Kakiemon XIV, Sakaida; translated by Frew, Gavin — The Art of Emptiness

Book Very Good Dust Jacket Included 1st Edition Japan Publising Industry Foundation for Culture (JPIC), Japan English text; Hardcover (with dust jacket); 16 x 22 cm; 0.5 kg; 208 pages with a few colour illustrations; Used with minor signs of wear on the dust jacket, that show: edge wear, scuffs and wear marks at the bottom and top of spine. Interior in very good condition. Good condition overall.; First English edition.; Originally published in Japanese under the title of Yohaku no bi Sakaida Kakiemon by SHUEISHA, Inc., in 2004. The text in this book is based on interviews with the author, recorded and prepared by Watada Susumu.; For several hundred years, Japanese porcelain has been highly acclaimed and sought after around the world. Sophisticated porcelain ware has long been produced in the Arita area of Kyushu, and artisans from the Kakiemon family have gained particular renown for their skill in enamels and their artistic designs. Now, for the first time, the techniques and tradition behind the creation of their ceramic works are disclosed through the words of the late Kakiemon XIV. Starting with his childhood memories, he talks about his father and grandfather and what he inherited from them; how the craftsmen work at the kiln; and how materials such as stone, clay, and firewood play a crucial part in creating the works. Most striking of all are the explanations on aka-e overglaze enamels and nigoshide porcelain, the characteristics that make Kakiemon ware so phenomenal. With more than twenty color plates depicting Kakiemon pieces from museums and private collections, this volume will provide rare insight into one of the world's most famous kilns.