IRO: The Essence of Colour in Japanese Design

A book on typical Japanese colours, with examples of how they are used in Japanese design.

£49.95 per item

This book offers a key to understanding Japanese design through the lens of colours. Providing a source of information for typical Japanese colours, the book examines the relationship between colour and the natural world while contemplating the influencing factors of their development and representation throughout Japan’s history. Readers can explore some 200 colours each shown by a craft piece ranging from lacquered bowls to beautifully designed hand fans.

Rosella Menegazzo is Associate Professor of the History of East Asian Art at the University of Milan, with a PhD in Oriental Studies from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. She has authored numerous publications on a wide range of subjects such as Japanese design, photography and ukiyo-e painting and also curated several exhibitions.

288 pages.

Size: L27 cm x W20.5 cm x H2.7 cm

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Browse through a selection of books with a wide range of subjects in Japanese culture and innovation, ranging from literature, gastronomy, art and crafts, to classical architecture and modern design.

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Colour Combinations and The Tale of Genji

The art of layering colours (kasane) has a long tradition in Japan. Made to reflect the natural world and the changing of the seasons, specific colour combinations were often found in the garments worn by the fashion-conscious aristocracy of the Heian court (794-1185 CE), as depicted in a Heian-period work of literature, The Tale of Genji.

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Colour Combinations and The Tale of Genji