【BOOKS】 "A Beautiful, Luxurious Art Book" Toshiko Tamamushi's "The Veins of Ornament: Decoration in Japanese Art" (Chukōron Bijutsu Shuppan)
Toshiko Tamamushi's "The Veins of Ornament" re-examines Japanese art from the perspective of decoration, presented as a luxurious art book blending beautiful illustrations and text.Summary
The book "The Veins of Ornament: Decoration in Japanese Art" by Toshiko Tamamushi, published by Chukōron Bijutsu Shuppan, offers five essays that re-examine Japanese art through the lens of "kazari" or ornamentation. The author aimed to create a luxurious art book where text and color plates are seamlessly integrated rather than separated. The chapters cover various periods: Chapter 1 analyzes Yamato-e in the court using a screen painting from Enshō-ji Temple; Chapter 2 explores hidden literary motifs in decorative crafts like makie boxes, focusing on the "Otokoyama Makie Suzuribako"; Chapter 3 discusses the "Katata-zu Old Fusuma-e" from Daitokuji Temple; Chapter 4 attempts a comprehensive view of the lost "Hashita-e Waka-maki" as a collaboration between calligraphy and painting; and Chapter 5 focuses on Sakai Hōitsu's "Summer and Autumn Grasses Screen," suggesting the concept of "picture mounting." Tamamushi argues that contemplating the lost decorative aspects of Japanese art, which were deeply connected to daily life before Western concepts of "fine art" were introduced, is crucial for rethinking its contemporary meaning.
(Source：美術展ナビ)