In Japanese calligraphy, each stroke is rich with meaning, each character speaks volumes. Traces of the Brush provides the first illustrated history of this unique art. The authors explore its many styles and genres and investigate the calligrapher's tools - paper, ink, and brush. Interwoven with excerpts of literature and poetry, the text immerses the Western reader in the spirit of Japanese calligraphy. Abundant full-color illustrations make this book a feast for the eyes.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Calligraphy is an art defined by movement and rhythm, which also contains the language of Japanese literature and philosophy, explain the authors of this lavishly illustrated volume. "It is a script brought to perfection, a visual art resonating with words," they write. Accompanied by full-color details from scrolls of poetry, clerical wooden booklets and screen paintings, this elegant book details the history of this ancient art form. Japanese calligraphy grew out of Chinese ideograms, which, along with Buddhism, arrived in Japan by way of Korea in the sixth century and were adapted to the Japanese language. By the ninth century, the ideograms, which are graphic symbols that only refer to meaning, gave rise to a Japanese phonetic script called Kana. From the first Chinese pictograms incised on tortoise shells to the current day incorporation of foreign words, the authors painstakingly examine calligraphy's styles, artists and tools in this visually stunning history.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Louise Boudonnat and Harumi Kushizaki have collaborated on several projects on Japanese culture. They live in France.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Appreciative review on shodou history,
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This review is from: Traces of the Brush: The Art of Japanese Calligraphy (Hardcover)
The authors' sincere appreciation of the art of shodou is convincingly mediated to the reader. Especially the colorful and illustrative praising of kana calligraphy impressed me.The high-quality images of the ancient masterpieces play an important role occupying a plenty of page space. Just remember that this is a book on history, attitudes and ways of looking at the japanese calligraphy. This in not a text on calligraphy techniques. Comprehensive instructions on shodou are excluded from this book.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
ALL ANCIENT FORMS OF WRITING began with simplified representations of objects. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
kana calligraphy, imperial treasure house, clerical script, calligraphic art, regular script, seal script, gold powder, paper squares Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
National Treasure, National Museum, Small Seal, Yosa Buson, Miyano Masaki, The Tale of Genji, Far East, Five Mountains, Nishihonganji Temple, Anthology of the Thirty-Six Poets, Eastern Han, Konoe Nobutada, Murasaki Shikibu, Sengai Gibon, Wang Xizhi, Warring States, Evening Mist, Hakuin Ekaku, Hatakeyama Museum, Kanno Hachiro, Pillow Book, The Art of Japanese Calligraphy, Zen Buddhism, Fujita Museum, Garden of the Old Plum Tree New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
ALL ANCIENT FORMS OF WRITING began with simplified representations of objects. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
kana calligraphy, imperial treasure house, clerical script, calligraphic art, regular script, seal script, gold powder, paper squares Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
National Treasure, National Museum, Small Seal, Yosa Buson, Miyano Masaki, The Tale of Genji, Far East, Five Mountains, Nishihonganji Temple, Anthology of the Thirty-Six Poets, Eastern Han, Konoe Nobutada, Murasaki Shikibu, Sengai Gibon, Wang Xizhi, Warring States, Evening Mist, Hakuin Ekaku, Hatakeyama Museum, Kanno Hachiro, Pillow Book, The Art of Japanese Calligraphy, Zen Buddhism, Fujita Museum, Garden of the Old Plum Tree New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 9
books:
See all 9 books this book cites
- The Tale of Genji (Tuttle Classics) by Murasaki Shikibu on page 57, and page 86
- In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki on page 181, and Back Matter
- The Tale of Genji (Penguin Classics) by Shikubu Murasaki on page 57, and page 86
- The Tale of Genji by Shikibu Murasaki on page 57, and page 86
- The Tosa Diary (Tuttle Classics) by Ki No Tsurayuki on page 53
See all 9 books this book cites
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