapsulates the present state of research and opens up new lines of enquiry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Learning to See
I ordered this book mainly because of my fascination with a blog by the same name. Here is a link to the blog "Japonisme"http://lotusgreenfotos.blogspot.com/ . I ordered my book "used, but in excellent condition". Its appearance is like any book that I have had for a few weeks.With 1105 illustrations and 432 large (10" x 12") pages I still haven't read it all.
The layout of the book really helps a novice like me to understand the influence of Japanese art on the West. Wonderful western images that capture the spirit of the Japonisme but don't copy them are abundantly reproduced in black and white and in color. Japanese images from gardens to tea bowls place no one technique over any other as long as the result is beautiful. Each wood block print is carefully calculated to achieve the most impact within a confined area. In all designs are based on nature, but don't replicate it.
I will be looking at this book for years, reading, looking at the illustrations and just enjoying it.

Japonisme

Exquisite book, most comprehensive I have seen on this subject. Worth ten times over the Amazon price!

New thoughts on Van Gogh
This beautiful book really opened my mind to the influence that Japanese art had on the Impressionist movement. Some very interesting comparisons of woodblocks and the work of Van Gogh.....Wow...It had never occurred to me before & to see the works side by side is fascinating. I first found this book in the school library & kept borrowing it; such wonderful images.I decided I had to own a copy & made my first Amazon.com purchase. Great service, Amazon, thank you....so quick & efficient. This book is great value and very well illustrated. The text is extremely interesting and thought provoking.

My holy grail
For anyone interested in both Japanese Art and European Art at the turn of the last century, this book will become the most satisfying reference book in your collection.

"Japonisme" is the term used to describethe Victorian fascination with all things Japanese. Wichmann's booksuccessfully demonstrates the influence of this fascination on the fine artof the era. Lavishly illustrated with over a thousand images, Wichmann'sessays are informed both historically and artistically on the detailed insand outs of the sharing of the two cultures of East and West.Topicsinclude the Asian influence in composition, pictoral space, design, choiceof material, and subject matter in the visual art and architechture of turnof the century fin de siecle Europe and America. Visual examples are givenfrom a wealth of artists including Van Gogh, Manet, Cassatt, Whistler,Degas, Mucha, Klimt, the architechs Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra,and Japanese artists such as Hiroshige and Hokusai, just to name a few.

Being a visual artist from the west trained in the Western tradition andyet fascinated with Japanese fine art and in particular the tradition ofukiyo-e, discovering this book for me was like finding the holy grail, abook filled to the brim with stunning visual compromises between thetraditions of East and West from which to take my own influences.Fantastic.

About Japonisme
This is probably the best and most beautiful art-book I have ever read. I traces the roots of different western artforms like impressionism and abstract expressionism from the japanese traditions of brushpainting an calligraphy.. -I want it! ... Read more

Product Description
Color reproductions of twelve masterpieces from South, East, and Southeast Asia trace artistic traditions and innovations through time and across cultures. Background information on the artist, the period, the medium, the technique, and the subject of the painting provide context for the art experience. Asian Art is part of the COME LOOK WITH ME series of interactive art books which pair reproductions of important works of art with thought-provoking questions and living discussions of the artists' lives and work. ... Read more

Product Description
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.
(20100921) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Useful text for folks working in Asian foreign policy
This is more than a coffee table book rich with Japanese imagery. The value of Sigur's observations are relevant as an adjunct to foreign relations or comparative sociology. This is a colorful read for anyone seeking clues to what's powerful imagery in Asian culture and to learn from past clumsy behaviors between East and West. Some questions her work addresses: Why have certain visual culture icons persisted for centuries in Japan? What cultural needs do they assuage? When Western European culture encountered Japanese culture in the mid-19th century, some elements were more readily adopted than others. How did the potency and meaning of those elements (or agents, in the Gellian sense) change in the context of Western culture? After reading her book, one might look again at our current "global" hybrid iconology as an expression of our need to relate to the planet differently.

You'll want it on your bookshelf for future reference!
"The Influence of Japanese Art on Design" is about more than art. It is a fascinating look at how a government used art to advance their political agenda.According to Sigur, the Japanese Meiji Government strategically used the 1876 Centennial Exposition to showcase their art and architecture in the United States. This coincided with-and in fact helped to inspire-the beginning of the Arts and Crafts movement in America, where the clean lines and earthy nature of Japanese taste quickly took hold.Although I was aware of how countries used World Fairs to demonstrate technological advances and gain political clout, I never knew that art had been used for the same.This well-researched book is a window into the culture and society of 19th century America. And it is beautiful to boot. A worthy addition to your collection.

Amazing book!!!
If you want a spectacular book on Japanese art and design...just one...this is the one!

Well researched and well written
This is a scholarly work but written for a general audience and free of the unintelligible artspeak often employed in such works.As the title suggests, the focus of the book is Japanese influence on Western arts from the mid nineteenth to the early twentieth century but it also deals with the reciprocal influence of Western arts and art criticism on Japanese art produced for the Western art market.The book is organized thematically, beginning with the history of the "Japan craze" and culminating with several chapters devoted to decorative arts in different media.The accompanying photographs are relatively small but are well selected and of excellent quality.This book should be of great interest to dealers and collectors of decorative arts from the period and I would recommend it to historians and art historians dealing with international expositions, the art of the "Gilded Age," and Japanese arts from the period.

Beautiful, serious, and a lot of fun
If you're serious about the influence of Japanese art on design (it's the title of the book, after all) you'll have to look long and hard for for a more lucid exposition of this phenomenon. If, on the other hand, you're a weekend aesthete who loves the architecture of the Gamble house in Pasadena, Stickley furniture, Art Nouveau, Frank Lloyd Wright, Tiffany, and so much of the art that came out of the Gilded Age, this book is a splendid romp. The book showcases fabulous examples of art from the period that are rarely seen, and Sigur's very readable text keep it from being just-another-picture-book, anchoring the reader in the rationale for thistrend as it took root in first one medium and then another, spreading and growing across the spectrum of art and design, and capturing the imagination of the public. ... Read more

Product Description
Over the centuries, the exotic elegance of Asian art has been a source of fascinating and inspiration for artists and art lovers wolrdwide. This beautifully illustrated book explores the diversity of art and artefacts from around Asia, detailing the subjects depicted, the materials used in their making, and the lives of the artists and artisans who created them. ... Read more

Product Description
From abhayamadra through zoomorphic, this is an essential dictionary for anyone stepping into the fascinating world of South and Southeast Asian art. Now with over 1,300 entries and 112 line illustrations, this revised and expanded edition makes a handy reference for travelers and residents, students, museum goers, and general readers. Explanations are succinct and easy to understand. Entries range from terms encountered in South and Southeast Asian history, religion, mythology, and literature, to those specific to art and architecture. Words are drawn from the diverse religious traditions of the region, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Sikhism, and Taoism, and from the countries of the region, including Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. ... Read more

Product Description
Children will have hours of fun with the 15 projects in this beginner origami book, designed to introduce them to the exciting world of paper-folding. A crane, a bat, and a lotus-topped gift box are just a few of the simple projects for first-time paper folders. The book includes an introduction to origami that explores its history, the kinds of paper used, preparation, and basic folding techniques.Each of the projects explores a different aspect of Asian culture.Origami is a wonderful way to stimulate a child's imagination and their interest in Asian art.
Paper not included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Offers a wealth of rainy day fun
Origami Activities: Create Secrete Boxes, Good-luck Animals, And Paper Charms With The Japanese Art Of Origami presents clear instructions and simple diagrams for making delightful folded paper creations through the craft of origami. Informatively written by Michael G. LaFosse and enhanced with a profusion of illustrations, Origami Activities is especially intended for creative and curious young people ages 7 to 12, Origami Activities offers a wealth of rainy day fun and simple, easy-to-make crafts promoting hand-eye coordination. ... Read more

Product Description
Sewers will learn how to use Asian designs to liven up any wardrobe as Stephanie Masae Kimura walks the reader through the entire creative process from finding the right fabric to wearing their creations with pride.

In this new book readers will be creatively inspired to incorporate the 22 Asian motif templates such as a golden dragon and a Geisha into their existing wardrobe. They will also learn how to design original garments, lush with Asian flair.

With easy-to-follow instructions and beautiful photographs, sewers of all skill levels can create these exciting projects: the Lotus purse, Flowers for the Empress and Maiko Celebration vests, Tomesode jacket and the Heart of a Golden Dragon kimono. The book also includes detailed instructions to help the reader embellish any garment with dimensional beading, purchased or homemade stencils, dyeing, appliqué, ribbon embroidery and more.

-The author, a sewer and pattern drafter with more than 30 years of experience owns a design company in Florida, also called Kimura-Easy to follow instructions for designing and embellishing each of the 5 projects—a purse, jacket, 2 vests and a kimono-Includes 22 Asian motif patterns such as a dragon, Geisha, crane, lotus, pagoda, peony, chrysanthemum, cloud and pine tree ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good Book for Craft Oriented Or Home Sewer Markets Only
There are two different camps in wearable art, the home sewer-crafter group and the artist group. This book definitely covers only the home-sewer crafter group and will not satisfy those who want to become wearable artists, producing works fit for art galleries, art museums and major art to wear fashion shows. However, for a young person just starting out in making his or her own clothes and accessories, it may be too early to tell which camp he or she will ultimately join. Thus, the book is good for this person too. This is a project oriented book with good pictures and instructions to take one through doing the particular project. The author is most successful with her vests at the end of the book. I am in the artist camp of wearable art so this book does not fit me very well. I find the books which cover the work of Issey Miyake or Comme des Garcons far more suitable for my interests.This does not mean this book is not good but it does mean that if you are also in the artist camp, you are probably not going to find this book worth the money. I took it out from the library and if you are an artist, I suggest you do the same.

Excelent source for ideas
I love this book because it doesn't spell out every step, but allows you to apply your own creativity.But, this same feature might make it a little difficult for beginners.
I still highly recommend the book because so many of the techniques can be applied to totally different projects.

wonderful book
I would really suggest this book to all those who love to quilt or embellish with an Asian theme.It is easy to understand and follow instructions.

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Product Description
The Akita Ranga art school is a by-product of rangaku, ‘Dutch learning’, an important intellectual movement in eighteenth-century Japan. Akita ranga artists, highly influenced by illustrations in Western books, created a new direction in Japanese art by using Western techniques such as chiaroscuro (shading) and perspective. Odano Naotake (1750-80), a leading Akita ranga artist, illustrated Kaitai shinsho, Japan's first anatomy book. Dr. Johnson first analyses how Naotake applied new techniques to traditional Japanese art and created a quasi-Western style of painting. Secondly, she focuses on Lord Satake Shozan (1748-85), who wrote Japan's first art theory and criticism on Western art and whose complete text is translated and incorporated in this book. Shozan also based his three sketchbooks on foreign books, especially the Schouwtoneel der Natuur by Noel A. Pluche, and wrote an encyclopaedia of scientific lore. By focusing on the influence of illustrations in foreign books, Johnson brings a new perspective to Japanese art history. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
In an age of globalization, performance is increasingly drawn from intercultural creativity and located in multicultural settings. This volume is the first to focus on the performing arts of Asian diasporas in the context of modernity and multiculturalism. The essays locate the contemporary performing arts as a discursive field in which the boundaries between tradition and translation, and authenticity and hybridity are redefined and negotiated to create a multitude of meaning and aesthetics in global and local contexts.
With contributions from scholars of Asian studies, theatre studies, anthropology, cultural studies, dance ethnology and musicology, this truly interdisciplinary work covers every aspect of the sociology of performance of the Asian diasporas. ... Read more