Книги о восточном искусстве

'a mixture of artistic sensibility and imagery that leaves nothing to the imagination'  - The Telegraph

In early modern Japan, thousands of sexually explicit paintings, prints, and illustrated books with texts were produced. These were euphemistically called ‘spring pictures’ (shunga) and were originally created by the artists of the ukiyo-e school of the floating world to advertise brothels in 17th-century Yoshiwara, including the celebrated artists Utamaro and Hokusai.

This catalogue of an exhibition in 2013/4 at the British Museum aims to answer some key questions about what shunga is and why it was produced. Erotic Japanese art was heavily suppressed in Japan from the 1870s onwards, and it is only in the last twenty years or so it has been possible to publish unexpurgated examples in Japan. 

Drawing on the latest scholarship and featuring over 400 images of works from major public and private collections, this book sheds new light on this unique art form within Japanese social and cultural history.

About the Author:

Timothy Clark, Head of Japanese Section, British Museum

This volume throws light upon an art expression to be found clad in the garments of Moroccan architecture. This work provides keys to the understanding of geometrical arabesques. This art of a rare and precious mastery was elaborated through the determined efforts of generations of anonymous artists. A brief historical survey defines the specificity of Islamic art in Morocco.

Three principal styles of decorative architecture are studied: calligraphy, floral arabesque, and geometrical arabesque. Illustrations and photographs of some of the most beautiful sites of Morocco (monuments, royal palaces and cities) are a pleasure for the eye.

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Посмотреть оригинальное издание на французском языке Arabesques. Art decoratif au Maroc

“Chivalry is a flower no less indigenous to the soil of Japan than cherry blossom” are the opening words to Inazo Nitobe’s Bushido: The Soul of Japan. 

It was 1900 and Inazo, a Japanese academic living in the USA, had been prompted to write the book after an American professor had wondered how the Japanese imparted moral education on their children if schools didn’t offer any religious instruction. The answer, Inazo realised, was through Bushido. Bushido is the chivalric code of moral principles that the Samurai followed: rectitude, courage, benevolence, respect, honesty, honour and loyalty. Influenced by Confucianism, Shinto and Zen Buddhism, it tempers the violence of a warrior with wisdom and serenity. Alongside Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and Machiavelli’s The Prince, Inazo’s book has become influential among military and corporate leaders looking for ways to manage their people and overcome their opponents.

Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding and with a timeless design, Bushido Illustrated: The Soul of Japan includes the classic Inazo Nitobe text with a new introduction and colourful illustrations throughout. It will appeal to anyone interested in leadership, the code of the Samurai and Japanese culture.

About the Author:

Born in 1862, Inazo Nitobe began learning English at the age of nine. He entered Tokyo Imperial University before studying politics and international relations at John Hopkins University. Nitobe taught at Sapporo Agricultural College from 1891 to 1897, before moving to the USA, where Bushido: The Soul of Japan was published in 1900. From 1903 to 1919 he held a professorship at Kyoto Imperial University. Following the end of World War I, he attended the Versailles Peace Conference in 1918, then became an under secretary of the League of Nations. He was also the chairman of the Institute of Pacific Relations from 1929 until his death in 1933. Nitobe published many scholarly books as well as books for general readers.

The elegant pen-strokes and visual harmony of Chinese writing, known as hànzì, have long been admired in the West. Classical Chinese calligraphy is a popular and valuable art form and is becoming more widely appreciated and understood. In particular, the deep layers of history and symbolism that exist behind even the most everyday character have a strong appeal to those seeking understanding from an alternative philosophy.

Chinese Characters: The Art and Meaning of Hànzì features 86 of the three to four thousand characters needed to write modern Chinese. Characters expressing concepts such as love, peace, respect and happiness are reproduced in a large format, enabling the reader to trace them for transfer to any other medium. Alongside the character is an accessible and inspiring explanation of how the character developed, what the particular strokes symbolize, and its various different meanings.

About the Author:

James Trapp is the author of Chinese Characters: The Art and Meaning of Hanzi, Chinese Proverbs and also has translated a new edition of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. A Chinese language graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, he teaches Mandarin and is an Education Officer on the China Collection at the British Museum.

The Analects of Confucius has been one of the most widely read and studied books in China for the last 2,000 years, and continues to have a substantial influence on thought and values today. His words largely concern ethics, morality within the family, within marriage and within government, social relationships, justice and sincerity, valour and virtue. But whether you regard this as high philosophy or self- help for all the ages, whether your interest is in Chinese culture or leadership, whether it is spirituality or success that occupies your thoughts, Confucius has wise and accessible things to say about them all.

This complete edition of the Analects, which is made up of 20 books of brief passages from Confucius and his disciples, was translated by James Legge and is presented with a new introduction by James Trapp.

Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding and with a timeless design, Confucius: The Analects will appeal to anyone interested in philosophy, spirituality and Chinese culture.

Confucius – the Latinized name of K’ung Fu-tzu (Great Master K’ung) – was a descendant of a branch of the Shang dynasty that ruled China from around 1122 BCE to 221 BCE. He was born around 551 BCE in what is now the province of Shantung in northeastern China. He worked in a number of roles before becoming a teacher. Around 498 BCE, he began a long journey throughout eastern China accompanied by several of his disciples, during which he developed his ideas on philosophy and the art of government, as well as teaching. He acquired a large following which has become known as the school of Ju (Confucianism). Confucius died in 479 BCE.

Celebrating twenty-five years of PHUNK, this book traces the ways in which the Singapore-based design collective has mixed urban street culture, art and design to create a unique body of work

Traditional Chinese folklore, Hong Kong wuxia pulp fiction, Japanese manga, American street culture and British new wave music — all come together in the universe of PHUNK. Since its founding in 1994, the Singapore-based contemporary art and design collective made up of Alvin Tan, Melvin Chee, Jackson Tan and William Chan has blended diverse cultures, broken down creative boundaries and surpassed the waves of globalization to create a visual signature of its own.

Control Chaos is a deep dive into this visual rock band, retracing their journey over the last twenty-five years to becoming one of 21st-century Asia’s leading creative studios.

About the Author:

Justin Zhuang is a writer and researcher with an interest in design, cities, culture, history and media. He has written several books about Singapore design, including INDEPENDENCE: The History of Graphic Design in Singapore Since the 1960s.

A collection of dark and fetish art of more than 40 contemporary artists from all over the world such as Zdzislaw Beksi ski, Nicoletta Ceccoli, Ray Caesar, James Jean, John Santerineross, Popovy Sisters, and Elizabeth Mcgrath.

Gothic taste, decadence, doll-like and Lolita-esque style - the world of Aestheticism and degeneration - is supported by a wide range of people regardless of their age and gender.

Wanting to expose this fantastical art not only to fans who already have a deep appreciation for that world but also to a broader general audience, PIE International has published Japanese Erotica in Contemporary Art in September 2014 and Erotica in Japanese Contemporary Art. Vol. 2 in March of 2016.

As these books were well received in the market, we now have this third volume Dark & Fetish Art.

With these two volumes, we focused on Japanese artists, but in this third book featured are the artists from around the world.

This book is divided into categories such as Fetish Art, Dark Art, Art Photography, and 3-Dimensional Art.

The first art collection by Entei Ryu, the concept artist who is active in the gaming and video industries!

Entei Ryu is a creator who makes full use of 2D and 3D media, from digital painting to sculpture, 3D printing and more. This book is a carefully curated collection of 2D (analog) and 3D computer-generated design works other than 3D objects such as figures. We hope readers enjoy Entei Ryu’s various works, including rough sketches, character designs, and 3D computer-generated digital works. Her works are depicted and reproduced in detail and are of overwhelming quality.

Ryu is a 5-dimensional artist from the 22nd century who can manipulate the magic of analog and digital!
―Hideo Kojima, game creator

Experience new forms of digital illustration with this art book! This book is recommended not only for gaming fans but also for creators working in the gaming and video industries.

About the Author:

Entei Ryu has previously provided art for various titles, including the ASSASSIN’S CREED and FINAL FANTASY series, and is currently working as a Kojima Productions concept artist involved in the development of works such as DEATH STRANDING 2. 

Everyday Scenes from a Parallel World is a celebration of the beauty of the scenes and backgrounds in anime and manga. 

This unusual book turns the spotlight exclusively on the scenes and background illustrations. With only a few ordinary characters in these scenes, attention here is focused on the beauty of the illustrated backgrounds.

These background artworks feature familiar scenes from daily life: nostalgic townscapes, detailed cityscapes, intricate architecture, rooms that look like doll houses, etc. They are extremely realistic and detailed -- almost like photographs -- but at the same time give readers the sense that we are looking at images of a parallel world.

The works featured are by 39 well-known, mostly Japanese creators, illustrators, and animators. Some creators featured have made their entire careers specializing in drawing backgrounds. Frequently overlooked, this book finally gives them the recognition they deserve. Additionally, a section that explains drawing techniques and materials is included. The profiles of creators with messages from each, descriptions of each creator's techniques and preferred materials are written in both Japanese and English text.

This stunning collection will appeal to all art lovers and is sure to bring creators massive inspiration, too.

About the Author:

PIE International specializes in books for graphic designers, and high-quality visual books on photography, art, and Japanese Culture (Traditional and contemporary), as well as manga and comic art, and more.

An exclusive insight into glamour of Edo–period society through the medium of 140 exquisite ukiyo-e

This sumptuous book explores the important role that woodblock prints played in the fashionable world of Edo–period Japan (1603–1868). One hundred and forty ukiyo-e (“pictures of the floating world”) offer us a vivid view of the culture of entertainment, style, and glamour that developed in bustling urban centers. Expert curators bring to life the scenes and figures depicted, and highlight the fashions, dress accessories, and hairstyles shown in these colorful and compelling images by artists such as Utagawa Kunisada and Utagawa Hiroshige.

Benefitting from the V&A’s world-leading collection and including many rarely seen prints, this is a fascinating glimpse into an exciting world of celebrity actors, courtesans, kimono retailers, fabric workshops, makeup brands, theatre managers, brothel keepers, and restaurant owners.

About the Authors:

Anna Jackson is Keeper, Asia Department at the V&A. Masami Yamada is Curator, Asia Department at the V&A

Cute and cool fashion illustrations are showcased in the artist's first art collection book.

Tanaka is an illustrator who's getting attention on social media with pop and cute (kawaii) fashion illustrations of young boys and girls. With 105K followers on Twitter and 130K followers on Instagram, Tanaka's posts of kawaii illustrated fashion combinations using a range of cute items are creating buzz. This book showcases approximately 170 illustrations, with 40 new and remade fashion illustrations by the artist. The illustrations are arranged by 60 themes in alphabetical order: "B" for "Boyish", "Black", "Beige", "C" for "Checkered" and so on (some letters have multiple themes). This book will be inspiring not just for Japanese anime and manga fans, but also for fashionistas, fashion designers, manga artists and people working in the fashion or anime industries.

About the Author:

Tanaka is a fashion anime illustrator and has collaborated with many companies including Coca-Cola Japan.

Written around 1645, Miyamoto Musashi’s Five Rings is a classic Japanese work on mastery in swordsmanship, leadership and conflict. Musashi was a swordsman, philosopher and strategist, and today his work remains of influence not only in the realm of martial arts but in the business world, too.

Musashi’s no-nonsense approach to the martial arts and combat includes eliminating technical flourishes, understanding that technique should simply be understood as defeating your opponent, and appreciating that the same qualities apply in both small-scale and large-scale conflicts. Repeatedly, he stresses the importance of learning through practice, rather than mere theoretical learning.

Five Rings Illustrated is produced using beautiful traditional Chinese bookbinding techniques.

About the Author:

Miyamoto Musashi (c.1584 – 13 June 1645) was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin. He was a master swordsman, undefeated in his 61 duels, and the founder of the Niten-Ichi-Ryū-School style of swordsmanship. He wrote two books, The Book of Five Rings and The Path of Aloneness, shortly before his death.

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 mask-like makeup and into both 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 the theatre 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.

About the Author:

Edited by the Peabody Essex Museum with contributions by Liza Dalby, Lesley Downer, Arthur Golden, Peter M. Grilli, Money L. Hickman, Allen Hockley, and Andrew L. Maske

_Provides a behind-the-scenes look at the life of the geisha, and a comprehensive overview of geisha culture
_With contributions by many specialists on Japanese culture, including best-selling authors Arthur Golden and Liza Dalby
_Illustrated throughout with historical and contemporary photographs, as well as woodblock prints and paintings

This is the first art collection by the young Canadian artist/illustrator Koyamori (also known as Maruti_Bitamin). Over the past five years, she has gained attention through regularly sharing her fascinating illustrations on her Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter accounts. This work has been collected in grow and accompanied by a selection of specially created new illustrations.

Using mostly watercolor ink, Koyamori's highly imaginative but intimate illustrations incorporate colorful natural elements such as plants, creatures, water and stars, and also feature super-cute manga-inspired characters. A reversible dust jacket includes the cover from the Japanese edition on the reverse side. Both covers are new illustrations exclusively drawn for this long-awaited book.

About the Author:

Koyamori is an Asian-Canadian watercolor painter who also focuses on illustration and design. Her work often features nature and nostalgic elements, stemming from a background in biology and a childhood in Asia. She attempts to create a sense of peace and comfort through these still images.

Written in the early 18th century by Samurai retainer Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure is the classic exposition of Bushido, the warrior code of the Samurai, divided into a collection of commentaries. Combining elements of both Zen Buddhism and Confucianism, Hagakure teaches a wisdom centred on loyalty, devotion, purity and selflessness, placing a strong emphasis on the notion of living in the present moment with a strong and clear mind. With a focus on living with honour and a willingness to die at any moment in service of a lord, Hagakure was a popular and widely-read guide to Samurai ethics for Japanese soldiers during World War II.

This illustrated edition offers hundreds of aphorisms from the original, covering topics as wide-ranging as how to avoid selfishness, the importance of paying respect to elders, teachers and parents, gaining self-knowledge through modesty and discipline, committing to a task no matter what the odds are, and how to achieve the state of a pure and uncomplicated mind.

Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding, Hagakure Illustrated is a classic collection of clearly expressed and entertaining sketches, stories and aphorisms reflecting on every aspect of life and death according to Bushido, the moral code of the Samurai.

About the Author:

Yamamoto Tsunetomo (山本 常朝), (1659–1719), was a Samurai of the Saga domain in Hizen province under his lord Nabeshima Mitsushige. He became a Zen Buddhist priest and relayed his experiences, memories, lessons, ideas, and aphorisms to the Samurai Tashiro Tsuramoto, who compiled them under the title Hagakure.