"" . . . 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. ...
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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 withJapanese 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.
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Seller's Description:
Good in good dust jacket. Handling wear on the page edges. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 352 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. Book is wrapped in heavy plastic but does show aging on the top edge of the pages. Inside condition is unknown because of the plastic wrap.
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Seller's Description:
Good in good dust jacket. good book. good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 336 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. Book: All pages and cover are intact. Pages may have dog-ears. Possible slight loose binding or cocked spine. Cover may have creases, deep chips, scuffs, and scratches. The edges and corners may have a good amount of bumps and wear. Book may contain highlighting/underlining and markings or signed by the previous owner. Book may be Ex Library and have stickers, remainder marks, and library pockets. Used copy so book does not contain unused access codes or have the accompanying CD. Dust Jacket: Dust Jacket may have price clipped. There might be creases and scratches on the cover. The edges and corners may have deep chips, or long tears, and wear. There may be writing or stains on the dust jacket.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. Very Good Dust Jacket. 4to-over 9¾"-12" tall. pp. 336. 336 pp. Tightly bound. Light ding to the tip of the lower corner back board. Text is free of markings. No ownership markings. Very good dust jacket. This copy is smyth sewn. Smyth sewing is a method of bookbinding where groups of folded pages (referred to as signatures) are stitched together using binder thread. Each folded signature is sewn together individually with multiple stitches and then joined with other signatures to create the complete book block. This is the traditional and best method of bookbinding.
