Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1186597 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-18
• Released on: 2001-05-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

From the Inside Flap
"…It is in the nature of man to both think and express himself symbolically. Moreover, the power of symbols is magnified when a society has broadly shared experiences, a deep knowledge of its cultural traditions, and common sentiments about those experiences and traditions. The fact that these conditions exist in Japan to a striking degree has insured that the country continues to enjoy a cultural life meaningfully enriched by the use symbols."

So begins Merrily Baird’s definitive guide to the symbols of Japan. Beginning with a brief but insightful examination of the development of symbols throughout Japanese history, the book looks at thematic motifs encountered in both the classical fine arts and the applied arts. The motifs are organized according to broad thematic categories such as "the cosmos, heaven and earth" and "animals of the land and sea," among others, making this an indispensable guide for a wide variety of audiences.

Nearly every symbol is illustrated with fine examples of art and design from major public and private collections offering the reader a wealth of visual information to enrich the expert commentary on each subject. Beautiful objects of a variety of media are represented: painting, sculpture, woodblock prints, netsuke and inro.

The book represents more than twenty years of research by the author, much of which was conducted while she lived in Japan. Baird’s text reflects recent developments in Japanese scholarship but her prose is as accessible as it is informative making this book an exceptional volume for both those already familiar with Japanese culture and those newly introduced to its rich complexity.

About the Author

Customer Reviews

Symbols of Japan, Thematic Motifs in Art & Design
This is a long awaited book which succinctly lists and describes the symbolism seen in the Japanese arsts, making the viewing of the works much more interesting and enjoyable. The history , where they originated, how when and where they are to this day, used. The colors for different ages and seasons. How they have changed over the centuries. Surprisingly, I found some similarities in the our and other western ideas that are used in much the same way as the eastern. The information is deep and scholarly, yet reading it is not a chore.

Japanese art lovers, rejoice!
Book review for Symbols of Japan.

Japanese and Chinese art have been a fascination for me for many years. However, I am continually frustrated by conflicting and confusing information about the symbolic meanings of these two artistic traditions, and an inconsistent use of terminology. "Symbols of Japan"--amazingly (and concisely) gives me the answers to these longstanding problems. As another reviewer said, this is an eye-catching book, well designed and with some extraordinary pieces of art illustrated. But for me, the special significance of "Symbols of Japan" is its text. The writing has great clarity and discipline. I found it is so very elegant and fascinating that I kept wishing I could read even more on the topics covered.

"Symbols of Japan," is a one-volume encyclopedia and has between one and ten paragraphs for each of the several hundred subjects, making it easy to maneuver. Each entry specifically addresses how the topic is treated in art, and also-and here is where this book is so unique-first provides a considerable amount of cultural background in a truly interesting manner. Some entries are predictable, like dragons and cherry blossoms. But others are off the beaten track or often examined in a light I had not even considered.

What kinds of subjects did I personally like best? Such topics as how the Japanese think of and depict weather, the degree to which demons are malicious and immoral, why ghosts of the deceased are usually female, and the role oxen play in fighting epidemics. Also how the Japanese typically paint tigers, why ropes and knots are so important in everyday life and art, why Japanese art shows clothing meant to make Taoist wizards invisible, and what it means if you see people in clothing patterned with swastikas.

I do not think that "Symbols of Japan" makes any pretensions that it is a history of Japanese art, and it does not examine any specific art media in depth. Still, readers interested in Japanese art (and others with specialized interests such as samurai history, tattoos, dolls, astronomy, mythology, gardening, and the theater) will surely want to make "Symbols of Japan" a foundation of their libraries and a first choice for learning more about Japanese culture. Moreover, it is truly beautiful to look at.

A general, somewhat dry study of Japanese symbols
The book is organized by themes. Each chapter is a group of symbols. The chapters are: 1 - Cosmos, Heaven, & Earth; 2 - Trees & their fruits; 3 - Diverse plants; 4 - Birds & insects; 5 - Land & sea animals; 6 - Demons, deities, and figural groups; 7 - Religion & good fortune; 8 - Objects of everyday life; 9 - Music, board games, and cultural pursuits;

Within each chapter, each subject is treated alphabetically. So for example for Ch. 4, subjects treated are: ...., Bamboo shoots, Beans, Bellflower, Bracken, Bush Clover, Chrysantemum,....

The information is there, no question. I was looking into what the heck was that egg-shaped 'tama' that I've seen associated with the Inari fox several times on netsukes, now I know (it's a wish granting jewel.) The 2 reproaches I would make are the following:

First, the information is there but it's a very dry reading. So for example in the case of the tama & Inari fox, I know now what a tama is, but I would have loved a little bit more info on why it is associated to the Inari fox, why it's shaped like an egg, etc. Basically, I would have liked some info on the legend behind the symbol.

Second, the book hesitates between being a scholarly reference book (somewhat dry content) and an entry level one (1 inch deep and 1 mile wide.) For example, the Chrysantemum gets as much treatment as the Cherry Tree (FYI, a full page), but the author only mentions that it is an imperial emblem once, en passant, in the last paragraph (as if any reader, of course, would already know that.) She also doesn't talk about how the Kikumon is used by artists who had been such authorized by the imperial family as an endorsement / reward.

The book is quite well illustrated with generally at least 1 plate per page. Illustrating ALL themes would have required 2 more books! Some of the pictures are of unusual subjects such as modern jpz art pieces that I at least had not had the opportunity to see before, or a couple of amber netsuke. Loads of inro boxes, netsuke, and prints. I have not seen a single sword blade (but there's at least 1 tsuba.) There are a great quantity of small size example of mons, typically a couple for each key theme (e.g., 2 for each of Stars, Sun, Moon, Lightning, but none on Snow, Rocks, Mountains,...)

All and all I will give it a grade of 4 out of 5, as an entry level reference book for Jpz culture *generally speaking*. If you are looking for an treaty focusing on a specific art, or one that would give you more than the raw information and include legends and stories, you might be disappointed.