Japanese Cloisonné: History, Technique, and Appreciation

Charles E. Tuttle Company, Rutland, Vermont, 1992 Book. Very Good. Hardcover. 2nd Edition. English text; Hardcover (with dust jacket); 19 x 26.5 cm; 1.263 Kg; 323 pages illustrated with 158 full colour plates and 171 monochrome photographs.; Used book with minor signs of wear, namely on the dust jacket. The interior is in very good condition.; Cloisonné is an enamelware decoration made with colored glass enamels outlined in fine wares. Primarily used for ornamentation of vases, boxes, and trays, this art originated in ancient Greece, then traveled across the Asian continent to Japan, where it reached the peak of its development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Interestingly, once this art form reached its zenith in popularity, it fell from grace and was considered by most collectors a curious and intricate aberration of the Japanese sensibility. Today, however, Japanese cloisonné is growing more popular and is a subject of antique research. Nearly a decade has passed since the original publication of Japanese Cloisonné, but the works remains the definite text on the subject. First written because the authors were unable to learn all they wished to know about this art from others sources, this book covers every aspect of this unique craft. Major topics covered in the book include the history and development of the art, and the comment and criticism Japanese cloisonné has drawn both in Japan and the West. The book also contains an extensive Collector's Guide and Appendices dealing with such matters as historical changes in technology, methods of dating, enamelists, marks, and identification. The first fully authoritative guide to one of Japan's finest expressions of traditional craftsmanship, Japanese Cloisonné will prove an invaluable sourcebook for both amateur and professional collector alike..