Korea's Cultural Roots

Dr. Covell is a professor of Asian Art, and this book–her eleventh–is in itself a work of art. It is oversized and boasts 35 full-color plates and 196 black and white illustrations. Korea's Cultural Roots is a first-ever, universal approach to the history, art and religion of Korea. Beginners will delight in it while old-timers will find much to ponder. Lively and light-hearted, the book makes appealing use of verve and humor. This text is particularly insightful because Dr. Covell views Korea's cultural history through the eyes of one familiar with both China and Japan, yet she is fascinated with the unique blend of ancient and modern which comprises Korea today.

Jon Carter Covell was the first Westerner to obtain a doctorate in Oriental art history, which she completed at Columbia University, after graduating from Oberlin College. Marrying and raising two children, she later taught art history for fifteen years at California State University at Long Beach and at the University of California, Riverside Ex- tension, before moving to Honolulu to become Professor of Japanese and Korean Art History at the University of Hawaii.