Историческая литература
Различные книги в жанре Историческая литератураRomance of the Milky Way
This delightful book presents seven pieces from the rich heritage of Lafcadio Hearn—one of the first and most preeminent scholars to travel to and write about Japan. They are a natural outgrowth of Hearn's peerless philosophy: «If you have any feeling—no matter what—strongly latent in the mind (even only a haunting sadness or a mysterious joy), you may be sure that it is expressible.»Hearn's language, his incomparable prose, ripened and mellowed consistently to the end, enabling him to write rich, melancholy, and profound passages such as the final paragraph in The Romance of the Milky Way: «I see the thrill of its shining stream, and the mists that hover along its verge, and the water-grasses that bend in the winds of Autumn. White Orihime I see at her starry loom, and the ox that graces on the farther shore, and I know that the falling dew is the spray from the herdsman's oar. And the heaven seems very near and warm and human; and the silence about me is filled with the dream of a love unchanging, immortal, fever yearning and forever young, and forever left unsatisfied by the paternal wisdom of the Gods.»
Manners and Customs of the Japanese in Nineteenth Century
Philipp Franz von Siebold, Ph.D.
Manners and Customs of the Japanese in the Nineteenth Century is a delightful account of the Japanese of Tokugawa Japan.This unique handbook of Japanese manners, customs, history, and singular happenings was published in New York in 1841. Based on the firsthand observations of Dr. Philipp Franz von Siebold of the Dutch trading port Deshima in the years 1823—29, as well as on Spanish, Portuguese, German, and English records of early Japan, it provided us with a very rare picture of what Japan was like in the final years of its feudal period.Dr. von Siebold, the chief contributor, was attached to the Deshima post as a medial adviser and traveled within Japan, befriending and teaching many Japanese who were later to distinguish themselves in Western scientific knowledge. An indiscretion in accepting a map of Japan brought about his banishment by the Edo government and forced return to his native Germany.No collection of books on Japan is complete without a copy of Manners and Customs of the Japanese. It is here reprinted in its entirety from the original edition. Long submerged and virtually forgotten after a century of neglect, it is now made available for a new generation of readers.
History of Japanese Religion
Masaharu Anesaki's History of Japanese Religion continues to be a much-cited pillar of Japanese studies and is now available in digital format.The original draft of the present book was an outcome of the author's lectures at Harvard University during the years 1913-15, when he had the honor of occupying there the chair of Japanese Literature and Life. In response to the encouragement given by several friends at Harvard, the author tried to put the material of the lectures into book form and redrafted it from time to time.The history of Japanese religions and morals shows the interaction of various forces which manifested their vitality more in combination than in opposition. A saying ascribed to Prince Shotoku, the founder of Japanese civilization, compares the three religious and moral systems found in Japan to the root, the stem and branches, and the flowers and the fruits of a tree. Shinto is the root embedded in the soil of the people's character and national traditions; Confucianism is seen in the stem and branches of legal institutions, ethical codes and educational systems; Buddhism made the flowers of religious sentiment bloom and gave the fruits of spiritual life.
Painted Fans of Japan
Noh Fans are an essential element element of Japanese theater and this collection of fans is a rare example of this fine Japanese art.The chief purpose of Painted Fans of Japan is to present for Westerners some of the gorgeous paintings found on fans used in the traditional Japanese Non drama. Painting as limited to conform to the fan shape has teen practiced for hundreds of years in Japan, even by such immortal artists as Sotatsu and Korin. Until now, however, there has been no popularly available volume of reproductions to reveal the almost limitless possibilities in color, design, and perspective within this restricted form of painting.The artists whose works are reproduced in this book are unknown, and the time when the works were painted can only he estimated as early (1601-1741), middle (1742-1791), or late (1792-1867) Tokugawa, the period of Japanese history that extended from the beginning of the seventeenth century to well past the middle of the nineteenth.
Japanese Things
Armchair travelers beware!Japanese Things will lure you out of your cozy, comfy home and chair to an unusual country with bewitching manners and customs—and once you have succumbed to its spell you will never be the same. Here in one neat package you will meet the flavor, charm, and piquancy of old Japan—a revised reprint of one of the indispensable books on Japan, by the late Prof. Basil Hall Chamberlain, eminent British scholar who in the latter part of the 19th century «taught Japanese and Japan to the Japanese.»Many books in one, this monumental compilation contains such diversified subjects as Art and Abacus; Botany and Buddhism; Charms and Cherry Blossoms; Daimyos and Divination; Fairy Tales and Flowers; Gardens and Government; History and Hara-kiri; Law and Language; Marriage and Music; Poetry and Pottery; Shinto and Singing Girls (Geisha); Tea and Theater, and Writing and Wood Engraving. In this long-awaited reprint, in which the title has been changed from Things Japanese, the reader will encounter exquisite objects of daily Japanese life, the gardens and cultures of the fields, the harmony and balance in the fundamentals of day-by-day existence.
Chinese Snuff Bottles
Chinese Snuff Bottles is invaluable document for all interested in the history of Chinese art.It is also a lucid and fascinating guidebook for the collector or would be collector, both of snuff bottles and other products of Chinese craftsmanship. All the skills and ingenuity of the Chinese artisans were lavished upon the production of these tiny bottles, making them pre-eminent representatives of the best in Chinese craftsmanship.This classic art history book is the first full account in any language of this facet of Chinese art. It includes a comprehensive treatment of the origins and development of the snuff bottle in China as well as over 150 actual-size reproductions, the majority in full color. It is a fascinating story by an enthusiastic collector, who captivated by the beauty and ingenuity found in these bottles, had the interest to delve into the historical background techniques of manufacture, kind and quality of materials, classification and organization of types, and the like, as well as a delightfully informal style with which to communicate her wide knowledge and enthusiasm to the reader.
Classic Haiku
SparrowsPlaying hide-and-seekAmong the tea blossoms.—Kobayashi IssaHaiku, the traditional Japanese verse form composed of seventeen syllables, can express a dramatic scene or philosophical idea in a single line of verse. In this collection, haiku poet Yuzuru Miura has selected and translated poems by past masters such as Basho and Buson, as well as haiku by contemporary poets. Fireflies, pheasants, a summer shower, winter snow, camellias—all the favorite haiku subjects are included among the one hundred poems of this impressive anthology. Classic Haiku evokes the peace and serenity of the Japanese way of life.
Hara-kiri
Hari-Kiri is a definitive text on Japanese ritual suicide, also known as suppuku.To the average westerner, the word hara-kiri conjures up an image of excruciating, self-inflicted pain; of a deep, fatal incision. To the Japanese, this kind of suicide embodies the best qualities of courage, honor, and discipline.Through extensive research, author Jack Seward brings to the English-speaking public a dissertation on the subject that is thoroughly enlightening. Fluent in speaking, reading, and writing Japanese, he was able to glean information from ancient documents—many of them scrolls in the Japanese archives—that few foreigners have seen. The earliest writings on hara-kiri (known more formally as seppuku) are thus revealed, as are the intricate rituals surrounding the ceremony."The major purpose of this book," says the author, «is to clarify the historical and sociological significance of a unique method of self-destruction.» In fulfilling this purpose, author Seward has come up with a definitive work that is sure to arouse interest both as a scholarly effort and as simple, fascinating reading.
Things Chinese
China's art objects and traditionally manufactured products have long been sought by collectors—from porcelains and silk fabrics to furniture and even the lacquered chopsticks that are a distant relation to ones found in most Chinese restaurants. <i>Things Chinese</i> presents sixty distinctive items that are typical of Chinese culture and together open a special window onto the people, history, and society of the world's largest nation. Many of the objects are collectibles, and each has a story to tell. <br><br>The objects relate to six major areas of cultural life: the home, the personal, arts & crafts, eating & drinking, entertainment, and religious practice. They include items both familiar and unfamiliar—from snuff bottles and calligraphy scrolls to moon cake molds and Mao memorabilia. Ronald Knapp's evocative text describes the history, cultural significance, and customs relating to each object, while Michael Freeman's superb photographs illustrate them. Together, text and photographs offer a unique look at the material culture of China and the aesthetics that inform it.
Ideals of the East
This classic of Japanese studies is an important contribution to the understanding of Japanese art and culture.The author, Okakura wrote Ideals of the East at the turn of the 20th century. The book quickly became a museum of Asiatic civilization, and yet more than a museum, because the singular genius of the Japanese people leads them to dwell on all phases of the ideals of the past, which welcomes the new without losing the old. He wrote of that broad expanse of love for the Ultimate and Universal, enabling the people of Asia to produce all the great religions of the world.In Buddhism he found «that great ocean of idealism, in which merge all the river-systems of Eastern Asiatic thought–not colored only with the pure water of the Ganges, for the Tartaric nations that joined it made their genius also tributary, bringing new symbolism, new organization, new powers of devotion, to add to the treasures of the Faith.»Asiatic art and culture went hand in hand, and how well Okakura wrote about both!