Woodblock Wonders. A visual history of 200 Japanese masterpieces

The Japanese woodblock print is a phenomenon with no Western equivalent, one where breathtaking landscapes exist alongside blush-inducing erotica; where demons and otherworldly creatures torment the living; and where sumo wrestlers, kabuki actors, and courtesans are rock stars. This XXL book lifts the veil on a much-loved but little-understood art, revealing the stories and people behind the 200 most exceptional prints from 1680–1938. Drawing from the finest impressions in museums and private collections around the world, it features the work of 89 artists as well as 17 fold-outs.

From Edouard Manet’s portrait of naturalist writer Émile Zola sitting among his Japanese art finds to Van Gogh’s meticulous copies of the Hiroshige prints he devotedly collected, 19th-century pioneers of European modernism made no secret of their love of Japanese art. In all its sensuality, freedom, and effervescence, the woodblock print is single-handedly credited with the wave of japonaiserie that first enthralled France and, later, all of Europe — but often remains misunderstood as an “exotic” artifact that helped inspire Western creativity.

The fact is that the Japanese woodblock print is a phenomenon of which there exists no Western equivalent. Some of the most disruptive ideas in modern art — including, as Karl Marx put it, that “all that is solid melts into air” — were invented in Japan in the 1700s and expressed like never before in the designs of such masters as Hokusai, Utamaro, and Hiroshige in the early 19th century.

This book lifts the veil on a much-loved but little-understood art form by presenting the 200 most exceptional Japanese woodblock prints in their historical context. Ranging from the 17th-century development of decadent ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” to the decline and later resurgence of prints in the early 20th century, the images collected in this edition make up an unmatched record not only of a unique genre in art history, but also of the shifting mores and cultural development of Japan.

From mystical mountains to snowy passes, samurai swordsmen to sex workers in shop windows, each piece is explored as a work of art in its own right, revealing the stories and people behind the motifs. We discover the four pillars of the woodblock print — beauties, actors, landscapes, and bird-and-flower compositions — alongside depictions of sumo wrestlers, kabuki actors, or enticing courtesans — rock stars who populated the “floating world” and whose fan bases fueled the frenzied production of woodblock prints. We delve into the horrifying and the obscure in prints where demons, ghosts, man-eaters, and otherworldly creatures torment the living —stunning images that continue to influence Japanese manga, film, and video games to this day. We witness how, in their incredible breadth, from everyday scenes to erotica, the martial to the mythological, these works are united by the technical mastery and infallible eye of their creators and how, with tremendous ingenuity and tongue-in-cheek wit, publishers and artists alike fought to circumvent government censorship.

Three years in the making, this XXL edition presents reproductions of the finest extant impressions from the vaults of museums and private collections across the globe — many newly photographed, especially for this project. Some 17 stunning fold-outs invite us to study even the subtlest details, while extensive descriptions guide us through this frantic period in Japanese art history.

Features:

- The work of 89 artists, from the world-renowned to the unfamiliar
- 7 chapters organized chronologically to trace the history of the medium from 1680 to 1938
- 17 fold-outs, which had to be hand-folded due to their size and specifications
- Exclusive reproductions from museums and private collections
- An appendix listing all artists and works

The author:

Andreas Marks studied East Asian art history at the University of Bonn and obtained his PhD in Japanese studies from Leiden University with a thesis on 19th-century actor prints. From 2008 to 2013 he was director and chief curator of the Clark Center for Japanese Art in Hanford, California, and since 2013 has been the Mary Griggs Burke Curator of Japanese and Korean Art, head of the Department of Japanese and Korean Art, and director of the Clark Center for Japanese Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

A fascinating journey through the world of anime and manga, their genres and styles, roots and creators.

An accessible, informative and fascinating journey through the world of anime and manga, their genres and styles (from the most commercial to the most cutting-edge), their roots and their creators. With a wealth of iconographic content, this book will be the reference book for anyone interested in discovering the diversity and originality of manga and anime.

About the Authors:

Philip Brophy is a musician, filmmaker, writer and academic.
Carlo Chatrian is a film critic and consultant for several film festivals.
Jonathan Clements is the author of Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in Anime and co-author of The Anime Encyclopedia.
Luca Della Casa is a selector of anime and Asian films for Bologna’s Future Film Festival.
Stephane Delorme is Editor-in-chief of Cahiers du cinéma.
Davide Di Giorgio is a film critic and author of a Japanese animation column for the webmagazine Sentieri Selvaggi.
Daniele Dottorini is a film critic, lecturer and consultant for several film festivals.
Stefano Gariglio works in movie subtitling and is a member of the neo(N)eiga cultural association.
Paul Gravett is a critic, lecturer, curator and historian specializing in international comic art.
Erwan Higuinen is a journalist and film critic for Libération, Cahiers du cinéma and Les Inrockuptibles.
Fabrizio Liberti is film programmer for Italian television channel Rai Uno.
Helen McCarthy is the author of The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga and co-author of The Anime Encyclopedia.
Fabrizio Modina is a multitalented creative and an internationally renowned collector of toys.
Giona A.Nazzaro is a film critic and programmer at the Festival dei Popoli, Florence.
Maria Roberta Novielli teaches Japanese cinema at the University Ca’ Foscari, Venice.
Grazia Paganelli is a film critic and film programmer at the National Museum of Cinema, Turin.
Gianni Rondolino is an internationally renowned cinema historian and columnist for La Stampa.
Michel Roudevitch is a cartoonist, screenwriter, animator and director who has worked in the animated cinema industry since the Sixties.
Mario A. Rumor is editor of MANGA! magazine.
Stephen Sarrazin is a film and media art critic, curator and professor.
David Surman teaches Computer Game Design at the University of Wales, Newport.

Nippon Nests. Today’s most exceptional Japanese homes

Japanese homes are refuges of tranquillity, crafted in a unique domestic aesthetic of Eastern minimalism. Traditional architecture features alongside cutting-edge contemporary dwellings in this collection of homes, with many never-before-seen photographs. Turn to the rising sun and discover the fluid simplicity of these spaces where Zen philosophy breathes.

So rich and unique is traditional Japanese architecture that it’s nearly impossible to improve upon. Yet contemporary Japanese designers and architects keep finding fresh approaches to refurbish and take inspiration from the ways of old. Whether it’s a pristinely preserved traditional house or a sleek modern apartment, the best Japanese homes share a love of cleverly designed spaces and warm materials like wood, brick, and bamboo.

From a thatched roof farmhouse occupied by a Zen priest to Tadao Ando’s experimental 4x4 House, from Shigeru Ban’s conceptual Shutter House to a beautiful domestic homage to bamboo, this elegant compendium traverses the multifaceted landscape of Japanese living today.

Enriched by 170 brand new, unpublished photographs, this re-edition takes you on breathtaking journey through the Land of the Rising Sun — complete with a list of addresses, should you wish to undertake this journey to Japan’s most fascinating inns and homes yourself. An insightful glossary of key terms, such as tatami, shoji, and noren, will also help you come to grips with all elements of Japan’s unique aesthetic of Eastern minimalism.

The photographer:

Swiss photographer Reto Guntli, based in Zurich, regularly travels the world shooting for international magazines. He has published numerous books and contributed to such TASCHEN publications as Inside Asia, Living in Japan, Living in Bali, Great Escapes Asia and Great Escapes Europe.

The authors:

Author, art collector, calligrapher, and restorer of old houses, Alex Kerr has lived in Japan and Thailand since 1964. As a writer, he is known for Lost Japan (1996), Dogs and Demons (2001), and Another Kyoto (2016).

Kathy Arlyn Sokol is a writer, interviewer, and award-winning narrator. Her published works include Rasta Time, based on her exclusive interview with Bob Marley, and Another Kyoto, co-written with Alex Kerr, on the secrets of the ancient city. She presently resides in Udaipur in Rajasthan, India.

The editor:

Angelika Taschen studied art history and German literature in Heidelberg, gaining her doctorate in 1986. Working for TASCHEN from 1987, she has published numerous titles on art, architecture, photography, design, travel, and lifestyle.

About the series:

Bibliotheca Universalis — Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe at an unbeatable, democratic price!

Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together more than 100 of our all-time favourite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia.

Bookworm’s delight — never bore, always excite!

Thinking of getting a Japanese-style tattoo? Want to avoid a permanent mistake? 

"Japanese Tattoos" is an insider's look at the world of Japanese "irezumi" (tattoos). 

"Japanese Tattoos" explains the imagery featured in Japanese tattoos so that readers can avoid getting ink they don't understand or, worse, that they'll regret. This photo-heavy book will also trace the history of Japanese tattooing, putting the iconography and "kanji" symbols in their proper context so readers will be better informed as to what they mean and have a deeper understanding of "irezumi." 

Tattoos featured will range from traditional "tebori" (hand-poked) and "kanji" tattoos to anime-inspired and modern works as well as everything in between. For the first time, Japanese tattooing will be put together in a visually attractive, informative, and authoritative way. 

Along with the 350+ photos of tattoos, "Japanese Tattoos" will also feature interviews with Japanese tattoo artists on a variety of topics. What's more, there will be interviews with clients, who are typically overlooked in similar books, allowing them to discuss what their Japanese tattoos mean to them. 

Those who read this informative tattoo guide will be more knowledgeable about Japanese tattoos should they want to get inked or if they are simply interested in Japanese art and culture.

__________

Пролистать книгу Japanese Tattoos: History. Culture. Design на Google Books

Shunga portrays the erotic expression of a couple with pleasures and pains, and the beauty of their bodies with the finest Japanese woodblock print technique. It is a type of Ukiyo-e, which was especially all the rage among people in the Edo period (17th-19th century). Almost all ukiyo-e artists made shunga at some point in their careers. 

This big book of 586 pages features various Shunga works by masters of Ukiyo-e artists such as Hokusai Katsushika, Utamaro Kitagawa, Kuniyoshi Utagawa, Kiyonaga Torii, and Eisen Keisai. 

The magic by Kazuya Tkaoka, art director for this book, and our successful title Hokusai Manga, makes this book a one-of-a-kind Shunga collection.

Japanese Erotica in Contemporary Art is a comprehensive exploration of contemporary erotic arts in Japan, covering more than 50 artists. 

Featuring work ranging from illustrations, dolls, contemporary art, comics, anime, and much more. Also included are bilingual overviews and expositions of the latest Japanese erotic art, with detailed analysis on each category. For this reason, this book is recommended for both men and women, art lover, Japanese subculture maniacs, "Gothic" and "Lolita" enthusiasts, and Anime fans. 

Featuring art by: Simon Yotsuya; Takato Yamamoto; Akira Uno; Hajime Sorayama; Junko Mizuno; Suehiro Maruo; Makiko Sugawa; Yoshifumi Hayashi; and many more.

Following the great success of Japanese Erotica in Contemporary Art, this second volume showcases even more cutting-edge underground artwork by 47 Japanese artists. 

New categories such as "Fetish Photography," "Steampunk," "Hyperrealism" and "Decadence Photography" introduce the latest preoccupations of Japanese erotic and fantasy artists, pushing the limits of the first volume by presenting ever more surreal, grotesque and gothic themes - while retaining an uncanny beauty. 

Gorgeously designed and comprehensive in scope, Erotica in Japanese Contemporary Art Vol. 2 is an essential addition to the collections of erotic art fans around the world.

A beautifully designed and visually spectacular book on Japanese erotic art, shunga

Japanese erotic art or shunga has a long history, with thousands of high-quality paintings, prints and illustrated books produced by both celebrated and anonymous artists, mostly from the late seventeenth to the nineteenth century. Frequently explicit, but also tender, sensuous and humorous, even educational, shunga – a euphemism meaning ‘picture of spring’ – celebrates all facets of human sexuality. Hugely popular in Japanese society, such depictions were regarded as entirely natural and are an expression of the refined, pleasure-seeking ‘floating world’ culture for which Edo-period Japan, when many of these works were created, is famed.

Shunga works were enjoyed by all sections of society, from samurai to ordinary newly married couples, especially after the advent of woodblock printing made them affordable and accessible – it was even possible to borrow shunga books from libraries. Almost every artist of the famed ukiyo-e school, including Hokusai, Utamaro and Kuniyoshi, created shunga displaying brilliant imagination, great technical achievement and originality.

In a dazzling diversity of images drawn from his own unrivalled collection, Ofer Shagan shows us the full spectrum of sexual practice and expression, including nudity and clothing, voyeurism, gods, monsters and animals, orgasm, adultery and jealousy, and much else. Organized thematically, this book highlights the symbols and motifs, often hidden in the background of the art, which are crucial for a proper understanding and appreciation of this genre.

For a long time shunga remained taboo and excluded from scholarship, but this ambitious book, with a foreword by Professor Andrew Gerstle of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, returns these wonderful artworks to their rightful place in the history of Japanese art, culture and society.

With over 1,200 illustrations, all specially photographed and many rarely or never published previously, this beautifully produced book explores the intimate riches of shunga in a way no other publication has done before.

About the author:

Ofer Shagan has written several books on aspects of his collection, including Mudmee Ikat of Thailand and South-East Asian Art and History, as well as over a hundred articles in periodicals concerning history, culture and art, including extensive works about shunga.

В этой книге многое впервые. Впервые на русском издается книга посвященная Японской откровенной гравюре Сюнга. Впервые в издании представлено более 700 произведений. Когда мы их отбирали из трехтысячной коллекции шли настоящие редакционно-искусствоведческие баталии. В книгу вошли самые интересные, значимые и редкие работы. Впервые проведена атрибуция некоторых гравюр и книг. Хвастаться не хорошо, но это действительно круто! 

О Сюнга

С момента создания этих волнующих образов прошли сотни лет, однако японская эротическая гравюра продолжает приковывать взгляды зрителей по всему миру.

Можно долго спорить о том, кто впервые взялся за изображение на бумаге, в глине или мраморе сексуальных сцен. Их можно обнаружить еще на фресках древнего Рима или на античных вазах Греции. Вся Европа в эпоху Возрождения не брезговала картинками, поднимающими «тонус». Да почему только Европа? Нечто подобное было характерно и для древнего Перу. А что уж сказать об Индии, где Камасутра служит своеобразной азбукой для мужчин и женщин! Славился этим искусством и Китай. Но если спросить знатока этого жанра о наиболее эффектных образцах изобразительного искусства, то ответ будет однозначным: на этом поприще удачнее всего потрудились мастера ксилографии Японии XVII-XIX веков.

Отнюдь не намекаем на сексуальную распущенность японских мастеров культуры. Дело в том, что взаимоотношения полов во всем их разнообразии в Японии всегда воспринимались как нечто естественное, причем не ограниченное сугубо семейными рамками в японской религии – синтоизме – не удастся найти ничего, что бросало бы мрачную тень на секс.

Даже древние мифы, посвященные космогоническим процессам, нередко насыщены сугубо сексуальными подробностями. Возьмем, к примеру, описание процесса зарождения мира, изложенное в самом древнем письменном памятнике Японии – «Кодзики», датированным 712 годом. Результатом этого вполне невинного, с точки зрения японца, божественного инцеста и стало появление Японского архипелага, а вместе с ним и всего мира, в котором мы живем. В стране издавна существовал (и поныне сохраняется!) фаллический культ, связанный с прославлением богини плодородия.

Сюнга в дословном переводе означает «весенние картинки». Почему японцы дали такое название рисункам? Вернее всего, этот термин был позаимствован у китайцев. Но в Японии он прижился. Может быть, это связано с характерным для этого народа четким ощущением смены времен года. Именно весной под теплыми солнечными лучами не только оживает природа, но и обостряются человеческие чувства, эмоции переполняют душу.

Книжки-альбомы сюнга изначально считались лучшим и непременным подарком молодоженам со стороны родителей, родственников или друзей. Часть гравюр в книжке изображала весьма реалистичные ситуации, другая была более фантазийной, где любовники принимали поистине невозможные позы, доступные, пожалуй, лишь опытным акробатам.

Книгами сюнга в стране увлекались все поголовно, не зависимо от материального или социального статуса, старики и молодежь, мужчины и женщины. Правительство Японии не раз пыталось лишить свой народ столь дешевого и доступного развлечения. Однако это приводило лишь к росту ухищрений участников торговых сделок.

Среди книг сюнга множество шедевров таких именитых и талантливых мастеров гравюры, как Моронобу Хисикава, Хокусаи Кацусика, Иссё Миягава, Сигэнобу Янагава, Утамаро Китагава, Эйсэн Томиока.

Авторы графических листов предельно откровенно, с мельчайшими анатомическими подробностями изображали моменты интимных контактов между мужчинами и женщинами, мужчинами и мужчинами, женщинами и женщинами, людьми и животными (например, осьминогами, тиграми), женщинами, мужчинами и потусторонними существами…

Сюнга вполне обоснованно может считаться прародителем таких современных жанров искусства, широко распространившихся по современному миру, как анимэ и манга.

The beauty of the Japanese garden lies in its combination of natural and artificial beauty. It represents the unique aesthetic taste of the Japanese people, mainly because of the distinct seasons of the insular country. Under the influence of religion, culture, history and customs, Japanese landscapes feature delicacy in design and elaboration in materials. An exquisite garden often reflects ideas in literature, calligraphy, paintings, ikebana and teaism, becoming an art work that assembles the essence of Japanese culture. We thus can find the zen implied in the design of Japanese gardens. The concept of Zen could be found throughout their designs. In their works, a narrow space could turn into a deep, richly-layered, savoring and meaningful landscape that was poetic and somewhat zenic.

This book consists of three chapters, Japanese gardens, public landscapes and interior landscapes, including the outstanding works of Japanses landscape designers, and giving full expression to the essence of Japanese landscape. May the book a source of inspiration to all the lovers of landscaping design.

No two Japanese gardens are ever the same. Each is inimitable, yet embodies commonalities of design and aesthetic taste. Each finds the space for innovation within a tradition that benefits from a thousand years of applied knowledge.

Japan's Master Gardens explores the ingenuity and range of Japanese landscaping, from the self-imposed confines of courtyard designs to the open expanses of the stroll garden.

Japan's Master Gardens illustrates how, through the ministrations of generations of gardeners, original landscapes have maintained their mastery and demonstrates how contemporary landscaping draws from tradition, making ancient gardens relevant to the lives of people in the twenty-first century.

This beautifully illustrated book takes readers on an exploration of the outward forms, underpinning principles, complex use of metaphor and allusion, and beauty and depth that set the Japanese garden apart.

Exceptionally drawn in a realistic fashion and awash in spectacularly rich colors, this one-of-a-kind art book — masterfully reprinted from a rare and costly edition — combines the perennial appeal of flowers with the art of Japanese woodblock prints.

Nothing expresses the richness and vigor of life like blooming flowers. A stunning showcase of 120 full-color plates, this specially chosen collection features beautiful Eastern and Western botanicals that will delight flower lovers, artists, designers, and devotees of fine art. Admire such familiar and unusual blossoms as the poppy, rose, anemone, cyclamen, delphinium, water lily, lupine, passion flower, allamanda, phlox, dahlia, petunia, tulip, freesia, pansy, begonia, and many more beautiful blooms!

Tanigami Kônan (1879-1928) was a genius at the art of woodblock creation and color gradation, and he is still celebrated as one of the finest artists of this highly specialized technique. Captions and a complete index are included in this distinct keepsake edition.

The follow-up to international bestseller Japan Graphics, JPG2 examines changes in Japanese graphic design.

Instead of 'more copies, higher resolution, to a wider audience', there is a greater focus on individual and original works.

JPG 2 brings together over 20 design teams, showcasing the evolution of teams from the first JPG as well as new projects, new teams, and the best contemporary design talents.

Works by Amane Murakami, Buddha Productions, Dainippon Type Organization, Enlightenment, Hideki Inaba, Higraph, keitarrow, Loworks, Keigo Mohri, Namaiki, Shinji Shimada, Ryuh Tomoaki, Sunday-Vision, Power Graphixx, Takora, Taku Anekawa, TGB design, Tsuyoshi Kusano, Tsuyoshi Hirooka, wabisabi, iseneehihinee.

Explore the art of Rodrigo Melo's Japanese style tattoos through more than 150 lush studio photographs of bodysuits, rib pieces, back pieces, and sleeves featuring traditional themes and imagery. See peonies, koi, tigers, dragons, and characters from Buddhist mythology presented in authentic form and color but with some modern techniques and stylings, like the use of "angry black" to increase contrast. In addition to the body art pieces, this contemporary study of traditional Japanese tattoo styles includes hundreds of images of Melo's flash paintings, a body suit in progress, and new aesthetics for Japanese style tattoo art. This book is a must have for tattoo enthusiasts, art and tattoo students, and anyone interested in learning about tattoo culture and history.

The delicate beauty of the kimono and its appealing designs embody Japan's ancient and venerable tradition of textile arts. This unusual design treasury recaptures the graceful art of the kimono in all its subtle elegance, with authentic designs from a nineteenth-century source.

Reproduced directly from a rare and costly original portfolio, these luminous designs include allover patterns, nature scenes, magnificent floral sprays, and other finely detailed motifs. Sixty-two lavish full-color illustrations offer a vibrant resource of inspiration and browsing pleasure to devotees of fashion, art, and Asian culture.

Reprint of a rare, undated, late-19th-century Japanese volume.