Renowned throughout the world as purveyors of beauty, mystery, and allure, geisha have come to represent the epitome of Japanese elegance and chic. The rich 250-year history of these performance artists is vividly presented in this volume, taking the reader behind the masklike makeup and into the studios where they train and rehearse and the teahouses where they entertain. Geisha have altered definitions of feminine beauty and identity and are the prevailing icons of Japanese womanhood. Their influence on Japan's decorative arts is documented by their beautiful kimono and hair ornaments and by the musical instruments and fans they use in their performances. The contributors to this book, all prominent specialists on Japanese culture, each consider a particular aspect of geisha tradition and aesthetics, from their music and dance to misperceptions of the profession by foreigners, from the portrayal of geisha as recurring characters in theater and film to profiles of talented women who choose this life and work today. Illustrated with woodblock prints and paintings as well as historical and contemporary photographs, this groundbreaking study also explores the dynamic tension between image and reality in the art of these exquisite entertainers. Geisha: Beyond the Painted Smile is a comprehensive presentation of geisha culture from its origins nearly three centuries ago to contemporary Japan. Disciplined performance artists of supreme grace and beauty, geisha are unique ambassadors of Japan's traditional culture. 158 color illustrations and photographs.

Geisha: Beyond the Painted Smile

Peabody Essex Museum

Arts & Photography

George Braziller, Inc.

History & Criticism

George Braziller/PEM

A unique collection of the work of traditional and contemporary Native American artists.

Gifts of the Spirit: Works by Nineteenth-Century & Contemporary Native American Artists (Peabody Essex Museum Collections, 132)

Documents the full range of the Museum's collection.

The Korean Collection of the Peabody Essex Museum (Peabody Essex Museum Collections, 133)

Bean, Susan S.

Sharf, Frederic Alan

Art of Frank W. Benson: American Impressionist (Peabody Essex Museum Collections)

Bedford, Faith Andrews

Buckley, Laurene

Benson, Frank Weston

Lahikainen, Dean T.

Winchell, Jane M.

Individual Artists

Bhutanese textiles are among the last of the major arts of Asia to gain recognition in the West, and this is the first book to present this outstanding art form in its cultural and historical context. Bhutan's textiles, especially the intricate brocades and complex supplementary-warp patterns, are unmatched anywhere in the world. This art, with a steadily growing and devoted following in the West and Japan, has become Bhutan's most powerful emblem abroad. 
 This volume, first published in 1994 (now reprinted in 2008) in conjunction with a special exhibition organized by the Peabody Essex Museum of Salem, Massachusetts, covers all aspects of Bhutan's textiles and weaving heritage, from the central role of women - more than 80 percent of Bhutanese women contribute to their household's income by weaving - to fibers, dyes, and looms, to the functioning of beautiful cloth as an item of trade and an indicator of historical change and social identity. This copiously illustrated book reveals the richness, originality, and striking beauty of Bhutanese textiles. Examples come from the Peabody Essex Museum, which holds the largest such collection of any North American museum, and public and private collections in Bhutan, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The illustrations are supplemented by field photographs and rare archival images.

From the Land of the Thunder Dragon: Textile Arts of Bhutan

Myers, Diana K.

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

Weatherhill

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Books by Peabody Essex Museum