Traditional Japanese Stencil Designs [Paperback]

Clarence Hornung (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1985

Versatile collection of 276 exquisite Japanese stencil designs — clouds, birds, butterflies, bamboo, plum and cherry blossoms, geometrics, more. Royalty-free illustrations are ideal for modern decorative and graphic needs — fabric, wallpaper and textile designs, calendars, menus, woodblock printing, needlecrafts, etc. 276 black-and-white illustrations. Introduction.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (January 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486247910
• ISBN-13: 978-0486247915
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #487,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the very best of Japanese textile graphics, June 2, 2003

By 

Merrily Baird (atlanta, ga USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Traditional Japanese Stencil Designs (Paperback)

As a previous reviewer has noted, Clarence Hornung's "Traditional Japanese Stencil Designs" is not the book to purchase if you are seeking inspiration for tattoos. It is, however, of exceptional value if your interests include Japanese aesthetics in general and textile motifs in particular or if you are seeking sophisticated patterns that can be manipulated and reproduced as graphic designs.

The stencils included were originally designed for monochromatic printing on cotton textiles but are also typical of the patterns imprinted on deer-skin goods and traditional Japanese wrapping papers. More than any other volume in Dover's generously-sized library of books on Japanese design, Hornung's testifies to the Japanese genius for manipulating a few design elements into subtle and classically beautiful patterns. Some of the patterns are abstract and without specific meaning, but the overwhelming majority are rich in symbolism. Hornung's introduction discusses the most important of these symbolic meanings. However, the usefulness of the introduction is compromised by his failure to number the stencils and then identify for the reader precisely which plates represent each thematic motif.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Design book based on complex tradition, July 12, 2006

By 

Amy R. Bradley "amybeader" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Traditional Japanese Stencil Designs (Paperback)

Unlike the first reviewer who gave this book 1 star, this is actually an excellent book showing designs taken from one of the many complex arts and crafts traditions of Japan. These are actual designs from stencils, which were carefully cut from mulberry paper and used for printing designs on cloth.The stencils are called katagami. Some of these are still being made, and by the fine traditional craftsmen of Japan working with simple, traditional tools to produce amazing patterns. The first reviewer has not bothered to look carefully into Japanese art forms, and so is, I believe speaking from ignorance. Not a book for tatoo designs, granted, but I think most people who would like design references from a somewhat obscure Japanese art tradition would find this book of interest. If you'd like more detail on the art tradition of stencil cutting or carving, you might want to look at
"Carved Paper: The Art of the Japanese Stencil." You can also see an example with some explanations here: http://www.sohe.wisc.edu/depts/hlatc/pixelsexhibit/katagami.html
Although these stencils were/are made for the purpose of dyeing cloth, they can be considered artforms in their own right. (I own a couple of these.) The Dover book is a nice reference.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Less than immediate satisfaction, April 27, 2011

By 

Darling Dashwood - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Traditional Japanese Stencil Designs (Paperback)

If you are looking for stencils to utilize immediately, this book is not a good choice. Its more like a sourcebook than images in 'Look Inside' appear. There aren't any useable stencils in the book and the intricate detail would require many, many hours of stencil cutting with a regular stencil cutter. I'm going to invest in a Cri-cut type of electric cutter - now that I have this book. As you might have caught on by those words, this book either leads to an investment of time or a cutting machine. Needless to say, my Goodwill purchased armoire is still unpainted.

The designs and images in the book are inspirational, though, and quite lovely; but honestly there are sourcebook with Japanese designs that offer more choices and more variety. If the book had been labeled a sourcebook, I wouldn't have bought it and since it was titled as stencils, I was disappointed. Not a best choice for a home painting project, definately not.