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127 p., 286 ill. An impeccable copy. - Accordion folds, long scrolls, pages that form pouches or flutter like butterfly wingsnot flights of fancy but the stuff of which books are made, in Japan, that is. Add silk thread for the binding, coaxed into patterns of tortoise shells, hemp leaves, or motifs from distant China, attach a cover of decorative paper and a gold-flecked title strip, and you have one of the worlds most versatile and elegant bookbinding styles. Here, for the first time in English, are easy-to-follow instructions for making all the major, historically important styles of Japanese bindings and traditional book casesthe custom-made folding boxes that afford handsome protection for Japans exquisite books. Starting with the stitched four-hole book as a model, the basic procedures are presented step by step: how to back paper or cloth for the cover, cut and fold paper for the pouchlike pages, punch holes through the spine, and stitch it all together. Some eighteen styles followfive variations on the four-hole book, four types of accordion book, six kinds of ledger or memo pad, the handscroll, and more, all clearly illustrated with approximately 400 photographs and drawings.The authoritative text, written by one of Japans leading professional bookbinders, has been fully adapted for Western readers. Both American and Japanese suppliers of traditional tools and materials are provided and substitutes are recommended for items not readily available.For centuries the West has admired Japanese books, but only now can we make them ourselves and take full advantage of their creative possibilities. Stunning and practical, these bindings are ideal for preserving calligraphy, letters, artwork, and poems, for adding a distinctive touch to limited-edition books, and for use as diaries or gifts. Kojiro Ikegami, third generation in a line of professional bookbinders, is one of the few full-time practitioners of the craft in Japan. He has repaired innumerable antiquarian books, many designated as national treasures or important cultural properties, at his workshop in the Tokyo National Museum. In 1979 he received a distinguished government awardthe Sixth Class Order of the Rising Sunfor his contribution to the conservation of significant books in Japans history. Recently retired, he is succeeded by his son Yukio, who continues the family profession at the museum workshop and at their home studio in Tokyo. Barbara B. Stephan is a writer, photographer, and teacher with a special interest in Japanese textile and paper arts. She attended Wellesley College and received a masters degree in Japanese history from the University of Hawaii. Author of two general craft books and coauthor of Japanese Stencil Dyeing: Paste-Resist Techniques, Ms. Stephan currently teaches a number of textile and paper related classes at TEMARI, Center for Asian & Pacific Fibers, in Honolulu, Hawaii. ISBN 0834801965 Sprache: Englisch Gewicht in Gramm: 550 Original half cloth with gold embossing and dust jacket.
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