History of Japanese Art

In 1993 the first edition of History of Japanese Art was the first such volume in thirty years to chart a detailed overview of the subject. It remains the only comprehensive survey of its kind in English. The second edition builds on Penelope Mason's massive achievement, extending the book's coverage of Japanese art beyond 1945 and introducing new discoveries in both archaeology and scholarship. The new edition also adds calligraphy, ceramics, lacquerware, metalware, and textiles in the story of Japanese art, and attempts to tie together more closely the development of all the media within a well-articulated historical and social context, so that the reader might better grasp the distinct, but complex evolution of Japanese aesthetics. The number of color illustrations has been appreciably increased in this new edition.