Birds, Beasts, Blossoms, and Bugs: The Nature of JapanThis scholarly book with its magnificent illustrations explores in detail a fundamental fact of Japanese art, a theme also intrinsic to the very "nature" of the Japanese people, and an essential expression of their philosophy and heritage. The book traces the development of this threme through an examination of some 140 objects from the twelfth to nineteenth centuries. The outstanding collections in the United States are represented by works of superb quality. These range from those rich in color and detail to others in which severity of line predominates, almost modern in the results. The wealth of material includes screens, kakemono, makemono, bronze, wood, lacquer, stone, papier-mâché, tsuba, inro and netsuke. The flowers, animals, insets and birds are depicted with great elegance and frequently with humor; several are illustrated by details which bring out the superb draftsmanship, satirical eye and love of beauty that are characteristic of the best in Japanese art. |
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appears Art Museum Baiitsu bamboo beasts branch BRARY brushstrokes brushwork Bunchō CALIFORNIA calligraphy carved ceramic Charles Chinese Chinzan color on paper composition create crow decorative diam DIEGO DIEGO DIEGO LIBRARY DIEGO SAN DIEGO UNIVERSITY Edo period eighteenth century ERSITY Freer Gallery gold lacquer Goshun Greenfield Collection handscroll Heian Heian period Hōitsu horses ink and color ink on paper inro ivory Jakuchu Japan Japanese art Kakemono Kakiemon Kamakura period Kano Kano school Kenzan Kiitsu Kōetsu Kōrin Kyoto lacquer LIBRARY DIEGO Maruyama master Momoyama period monkey Muromachi period Museum of Art Nabeshima Nanga nashiji nature netsuke nineteenth century Ojime Ōkyo painting pattern porcelain Previous Collections produced pupils Rimpa school rock Rosetsu SAN DIEGO scroll seal Sesshu Shibata Zeshin Shijō school Shinenkan Collection Shōhaku signature silk SITY skill Sosen Sōtatsu stencil studied style Suiboku talent technique theme tiger tion Tokugawa Tosa tradition tray tree tsuba UNIV Yamato-e