ebooks The Soiling and Cleaning of Building Facades (Rilem Report) by From Routledge in Arts-Photography

Review

29 of 34 people found the following review helpful. Pretty Pictures - Not suitable for medieval researchBy Barbara NostrandFollowing the Meiji Restoration in the nineteenth century; the Japanese people were granted a number of perogatives formerly reserved to the noble and military castes. Among these priveleges was the right to have household arms variously called kamon; monsho; or simply mon. As a result; Japanese around the nation went out and acquired kamon for themselves. The Matsuya Piece Goods Store catalog satisfied their demand for new clothes with nice spiffy kamon on them.While the Matsuya catalog does provide a cyclopedic view of late nineteenth century notions of what kamon should look like; it does not provide reliable information for those interested in premodern Japan. This is a problem shared with most books about kamon whether in English or Japanese. However; there are a few books available in East Asian libraries and some even currently in print in Japan which do link kamon to clans; families; regions; historical periods; and even specific individuals. If your interest in kamon is of a historical nature; I recommend that you seek these out. If; however; your interest is primarily artistic; this is a fine book with well rendered depictions of a vast aray of these designs.If you are interested in what Japanese military bearings looked like in the early 17th century; then you would do well to acquire a copy of O-umajirushi: A 17th-Century Compendium of Samurai Heraldry by Xavid "Kiho" Pretzer. This work contains images of a variety of flags; battle standards; and other military bearings many of which incorporate kamon. If you are interested in a chronological study of Japanese genealogy and kamon then you would do well to acquire a copy of 大武鑑 "Daibukan" by Hashimoto a copy of which is currently for sale at the Japanese website. "Daibukan" is in Japanese. It identifies the owners of kamon and often gives other information about rank and titles along with family trees. It does not provide Japanese blazon for the kamon depicted.9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Organization IssueBy HighlanderI am unable to understand the reviewer who began with the sentence: "How does one rate a book with no words in it? The only way to do it is by description." The book clearly has words in it. It is organized alphabetically; albeit a Japanese alphabet. The crests are organized by motif and the table of contents and index clearly explain the structure of the book. Unless we were reading different books; I found that the book was a significant asset in examining the range and topics of Japanese crests. It is what it is -- an extensive presentation of crests. It provides insight into the objects chosen by Japanese culture to be placed in these highly visible and socially important family icons. Variations of the crests themes are interesting - - how many ways can a stylized arrow be presented? The Japanese ties to the entire range of nature and human constructs emerge as one peruses the book. Admittedly; it doesnt have the plot of "War and Peace"; but it is not intended to do so. I think that this book has value to designers; artists; students of Japanese art and culture; and hobbyists looking for Japanese motifs. I wont haul it around constantly for a good read; but I will consult it as need and interest dictate.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. great for artists and geneology detectivesBy Garrett KikuyamaThis book is simply the best. I found my maternal grandfathers mon and my paternal grandmothers crest in this book. It is quite comprehensive. Reading japanese kanji is a plus as you can then read descriptions next to appropriate mon. Graphic artists studying oriental design will find more than 4;000 designs that have existed for hundreds of years. There is inspiration aplenty for all artists.