Author(s): Nicholas Bornoff

Art

Beautifully crafted samurai swords; exquisitely carved "netsuke" toggles; elegant wooden "tansu" chests; elaborate tea ceremony implements; fabulously expensive silk-and-gold embroidered kimonos. All of these highly recognizable Japanese objects are imbued with a sense of history and artistry, as well as a unique Japanese aesthetic sense that easily reaches across cultural boundaries. In "Things Japanese: Everyday Objects of Extraordinary Beauty and Significance," author Nicholas Bornoff and photographer Michael Freeman examine over 60 traditional objects that are definitively, uniquely Japanese, demonstrating their significance and relevance for a modern Western audience. In this delightful book, each object is shown and described in loving detail--placed within its broader historical and cultural context as an everyday item used by real people in traditional Japan. Each item is listed under its Japanese and English name--and illustrated in glorious, full-color photographs to highlight its great artistry and craftsmanship. "Things Japanese" is the perfect book for the antique lover in your life, or anyone interested in the art, culture and history of Japan.