Netsuke, the toggles once used to attach pouches or cases to kimono sashes, are highly valued and collected. Many of these small, utilitarian objects are astonishing examples of the sculptor's skill. Barbra Teri Okada, a leading authority on netsuke, has chosen 100 of the finest of these sculptures from the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Each piece is illustrated and discussed in detail; techniques are explained, rich religious and historical allusions are explored, and elements of parody, satire, and parable are pointed out. The author identifies the heroes, Buddhist and Taoist saints, and characters from folklore and myth who are frequently represented in netsuke. Animals, real and fantastic, are presented, and the twelve zodiac animals, so significant in Japanese astrology, are carefully described. The less common manju netsuke;—kagamibuta and ryusa—are included, and mask netsuke, which are derived from Japanese drama, are given special attention. The major artists—among them Tomotada, Minko, Toyomasa, Ohara Mitsuhiro, Masatsugu Kaigyokusai, and Joso—and the most important schools are assessed; the author's acute judgments will benefit both the expert and the novice.(This book was originally published in 1981/82.)

Netsuke: Masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Arts & Photography

Okada, Barbara Teri

History & Criticism

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Abrams Publisher. Barbara Teri Okada author.

Netsuke: Masterpieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Harry N.Abrams, Inc.

Lacquer is one of the glories of the Japanese craft tradition. In the course of more than a millennium of experimentation and development, largely anonymous artisans have refined the use of this substance into a vehicle of artistic expression as subtle, sophisticated, and elegant as any in the world. The combination of sculptural form and painterly composition seen in Japanese lacquer has enchanted Western collectors from the time the first lacquer pieces arrived here. This book presents fifty-five examples of Japanese lacquerwork from the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries. By focusing on superb examples of the craft of lacquer prior to the nineteenth century, it introduces the reader to the achievement of master craftsmen working at the peak of the skill, during the richest period in the development of their medium. The Ehrenkranz Collection, assembled over a quarter of a century with the eye of a painter and true connoisseur, includes document and scroll boxes, mirror boxes, inkstone boxes, incense containers, and a complete set for the incense ceremony. Each piece in the collection is illustrated with stunning full-color photographs, accompanied by detailed information regarding the lacquer techniques used to produce it. Symbol and Substance in Japanese Lacquer is published in conjunction with a fall 1995 exhibition of the Ehrenkranz Collection at the Japan Society in New York City. Elaine Ehrenkranz is a painter and connoisseur who has been collecting lacquer for more than twenty-five years.

Symbol And Substance In Japanese Lacquer: Laquer Boxes From The Collection Of Elaine Ehrenkranz

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

Weatherhill

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Okada, Barbara Teri. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Okada, Barbara Teri