Barbara Teri Okada
Photographs by Dan Loffle

Published by Weatherhill, Inc., New York; 191 pages, 8 1/2 x 11”
illustrated; 1995

ISBN 0-8348-0321-6 (cloth) $60.

Laquer is one of the glories of the Japanese crft tradition. In the course of more than a millenium of experimentation and development, largely anonymous artisans have refined the use of this substance into a vehicle for artistic expression as subtle, sophisticated, and elegant as any in the world. The combination of sculptural form and painterly composition seen in Japanese lacquer has enchanted Western collectors from the time the first laquer pieces arrived here.

This book presents fifty-five examples of Japanese laquerwork from the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries. By focusing on superb examples of the craft of lacquer prior to the nineteenth century, it introduces the reader to the achievement of master craftsmen working at the peak of their skill, during the richest period in the development of their medium.

The Ehrenkranz Collection, assemled over a quarter of a century with the eye of a painter and true connoisseur, includes document and scroll boxes, mirror boxes, inkstone boxes, incense containers, and a complete set for the incese ceremony. Each piece in the collection is illustrated with stunning full-color photographs, accompanied by detailed information regarding the lacquer techniques used to produce it. Analysis of the design motifs and symbols decorating each work provide the reader with the context neccesssary to fully understand and appreciate the subtleties of the piece and the complexities of the culture that gave birth to it.

An introductory essay details the processes of harvesting, refining, and applying lacquer, and gives a historical overview of the evolution of the specific techniques that form the repertoire of the lacquers' craft. A comprehensive glossary of technical terms and a detailed bibliography also make this book a useful reference for collectors, scholars and dealers.

Symbol and Substance in Japanese Lacquer is published in conjuction with a fall 1995 exhibition of the Ehrenkranz Collection at the Japan Society in New York City.

See press release
See exhibition information