Vintage Japan - by Ornella Civardi Hardcover

Book Synopsis

A rare and exclusive look at Japan as it existed for centuries prior to the modern era!

This large-format volume features 283 exquisite albumen silver prints taken by the pioneering British-Italian photographer Felice Beato in the 19th century, many of them hand-colored by artists working at his Yokohama studio. They offer glimpses of a lost world--from breathtaking landscapes and architectural marvels to scenes of everyday life and the people of Japan during the time of the Shoguns. The images' hand-coloring lends them a painterly quality reminiscent of traditional nihonga paintings or ukiyo-e woodblock prints.

The book includes chapters on Geisha, Samurai, Martial Combat, Tattoos, Arts and Crafts, Landscapes, Cities, Temples and Shrines, as well as stereoscopic images. It is an essential addition to the library of any passionate enthusiast or art historian, and anyone wanting to explore the beauty and complexity of premodern Japan.

About the Author

Ornella Civardi has translated the works of many celebrated Japanese writers and poets including Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata, Junzaburo Nishiwaki, and Yoko Ogawa. She has a degree in Oriental Languages and Literature from the Ca' Foscari University in Venice. In 2005, she won the prestigious Alcantara Prize for her Italian translation of Kawabata's Palm-of-the-Hand Stories.

Felice Beato (1832-1909) was an Italian-born photographer known for his extensive work in the Mediterranean, East Asia, and South Asia, particularly in India, China, Japan, and Burma. He documented major events like the Crimean War, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and the Second Opium War. He ran a studio based in Yokohama, Japan, for twenty years and was a pioneer in producing albums of his photographs that were hand-colored by a team of artists.

Francesco Paolo Campione teaches cultural anthropology at the University of Insubria, Italy, and is also the Director of the Museo delle Culture (MUSEC) in Lugano, Switzerland. He has curated over 90 art exhibitions in Italy, Switzerland, and other countries, and has published dozens of catalogues and over 120 articles in scholarly journals.