James L Secor (3 results)

Condition: New. Print on Demand.

Soft cover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. 1st Edition. English text.; Paperback.; 22 x 28 cm.; 0.8 kg.; 192 pages with black and white and colour illustrations.; Used with signs of wear on the exterior and interior. The exterior shows wear marks, edge wear, scuffs and scratches on the front cover, spine and back cover. The top right corner of the front cover has a bump. The top and bottom of the spine are bumped, with small chips and tears. The back cover is worn at the bottom and at the middle of the text, with a tiny chip in one word. Interior with signs of wear, with a few pages slightly bent at the top most likely due to the bump. Good readable copy.; Catalogue from an exhibition held at the Asia Society Gallery, New York, June 13-September 1, 1985; Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, September 29-December 22, 1985; Huntington Art Gallery, March 6-April 13, 1986; University of Texas, Austin; University Art Museum, June 11-September 14, 1986 Berkeley, California; Japan has perhaps the most lively and richly developed tradition of supernatural lore of any civilization. It is comprised of some of the most relentlessly fearsome goblins, demons, metamorphosed animals and ghosts ever known to man. Japanese poets, actors, dancers, and artists have all delighted in portraying these monsters, often with a playfulness and humor that mitigates the demons' more ferocious qualities, but also with a bold, dramatic fervor designed to impress upon their audiences the lessons of folklore. For, like our own mythological and fairy-tale characters, Japan's supernatural inhabitants suggest much about the morals of the Japanese people and of their efforts to understand the mysteries of the world. This is the first book devoted to the study of the supernatural world and its representation in Japanese art. From the 17th to the 19th centuries many of Japan's most brilliant artists, including Hiroshige, Hokusai, Yoshitoshi, and Zeshin, allowed their imaginations free rein to present these mysteries in a variety of media, including paintings, woodblock prints, screens, netsuke and inro sculptures, and fans. The 49 color plates and 75 black and white illustrations presented here show a stunning array of Japan's most fiendish figures. Each of the ten chapters focuses on one of the most important themes in Japanese lore, discussing its anthropological meaning and literary and artistic interpretations. …

Paperback / softback. Condition: New. This item is printed on demand. New copy - Usually dispatched within 5-9 working days.