Customer Reviews

Traditional Japanese Furniture

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This book was initially published in 1986 and deals especially with furniture and household effects from the Edo (1600 - 1868) and Meiji (1868 - 1912) periods.
The book essentially consists of 5 parts
(a) Colour plates of (i) cabinetry (47 photos); (ii) partition devices - screens and curtains (10 photos); (iii)floor coverings (3 photos); (iv) seating and bedding (6 photos); (v) lighting devices (14 photos); (vi) heating devices (10 photos); (vii) writing and study furnishings (5 photos); (viii) toilette and bating accessories (7 photos); (ix) mealtime furnishings (9 photos); and (x) kitchen furnishings (2 photos).

(b) Textual treatment of the 10 aspects as above but illustrated with black and white illustrations.

(c) History - a brief overview of (i) prehistory and the ancient period (ca. 300 n- 794); (ii) the golden age of the aristocracy (794 - 1185); (iii) medieval (1185 - 1573); (iv) age of the
townsfolk (1600 - 1868); and (v) early modern age (1868 - 1945).

(d) The techniques - (i) wood, notably joinery techniques and finishes;
(ii) metalwork including types of metal fittings and metal fitting motifs as well as metalworking techniques
Once more illustrated in black and white.

:(e) Appendices:- (i) abstract motifs in Japanese furniture
(ii) line drawings of the 10 aspects (as above) showing aspects of the ancient, medieval, pre-modern, early modern and modern periods.

A wonderful book that considers an enormous topic all in some 220 pages. Perhaps, however, the author may have been better served by the publishers if many of the illustrations in parts b and c were in colour now that tyhe price of colour printing has fallen so much. Or, could it be that my eyes were ravished so much by the quality of the colour plates in the first section?

This book is a wonderful exaple of Japan's funiture and art. It shows the many aspects of this oritental country's splendid decorum.