Japanese Art & Antiques - Antiques, prints, statues, books, best links and resources

In recent years New York has tried to assert itself as a leader for Asian art sales, and this stylish, large-format book provides evidence of its possible preeminence in collecting as well. The catalog of the first exhibition organized under a new regime at the Japan Society Galleries, Crosscurrents carries a subtitle that says it all: Masterpieces of East Asian Art from New York Private Collections. This glimpse of what's usually hidden includes such famous works as a vivid landscape album by the Chinese scholar-painter Daoji and surprises like a Japanese celadon-green dish with a blue-and-white vignette. Generally excellent color reproductions show both the stunning and the subtle, whether a fantastic Daoist mountain with curious creatures or a peaceful Buddhist immortal. Most of the 71 artworks come from Japan or China, with a few from Korea. --Alex Lawrence

The Art of East Asia
by Gabrielle Fahr-Becker
Hardcover (1999)

Japanese Mandalas:
Representations of Sacred Geography
by Elizabeth ten Grotenhuis
Paperback (1999)

The entire book is a mine of information complemented by wonderful photographs. It is perhaps the best introduction to an ancient and profound culture. The Japanese and Korean section is a must for any person seriously interested in trying to understand what is a complex and usually inaccessible subject. In particular the masterful text on Japan by Michael Dunn illuminates the often misunderstood area of the overwhelming influence of Zen on Japanese Art. He should be encouraged to write in more detail on subjects with which he has such a commanding knowledge and insight.

From most studies on this subject we get the view that mandalas originated in the Indian context and spread to China and Japan. What sets this study apart is the exploration of a Chinese, pre-Buddhist origin for the East Asian concept of mandala. Examines the mandalas of Pure Land Buddhism, Esoteric Buddhism, and Shintoism from the eighth to 17th centuries, focusing mainly on paintings. For the specialist in the fields of religion and art, Buddhism, Asian religions, and comparative religions, ten Grotenhuis presents many avenues for further research. - L.L. Lam-Easton, California State University, Northridge

A History of Far Eastern Art by Sherman Lee, Naomi Noble Richard Hardcover (1994)	Zenkoji and Its Icon: A Study in Medieval Japanese Religious Art by Donald McCallum Hardcover (1994)
This extensively-illustrated, comprehensive survey history of ALL of Far Eastern art -- from 5000 B.C. to A.D. 1860 -- follows a chronological, geographical/cultural, medium organization throughout.	One of the most significant traditions of image-making in medieval Japanese Buddhist art is based on a large group of gilt-bronze icons representing the Buddha Amida and his two attendant Bodhisattvas.