|
Surveys of Japanese Art by Medium
Sculpture
There are two handsome and informative introductions: J. Edward Kidder, Jr.,
Masterpieces of Japanese Sculpture (Tokyo: Bijutsu Shuppan-sha, 1961), and
Nishikawa Kyotaro and Emily Sano, The Great Age of Japanese Buddhist Sculpture
A.D. 600-1300 (Fort Worth, Tex.: Kimbell Art Museum, 1982). On portrait sculpture,
see four articles by John M. Rosenfield: Ohio State University Review 5 (1963):
34-58 (on the statue of Gien at the Oka-dera); Oriental Art, n.s. 10,
no. 2 (1964): 92-99 (on the statue of Nichira); Ars Orientalis 6 (1966): 213-22
(on a statue of Vimalakirti); and Archives of Asian Art 22 (1968-69): 56-79
(on a statue of the infant Shotoku Taishi). Also on portrait sculpture, see Hisashi
Mori's book listed under the Kamakura period.
For a detailed but readable discussion of Shinto sculpture from the 9th through
the 13th century, see Christine Guth Kanda, Shinzo (Cambridge, Mass.: Council
on East Asian Studies, 1985). On masks, see Gregory Irvine, "Collecting
a Tradition: The Japanese Mask Collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum,"
Oriental Art 41, no. 3 (Autumn 1995): 2-9.
Numerous books, often designed as handbooks for collectors, have been written about
netsuke (miniature carvings, usually of wood, lacquer, bone, or ivory,
chiefly made between 1600 and 1860). Raymond Bushell has written eight such books,
each with many illustrations, but the color reproductions are often poor. For excellent
reproductions of netsuke, along with a fairly brief but useful commentary,
see Hirozaku Arikawa, The Go Collection of Netsuke (New York: Kodansha
International, 1983). For a survey of the background, and comments of a paragraph
or two on each of 100 netsuke, see Barbra Teri Okada, Netsuke: Masterpieces
from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York: Metropolitan Museum of
Art, 1982).
For a collection of dolls, chiefly from the first half of the 19th century,
see Shigeki Kawakami, Ningyo, the Art of the Human Figurine: Traditional Japanese
Display Dolls (New York: Japan Society, 1995). Dolls of all sorts, from
simple folk toys to elegant showpieces created for the elite, are discussed in Jill
and David Gribbin, Japanese Antique Dolls (New York: Weatherhill, 1984). See
also Lea Baten, Japanese Dolls: The Image and the Motif (Tokyo: Shufunotomo,
1986). For toys, see below under Folk Art.
<- Back to main page
| Rockefeller Collection |
 |
 |
| Access a database of masterworks from South, Southeast, and
East Asia, dating from 2000 BC to the 19th century |
|
|
|
 |
| 
