Japanese Art

Joan Stanley-Baker

“A long-needed presentation of Japanese art that concisely offers inclusive coverage from prehistoric times to the twentieth century.” —Choice

The uniqueness of Japanese culture rests on the fact that, throughout its history, Japan has continually taken, adapted, and transformed diverse influences—whether from Korea, China, and the South Seas, or Europe and America—into distinct traditions of its own. This book, an authoritative and provocative survey of the arts of Japan from the prehistoric period to the present, brings together the results of the most recent research on the subject. In this expanded and updated edition, a new chapter explores Japanese art from the 1980s to the new millennium. Profusely illustrated with examples from a range of arts as well as an extensive bibliography, Japanese Art is a concise, thought-provoking overview of a fascinating culture.

Reviews

Covers the prehistoric period through Japan today and seeks to capture the essence of Japanese culture, which embraces balance, harmony, humor, and human imperfection. [Stanley-Baker] aims to communicate the sense of union between the art and the artist, as well as the ability of Japanese art and culture to absorb the ideas and influences of other cultures into its own.

— Protoview

Contributors

Joan Stanley-Baker

Author

Joan Stanley-Baker is Emeritus Professor of Art History at Tainan National University of Arts, Taiwan, and is the author of several books on Japanese and Chinese art.