The beauty of everyday things

"The common utilitarian objects depicted in this book were considered aesthetically insignificant until the appearance of Soetsu Yanagi. It was Yanagi who discovered the beauty that could only be produced by simple, humble craftsmen repeatedly and unselfconsciously working on the same objects day af...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Yanagi, Muneyoshi, 1889-1961 (Author)
Other Authors: Brase, Michael (Translator)
Format: Books Print Book
Language:English
Japanese
Published: [London] : Penguin Books, 2018.
Series:Penguin classics.
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Summary:"The common utilitarian objects depicted in this book were considered aesthetically insignificant until the appearance of Soetsu Yanagi. It was Yanagi who discovered the beauty that could only be produced by simple, humble craftsmen repeatedly and unselfconsciously working on the same objects day after day. From this quotidian world emerged a distinctive beauty - wholesome, free, and devoid of self-awareness. To bring these crafts to the notice of the world, Yanagi established the Japan Folk Crafts Museum in 1936, from whose collection the objects illustrated herein have been chosen for inclusion by the publisher. In the essays, Yanagi expounds his philosophy of folk crafts and highlights particular pieces. Altogether, the book constitutes a penetrating insight into the world of Japanese handicrafts"
Item Description:"The essays appearing in this book were selected from Yanagi Soetsu korekushon 2: mono (Chikuma Shobo; chapters 2-7, 10-14) and Mingei yonju-nen (Iwanami Shoten; chapters 1, 8, 9, 15, 16)"--Title page verso.
"First published in Japan as Soetsu Yanagi: selected essays on Japanese folk crafts, by the Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture (JPIC) 2017"--Title page verso.
Physical Description:346 pages : illustrations ; 18 cm.
ISBN:9780241366356
0241366356
Author Notes:Soetsu Yanagi (1889 - 1961) was a philosopher, art historian, aesthete and poet. He evolved a theory of why certain objects made by unknown craftsmen were so beautiful, and became the founding father of the Japanese folk crafts ('mingei') movement. He helped establish, and was the first director of, the Japanese Folk Crafts Museum.