Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2023 -

Oyobe (Univ. of Michigan) and Peyton (Univ. of Florida) have curated an outstanding group of essays focused on the infrequently studied topic of North American museums' practices of collecting Japanese art from the time Japan opened to the West (1853) to the present. The essays are presented chronologically by period and feature art ranging from carved wood and gilded Buddhist temple images to ink landscapes, a rustic tea ceremony bowl, and flamboyant gold and mineral pigment screens. Also included are textiles, metal sword guards, ukiyo-e prints, modern ceramics, and postwar art in many media. These meticulously researched essays, written by scholars from Japan, Canada, and the US (mostly curators with deep knowledge of their collections), provide insights into the developing appreciation of Japanese art in the West; the relationships of museum professionals and Western collectors (with their unique personalities) with Japanese diplomats, collectors, dealers, artists, and scholars; rich historical context; and curatorial practice. This beautifully produced and illustrated book will be invaluable for the study of Japanese art and culture, and an important resource for future scholarship in this area.Summing Up: Essential. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty.