Customer Reviews

How to Wrap Five Eggs: Traditional Japanese Packaging

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The original How to Wrap Five Eggs was a striking hardbound book first published in English by Weatherhill and Harper and Rowe in 1967, with a foreword by George Nelson. This book is not a reprint of the 1967 book, but rather a reprint of How to Wrap Five More Eggs, first published in 1975 in connection with a Japan Society exhibit on traditional Japanese packaging, which contained much of the material from the 1967 book. Both the 1967 book and the 1975 book are difficult to obtain, and this inexpensive version is definitely worth buying for those who are interested in Japanese culture. This reprint has elegant black and white photos which convey the spiritual qualities inherent in traditional Japanese hand-made packages. I regret the publishers' decision not to reprint the 1967 version, whose beauty is still embedded in my memory.

Buyer Beware. This book is not a reprint of "How to Wrap Five Eggs" as the title would imply. It is instead an inferior reprint of the later book "How to Wrap Five More Eggs". The first edition of "How to Wrap Five More Eggs" has some color pictures and this book is completely black and white. Overall, o.k. book, but not the one it claims to be.

I have been trying to find an affordable copy of the original "How To Wrap Five Eggs" from the 1960s, and this is a very satisfying compromise. It includes wonderfully descriptive photographs, and provides insight into the deceptively-simple art of Asian packaging, as well as a primer on Why We Love Paper. Elegance, style, simplicity, function. Terrific!

This is apparently a classic book on package design, and the cover photo demonstrates why: The book is chock-full of photos of lush, beautiful, and practical designs, from egg wrapping to noodle boxes to the earthenware container for a Japanese delicacy made from salted fish entrails. If you're expecting exhaustive discussions of the designs, however, you may be disappointed, as there's really nothing BUT the black-and-white photos and, at the very end, a paragraph or two that's mainly the photo credits and a description of what the item is. ("Here a miniature basket of woven bamboo with a bamboo-sheath cover serves to hold enticing candies called Morning Glories..." and two or three more sentences.) Sometimes it's a little hard to get a sense of the object's scale.

Nonetheless, it's a lovely and inspiring book for getting you to "think outside the rectangular box."

This book does not provide instructions on how to wrap various items or goods, but it does have one section discussing the act of wrapping itself. However, pictures are intriguing because there are various objects and products wrapped in the most creative ways possible. The only bad part about that is it makes you want to learn about wrapping more.

I owned the original hardback in color when it first came out and then lost all my possessions. When I could start looking at things again I found it had become some sort of design cult thing and had gone so high in price I would never be able to have it again. So, when I saw this I began to cry with joy and gratitude;I didn't realize it was a cheat.......all black and white and no words and not the same at all, where I had thought it was finally the original reprinted in paperback. It is very hurtful. I should have looked at the offering more carefully, perhaps, but I don't recall it announcing itself truthfully as the SECOND book nor as just B&W and no descriptions. So it's back to no 'truth in advertising' and a big 'BUYER BEWARE' even here in the book lists. Shame on you.

The book is great and was sent quickly in great condition. The photographs of the japanese packaging are astounding just as much as the unique creativity of packaging.

This book is absolutely stunning! The Japanese art of packaging is so compelling. The images are large, and of high quality. It is a catalogue of a show that was traveling around some years back, so there is not as much info, but each piece has a correlating information section in the back - pretty much like a glossary for each image. It's wonderful.

I was disappointed with this book. The photographs are poor and the accompanying text not hugely informative. Some nice ideas in here though.

The Japanese have raised gift and utilitarian packaging to an art form. Travelers note how they take time to carefully fold and hand over even a modest purchase such as a small bag of pastry. Quality and courtesy rule.
This book features past practice through black and white photos from a now out-of-print book, updated with additions, showcasing a variety of traditional packaging. All are shown against a plain background so they stand out, more often than not just one or two items to a page. The pages are uncluttered by text yet commentary on each page is easily accessed at the back of the book. I love Japanese objects so I like this book. Favorites are a set of ten shrimp tied in straw, a confection wrapped in a leaf, and a handmade paper bag with a silk drawstring. Materials include straw, bamboo, wood, cloth, string, paper, leaves, some enhanced with calligraphy and other art. Artists and designers looking for inspiration for packaging would find some here. Students of creativity and innovation could as well.