Review
Tansu are, in a simple sense, wood furniture pieces, but Jackson, a conservator and collector of tansu, and Owen, a gallery owner, make the case that tansu should be seen in the U.S. as an art form. Tansu, they argue, represent the height of Japanese craftsmanship in the Edo and Meiji periods, reflecting increasing societal wealth and evolving tastes. The authors compare the simple, elegant cupboards and chests to Shaker objects, which "are now feverishly collected as art, yet would not be without respect for the traditions and skill they embody." The 300 color photos support their contentions - the pieces are delicately finished with lacquer and hand-forged iron and are made of more than one kind of wood. Hand-tinted Meiji-era photographs accompany synopses of period history: in one, a doctor feels a patient's hand; in another a young woman prepares tea. An unusual chapter places tansu among Western settings, while others outline personal household uses of tansu, or how to restore and collect it. The book's design echoes a museum catalogue, with captions and explanatory text.
Product Description
Originating from Japan's Edo period (1615-1867), tansu refers mostly to wooden cabinets, boxes and chests. The gifted creators of this art were deservedly esteemed by Japanese society, leaving a rich and influential legacy. Their work was almost anonymous, though, and the history has remained in the shadows - until now. Japanese Cabinetry: The Art and Craft of Tansu is the first truly definitive volume on tansu, giving voice to the long-overlooked craftsmen and overdue respect for the craft. This book provides a broad representation of cabinetry designs along with contextual history, gleaning insights from the cabinetry itself. From trunks with wheels to shipboard safes, from kitchen cupboards to clothing chests, tansu were the receptacles of an age of economic expansion. Japanese Cabinetry chronicles not only the physical characteristics and details of tansu, but also the historical eras and societal factors that influenced the craft.
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