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In The Art of the Japanese Sword , master swordsmith Yoshindo Yoshihara offers a detailed look at the entire process of Japanese sword making, including the finishing and appreciation of Japanese blades. Japanese sword art stands out in many ways: functionality as a weapon, sophisticated metallurgy and metalsmithing, the shape of the blade itself—all contribute to the beauty of these remarkable weapons. The Art of the Japanese Sword conveys to the reader Japanese samurai sword history and Japanese sword care, as well as explaining how to view and appreciate a blade. With 256 full-color pages, this sword book illustrates in meticulous detail how modern craftsmen use traditional methods to prepare their steel, forge the sword and create the unique hardened edge. By gaining a good understanding of how a sword is actually made, the reader will be able to appreciate the samurai sword more fully. Topics include: Appreciating the Japanese swordHistory of the Japanese swordTraditional Japanese steelmakingMaking the swordFinishing the sword

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This complete guide to Batik is an invaluable resource for those interested in Batik history, design, and weaving.Here in this volume, the author has not only given a comprehensive and fascinating account of the origins and history of batik, with examples of techniques and design, but also includes a complete «How-To-Do-It» section on modern methods of creating batik.The text is lucid and easy to follow, and the simple step-by-step format will enable the art enthusiast to investigate this rewarding and creative medium. Sample batiks by modern artists, show what can be done with craft, skill, and imagination.The author takes the reader through all aspects of making a batik, from a simple dipping, or tie-dying, to sectional dyeing, and the more intricate five or six-color patterns. Basic materials, fabric mixtures, wax temperatures etc. are discussed fully, and more important, the practical problems often encountered by a beginner are thoughtfully explained. Here is a book of batik literally giving you the 'tricks of the trade'.

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Containing photographs of everyday, antique objects along with insightful commentary, Things Korean is a useful guide to traditional life in Korea.O-Young Lee, former Korean Minister of Culture gives us a survey of native objects from Korea, from totems(Changsung) to hair-pins(binyo), crock pots(Changdokdae) to temple bells(Jong), scissors(Kawi) to graves(mudon) explaining their significance and place in everyday Korean life.Each item in the book is listed under its English and Korean name; a glossary is provided to further assist the reader. Lavishly illustrated with more than 100 color illustrations, Things Korean is a magnificent celebration of Korean culture.

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Unlock the secrets of the legendary weapons of the samurai While the samurai is well known as the military nobility of medieval Japan, their range of weapons, which went far beyond the katana, bow, and spear, is lesser known. For instance, some weapons, like the tesson, or iron fan, were used in secret where samurai swords were not allowed. Others were improvised, with warriors using whatever fighting tool was at hand. In Samurai Weapons , readers will follow the story of Zenigata Heiji, among others, who developed an uncanny ability to use heavy coins as dangerous weapons by throwing them like bullets.Author Don Cunningham, who held ranks in judo, jujutsu, and kendo, including a second dan license from the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo, gives us a historical look at these ancient arms in a way that's useful for novices and samurai experts alike.Chapters cover such rich details as:Japanese martial arts cultureHidden weaponsSensu, truncheons, and polearmsLearn how and why samurai weapons included not only the sword of popular lore but also a variety of others. Cunningham describes the society of Japan, how the samurai class arose, and the place in society that samurai held through the centuries, focusing in particular on the various weaponry they used, how they used it, and why. Samurai Weapons highlights how these weapons and fighting styles have influenced various schools of Japanese martial arts.

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Balinese Art is the first comprehensive survey of Balinese painting from its origins in the traditional Balinese village to its present position at the forefront of the high-priced Asian art scene. Balinese art has been popular and widely collected around the world for many decades. In fact, the contemporary painter who commands the highest prices in Southeast Asia's hot art market is Bali-born Nyoman Masriadi (1973–). This book demonstrates that his work draws on a long and deeply-rooted tradition of the Bali art scene.Balinese painting has deep local roots and has followed its own distinctive trajectory, yet has been heavily influenced by outsiders. Indian artistic and religious traditions were introduced to Bali over a thousand years ago through the prism of ancient Javanese culture. Beyond the world of Indonesian art, Balinese artists and craftsmen have also interacted with other Asian artists, particularly those of China, and later Western artists. From these sources, an aesthetic tradition developed that depicts stories from the ancient Indian epics as well as themes from Javanese mythology and the religious and communal life of the Balinese themselves. Starting with a discussion of the island's aesthetic traditions and how Balinese art should be viewed and understood, this book goes on to present pre-colonial painting traditions, some of which are still practiced in the village of Kamasan—the home of «classical» Balinese art. However, the main focus is the development of new styles starting in the 1930s and how these gradually evolved in response to the tourist industry that has come to dominate the island. Balinese Art acquaints readers with the masterpieces and master artists of Bali, and the final chapter presents the most important artists who are active today and serves as an introduction to their work.

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With dozens of rare color maps and other documents, Early Mapping of Southeast Asia follows the story of map-making, exploration and colonization in Asia from the 16th to the 19th centuries. It documents the idea of Southeast Asia as a geographical and cosmological construct, from the earliest of times up until the down of the modern era. using maps, itineraries, sailing instructions, traveler's tales, religious texts and other contemporary sources, it examines the representation of Southeast Asia, both from the historical perspective of Western exploration and cartography, and also through the eyes of Asian neighbors.Southeast Asia has always occupied a special place in the imaginations of East and West. This book recounts the fascinating story of how Southeast Asia was, quite literally, put on the map, both in cartographic terms and as a literary and imaginative concept.

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Textiles provide a visual history of a country's culture and crafting traditions in a way few other things can accomplish. In <i>Textiles of Southeast Asia</i>, Dr. Robyn Maxwell provides the definitive work on Southeast Asian textiles.<br><br>Traditional textiles are one of the most widely collected and important categories of Southeast Asian art. Using an extensive range of locally produced raw materials and an astonishing array of techniques&#8212;including applique, weaving, batik and embroidery&#8212;the textiles of Southeast Asia are astonishing in their versatility and originality. Textiles are used to fashion everything from everyday clothing to sacred and ceremonial costumes, shrouds and wrapping cloths, hangings, banners and ritual regalia&#8212;all of which are represented and explained in <i>Textiles of Southeast Asia</i>.<br><br>This authoritative text focuses on the changing relationship between indigenous Southeast Asian traditions and the outside influences continuing to be brought to the area, which change the nature of the region's textile traditions. This book considers the various ways Southeast Asian textile artisans reacted over the centuries to the steady stream of new and powerful ideas and raw materials arriving from India, China, the Islamic world and Europe. A detailed and definitive resource, <i>Textiles of Southeast Asia</i> is a welcome addition to the field of textiles.

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The Shogun's Scroll offers a look at the samurai strategies and ethics of medieval Japan distilled into language modern readers can relate to and follow. In the tradition of The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings , this book offers timeless advice on success in war and life. Written in the voice of Hidetomo Nakadai, a late twelfth-century scholar and servant in the court of Minamoto Yoritomo&#8212;the first shogun of Japan and one of the world's most ruthless generals&#8212;this treatise can be used as a guide for personal growth and motivation. The author draws on a lifetime of personal experiences with the philosophy of Japanese martial arts as well as countless historical sources to produce this profound work of docu-fiction. It is essential reading for those interested in martial arts, samurai, military history or Japanese history.

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This is an ebook version of a very rare Japanese woodblock print collection. Originally published in 1962 in a limited edition of 475 copies, The Modern Japanese Print soon became a collector's item.Included in the folio-sized volume were ten original woodblock prints by contemporary Japanese artists. The idea for this unique presentation had originated with author, James Michener who hoped to assist this little known group of dedicated men achieve wider recognition. The original works of art in The Modern Japanese Print were selected in a contest judged by art experts in the United States and Japan who sought to find the best examples representing « the richness and power of the modern Japanese print movement .»The ten original woodblock prints are reproduced in full color; Mr. Michener's text is retained completely. Aside from the artists whose works are shown, the author discusses many others who are contributing to the continuing development of this art form. James Michener's perceptive, informative introduction to modern Japanese printmaking, with commentary on each of the works, including full technical details, is written with critical acumen and notable prose.

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This is a collection of Japanese senryu poetry&#8212;a lesser known cousin to haiku poetry.In 1765 Karai Senryu published a selection of tsukeku that reflected his personal taste and humor. This anthology, Yanagidaru, became widely popular and was followed by 22 more of the same title, also compiled by Senryu, and a further 144 volumes compiled by his successors to the tradition. The type of poems Karai chose eventually came to be known as senryu. They did not require inclusion of a seasonal word, as did haiku, which developed from the introductory portion of linked verse.Although senryu were at first written in only seventeen syllables(in lines of five, seven, and five syllables) or fourteen syllables(in lines of seven and seven), these rules became less strictly adhered to as time passed. The main difference between senryu and haiku is one of tone. The meaning and structure of a haiku can be brilliant, but I personally often find them conventionally serious and sentimental, offering few surprises. One has to be a near genius to write good haiku, but almost anyone can write reasonably good senryu; the form seems somehow to have escaped the structural restrictions that bind and, perhaps, limit haiku.

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