Japanese Antique Furniture

This dictionary aims to include all the "essential marks to be recognized when studying or collecting antiques." However, no resource this small can be comprehensive. Major parts of this title include metalwork, furniture and tapestry, and ceramics marks. Within each section, English and European marks generally are in alphabetical order according to the factory or name. A short index for silver, pewter, and ceramics, respectively, is a further aid in locating information.

Originally compiled in 1962 and revised last in 1976, this edition has been updated according to today's tastes and attitudes. Little was deleted, but additions and corrections abound in most sections in light of new research. The metalwork section was expanded to include Edwardian and provincial silversmiths. The sections on marks of English furniture and European ceramics were rewritten. Also, more detail was added to the Chinese and Japanese ceramics marks. Finally, the bibliography now lists the most recent editions of acknowledged standard works.

Antique collectors are always looking for new information to help them identify an object and place it in the context of its origin so they can form a reasonable judgment of its value. Reasonably priced, the Dictionary of Marks will provide dealers and collectors with new information in this growing area of interest.

Shopping for the home can be a daunting task, especially in New York City. The Lowns (Tout Paris, Palancar, 1994) offer a guide to the Big Apple's " 'things' of beauty and comfort." Their book is quite thorough in most respects and offers a plethora of information on shops, galleries, flea markets, antique dealers, and the like. Each entry features the establishment's address, telephone number, hours, languages spoken, and a short description of what it has to offer. Divided into sections, the book describes where to find such items and services as decorative hardware, antique kitchenware, "experts in scenic wallpaper installation," and antique textile conservation. The flea market section merely covers the Chelsea area. For people doing specialized redecoration, this book will be invaluable. However, the average homeowner may not find it helpful. Recommended for public libraries in and around New York City, as well as specialized collections.?Melisa Fiumara, North Tonawanda P.L., N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Peter Moss is the former Assistant Director in charge of publicity in the Hong Kong Government Information Service, during which time he produced many books on the history, heritage and mapping of Hong Kong. He has published twenty-one books since his retirement in 1993, including books on Asian history, arts, culture and symbolism, as well as five novels.

"If you are exploring the flea markets of Japan, this guide is as essential as a pair of comfortable shoes. Part of the fun of flea markets is the anticipation-today's could be the best one yet! Let this little guide prepare you to make the experience even more exciting and more successful. Your time in Japan will never be the same for It." -Nancy Bess author of Bamboo in Japan


"At last, a pocket guide to the flea markets-Japan's great playground for collectors, historians, dealers, families, and visitors. Thank you, Theodore Manning! We have been waiting for this priceless information." -Amy Katoh author of Japan: The Art of Living


"I wish I'd had this guide to the more far-flung markets long ago. I would have planned all my trips around it. Flea Markets of Japan is a welcome new vindication of the fatal addiction of collecting old Japanese stuff-and the most useful one yet." -Margaret Price author of Classic Japanese Inns


"[With] a wealth of basic shopping and adjustment tips, Flea Markets of Japan is especially recommended for those who have never been to Japan before with a yearning for special souvenirs and mementos of their business trip or vacation excursion." -Midwest Book Review


"Well-organized and easy-to-use" -The Japan Times

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.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ty and Kiyoko Heineken have been patrons of Japanese folk arts for more than thirty years. Ty Heineken is a cultural anthropologist and is director of Studio Japan, a conservation workshop. Kiyoko Heineken is a bibliographic specialist at Princeton University's East Asian Library.

KAZUKO KOIZUMI has been a leading scholar of traditional furniture for decades and is credited with almost single-handedly reviving study in the field. She has written more than 50 books and numerous research papers in Japanese and lectures extensively. Koizumi has also been a founder of museums that collect and exhibit traditional Japanese furniture. Her previous book in English, Traditional Japanese Furniture, was published by Kodansha International in 1986.

" comprehensive and copiously illustrated, including stunning color photographs. For anyone who deeply appreciates the beauty and value of objects." -- The Japan Times

"This is a beautiful book of impressive breadth. It seems that no angle has been overlooked." -- Janet Koplos, author of Contemporary Japanese Sculpture