John T. Carpenter Boeken

This full-colour catalogue illustrates and describes over 300 "surimono" (privately published deluxe Japanese prints) belonging to the Graphics Collection of the Museum of Design Zurich, which were recently placed on long-term loan to the Museum Rietberg Zurich. Originally bequeathed to the Museum of Design by the Swiss collector Marino Lusy (1880-1954), the collection includes many rare and previously unpublished examples. Edited by John T. Carpenter, with contributions from a distinguished roster of Edo art and literary specialists, this groundbreaking scholarly publication investigates "surimono" as a hybrid genre combining literature and art. Introductory essays treat issues such as text-image interaction and iconography, poetry and intertextuality, as well as the operation of Kabuki fan clubs and poetry circles in late 18th and early 19th century Japan. Other essays document Lusy's accomplishments as a talented lithographer inspired by East Asian art, and as an astute collector who acquired prints from Parisian auction houses and dealers in the early 20th century. Translations of "kyoka" (31-witty verse) that accompany images are given for over one-hundred highlights of the collection. The volume also includes a comprehensive index of poets with Japanese characters. This publication is not only indispensable to specialists in ukiyo-e, but has much to offer any reader interested in traditional Japanese art and literature.

The Western understanding of traditional Japanese art is almost wholly based on works from the Edo period, an era of splendor and innovation in the arts. One hallmark of Edo art is the lack of distinction between "high art" and "craft": an artist was as likely to paint on lacquer, ceramic, or textile as on paper or silk. This gorgeous book presents examples of Edo art in all media and across social boundaries -- from paintings of nature and city life on gold-leaf screens to wood-block images of Kabuki actors and courtesans, from Zen paintings and calligraphy to spectacular helmets and armor for the samurai, from brilliantly colored porcelains to textiles made for Noh theater, Kyogen comedy, and affluent women of the merchant class.Works are grouped thematically into such areas as festivals, warrior arts, religious beliefs, travel, play, and courtly traditions, and essays written by experts in the field address these various themes, placing the works in the context of the times. The book also provides entries on the individual objects reproduced.