Joe Earl: Japanese Baskets, Gebunden

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A precious volume showcasing the most exquisite Japanese bamboo baskets from the Naej Collection, whose pieces range from the seventeenth century to today.

Basketry is one of Japan's oldest art forms. Since the eighth century, meticulously woven bamboo baskets have served daily functions, first in Buddhist liturgy and later in the tea ceremony. Over the past two centuries, bamboo art has risen to the status of fine art, with leading makers creating coveted works for ikebana and, more recently, sculptural objects celebrated as contemporary art.

This elegant, richly illustrated volume presents over 160 baskets, highlighting their spectacular silhouettes and exquisite details---from complex weaving patterns and refined signatures to intricately plaited undersides. Informative captions reveal the techniques of an art now enjoying renewed attention, as bamboo offers a durable and ecological alternative to disposable materials. Most photographs were taken against specially conceived backdrops recalling the enigmatic architectural spaces of Giorgio de Chirico, while others show baskets with contemporary flower arrangements set before industrial waste‑processing facilities, underscoring the book's advocacy for bamboo as a renewable resource that challenges our throwaway plastic culture.

Featuring three paper stocks and a fine cloth cover, this beautifully presented volume will appeal to design aficionados and lovers of Japanese culture.