Chronology of Japanese History
Jōmon period, ca. 10500–300 BCE
Yayoi period, 300 BCE–300 CE
Kofun (Tumulus) period, 300–552
Asuka period, 552–645
Early Nara (Hakuhō) period, 645–710
Nara period, 710–794
Heian period, 794–1185
Kamakura period, 1185–1336
Nanbokuchō period, 1336–1392
Muromachi period, 1392–1568
Momoyama period, 1568–1615
Edo (Tokugawa) period, 1615–1868
Meiji period, 1868–1912
Taishō period, 1912–1926
Shōwa period, 1926–1989
Heisei period, 1989–
Notes on Japanese Word and Name Usage
Japanese proper names are listed in traditional order throughout the text, with surnames preceding given names, without commas separating names. References to publications by Japanese authors writing in English and contemporary Japanese individuals active in the West, who prefer to have their names listed Western style, are provided with surnames following given names, or surnames listed first and separated by commas from given names, as per standard Western nomenclature. Following customary usage, pre-modern individuals are referred to by their given names and those of the modern and contemporary eras (those born after 1868) by their surnames.
contents
The Enduring Allure of Japanese Design
CHAPTER ONE
THE AESTHETICS OF JAPANESE DESIGN
KATSURA Refined Rusticity in Architectural Design
SHIBUI Subtle Elegance
WABI AND SABI Rustic and Withered Elegance
IKI Stylish, Sophisticated Elegance
MIYABI AND FŪRYŪ Opulent and Stylish Elegance
KAREI Sumptuous Elegance
KABUKU AND BASARA Outlandish Elegance
MA An Interval in Time and Space
NŌTAN The Dark–Light Principle
MINGEI Japanese Folk Crafts
RINPA Decorative Art of the Kōrin School
KAZARI Modes of Decoration and Display
JAPANESE DESIGN A Visual Primer Featuring Contemporary Arts
CHAPTER TWO
THE CULTURAL PARAMETERS OF JAPANESE DESIGN
RELIGIOUS VALUES AND JAPANESE DESIGN
The Aesthetic Dimensions of Shinto
Buddhist Influences on Japanese Aesthetics
DESIGN IN JAPANESE CULTURE: TEN KEY CHARACTERISTICS
1. Relationship Between Fine Arts and Crafts
2. Emphasis on Craftsmanship and Technological Innovation
3. Beauty in Miniaturization and Detailed Workmanship
4. Importance of Artistic Lineages and Teamwork
5. Linkages Between Literary and Visual Arts
6. Appreciation of Changing Seasons
7. Rituals Order Daily Life
8. Penchant for Emotional Extremes
9. Distinctions in Local and Regional Culture
10. Fashion Consciousness Inspires Innovation
CHAPTER THREE
EARLY PROMOTERS OF ‘‘ARTISTIC JAPAN’’ 1830S–1950S
ARTISTS AND ART PROFESSORS
John La Farge, Henry Pike Bowie, Denman Waldo Ross, Arthur Wesley Dow
ART DEALERS
Siegfred Bing, Marcus Huish
SCIENTISTS AND PHYSICIANS
Phillip Franz von Siebold, Edward Sylvester Morse, Percival Lowell
INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS AND ARCHITECTS
Christopher Dresser, Josiah Conder, Frank Lloyd Wright, Bruno Taut
JOURNALISTS
Frank (Captain Francis) Brinkley, Lafcadio Hearn
PHILOSOPHERS
Ernest Fenollosa, Okakura Kakuzō, D. T. (Daisetsu Teitaro) Suzuki, Yanagi Sōetsu
ART HISTORIANS AND ART CRITICS
James Jackson Jarves, Philippe Burty, Théodore Duret, Louis Gonse, Sadakichi Hartmann, Laurence Binyon, Langdon Warner, Harada Jirō, Tsuda Noritake
THE LEGACY OF THE EARLY WRITERS
PREFACE
The Enduring Allure of Japanese Design
Everything Japanese is delicate, exquisite, admirable.... Curiosities and dainty objects bewilder you by their very multitude: On either side of you, wherever you turn your eyes, are countless wonderful things as yet incomprehensible. But it is perilous to look at them.... The shopkeeper never asks you to buy; but his wares are enchanted, and if you once begin buying you are lost. Cheapness means only a temptation to commit bankruptcy; for the resources of irresistible artistic cheapness are inexhaustible.
Lafcadio Hearn, Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan1
The