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Symbols of Japan: Thematic Motifs in Art and Design, by Merrily C. Baird
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" . . . It is in the nature of man to both think and express himself symbolically. Moreover, the power of symbols is magnified when a society has broadly shared experiences, a deep knowledge of its cultural traditions, and common sentiments about those experiences and traditions. The fact that these conditions exist in Japan to a striking degree has insured that the country continues to enjoy a cultural life meaningfully enriched by the use of symbols."
So begins Merrily Baird's definitive guide to the symbols of Japan. Begining with a brief but insightful explanation of the development of symbols throughout Japanese history, the book looks at thematic motifs encountered in both the classical fine arts and the applied arts. The motifs are organized according to broad thematic categories such as "the cosmos, heaven and earth" and "animals of the land and sea," among others, allowing for broad reading on a number of topics of interest to a wide variety of readers, including collectors of Asian art and students of Japan.
Nearly every symbol is illustrated with fine examples of art and design from major public and private collections, offering the reader a wealth of visual information to enrich the expert commentary on each subject. Beautiful objects of a variety of media are represented: painting, sculpture, woodblock prints, netsuke and inro.
The book is the culmination of more than twenty years of research by the author, much of which was conducted while she lived in Japan. Baird's text reflects recent developments in Japanese scholarship but her prose is as accessible as it is informative, making this book an indispensable volume for both those already familiar with Japanese culture and those newly introduced to its rich complexities.
In this indispensable guide to Japanese symbols, the author, Merrily Baird, offers the reader the most lucid study of the symbolism of Japan's fine and applied arts in print today. Organized according to broad thematic categories, nearly evey symbol is illustrated with fine examples of art and design from major public and private collections in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. The book is organized to allow collectors of East Asian Art and students of Japan to both research specific symbols and read broadly on such diverse topics as plants and flowers, animals of the land and sea, demons and dieties, among others. As beautiful as it is informative, Symbols of Japan is destined to be the cornerstore of every art and design library.
- Sales Rank: #1551230 in Books
- Published on: 2001-05-18
- Released on: 2001-05-18
- Ingredients: Example Ingredients
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 10.30" h x 1.10" w x 7.80" l,
- Binding: Hardcover
- 352 pages
From the Inside Flap
"…It is in the nature of man to both think and express himself symbolically. Moreover, the power of symbols is magnified when a society has broadly shared experiences, a deep knowledge of its cultural traditions, and common sentiments about those experiences and traditions. The fact that these conditions exist in Japan to a striking degree has insured that the country continues to enjoy a cultural life meaningfully enriched by the use symbols."
So begins Merrily Baird’s definitive guide to the symbols of Japan. Beginning with a brief but insightful examination of the development of symbols throughout Japanese history, the book looks at thematic motifs encountered in both the classical fine arts and the applied arts. The motifs are organized according to broad thematic categories such as "the cosmos, heaven and earth" and "animals of the land and sea," among others, making this an indispensable guide for a wide variety of audiences.
Nearly every symbol is illustrated with fine examples of art and design from major public and private collections offering the reader a wealth of visual information to enrich the expert commentary on each subject. Beautiful objects of a variety of media are represented: painting, sculpture, woodblock prints, netsuke and inro.
The book represents more than twenty years of research by the author, much of which was conducted while she lived in Japan. Baird’s text reflects recent developments in Japanese scholarship but her prose is as accessible as it is informative making this book an exceptional volume for both those already familiar with Japanese culture and those newly introduced to its rich complexity.
About the Author
Merrily Baird has a graduate degree in Japanese studies from the University of Michigan and has been doing research on Japanese culture for two decades. For many years a foreign policy analyst with the U.S. government, she has worked and lived in Japan. She currently lives in Atlanta, where she is a consultant for the American Museum of Papermaking.
Most helpful customer reviews
28 of 30 people found the following review helpful.
A general, somewhat dry study of Japanese symbols
By Joss Delage
The book is organized by themes. Each chapter is a group of symbols. The chapters are: 1 - Cosmos, Heaven, & Earth; 2 - Trees & their fruits; 3 - Diverse plants; 4 - Birds & insects; 5 - Land & sea animals; 6 - Demons, deities, and figural groups; 7 - Religion & good fortune; 8 - Objects of everyday life; 9 - Music, board games, and cultural pursuits;
Within each chapter, each subject is treated alphabetically. So for example for Ch. 4, subjects treated are: ...., Bamboo shoots, Beans, Bellflower, Bracken, Bush Clover, Chrysantemum,....
The information is there, no question. I was looking into what the heck was that egg-shaped 'tama' that I've seen associated with the Inari fox several times on netsukes, now I know (it's a wish granting jewel.) The 2 reproaches I would make are the following:
First, the information is there but it's a very dry reading. So for example in the case of the tama & Inari fox, I know now what a tama is, but I would have loved a little bit more info on why it is associated to the Inari fox, why it's shaped like an egg, etc. Basically, I would have liked some info on the legend behind the symbol.
Second, the book hesitates between being a scholarly reference book (somewhat dry content) and an entry level one (1 inch deep and 1 mile wide.) For example, the Chrysantemum gets as much treatment as the Cherry Tree (FYI, a full page), but the author only mentions that it is an imperial emblem once, en passant, in the last paragraph (as if any reader, of course, would already know that.) She also doesn't talk about how the Kikumon is used by artists who had been such authorized by the imperial family as an endorsement / reward.
The book is quite well illustrated with generally at least 1 plate per page. Illustrating ALL themes would have required 2 more books! Some of the pictures are of unusual subjects such as modern jpz art pieces that I at least had not had the opportunity to see before, or a couple of amber netsuke. Loads of inro boxes, netsuke, and prints. I have not seen a single sword blade (but there's at least 1 tsuba.) There are a great quantity of small size example of mons, typically a couple for each key theme (e.g., 2 for each of Stars, Sun, Moon, Lightning, but none on Snow, Rocks, Mountains,...)
All and all I will give it a grade of 4 out of 5, as an entry level reference book for Jpz culture *generally speaking*. If you are looking for an treaty focusing on a specific art, or one that would give you more than the raw information and include legends and stories, you might be disappointed.
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
An essential book for Japanese art and culture
By A Customer
This wonderful, fascinating, and gorgeous book is one of the most useful volumes I have ever come across. After years of wondering what visual images signify on Japanese artifacts like a wedding kimono, this remarkable book enables us to understand what they mean. If you want to know what an adulteress looks like, you will find out in this book. An adulteress wears one pot on her head for every adultery. The puzzling world of the netsuke, in which men often sport frogs on their heads, is explained here. The index is entirely useful, so that anything can be found quickly. I looked up "tanuki" (like our raccoon) and "hair," and found a wealth of information immediately. This book is so beautiful it is enough simply to look at it, but it also gives the reader access into deep understanding of Japanese culture. You will amass an enormous understanding without even being aware of it. Merrily Baird has gone ardously and exhaustively afield, and the result is a book that is astonishingly readable, often funny, and completely sound. I intend to give this book to friends interested in art and in Japan. I hope everyone will take a look at it. Believe me, you won't stop looking very easily.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Symbols of Japan
By le from Ohio
SYMBOLS OF JAPAN by Merrily Baird is an excellent book for knowledge and for reference, since it is set up A-Z, in English. It is written clearly; the images are wonderful; the margin images with added information (with lots of crests/mons) add to and supplement the entries. Plus, the index is done well. Example, you can look up Aoi, or Hollyhock without having to figure out the Japanese word for Hollyhock. This is a plus for me since I don't know Japanese. There's also a list of eras with dates, both Japanese and Chinese, for quick reference. Finally, the book is published by Rizzoli. If you know anything about art books, you know that you can't get any better, and this book confirms that once again. I'm using it to research the iconography on an old piece of Japanese cloisonne. It has helped me a lot.
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