New Releases by Andrew Miller

"Japan''s accomplishments in the ceramic arts through the centuries are among her most important artistic achievements, yet for all but a few specialists the entire field of Japanese ceramics has long remained a wilderness with few guideposts indeed. This has been due partly to the language barrier, but also it has been the result of the many sub-divisions and minor categories under which Japanese ceramic wares have traditionally been classified. ''Japanese ceramics'' for the first time successfully breaks through both these barriers to the enjoyment of Japan''s fine pottery and porcelains, presenting all the important developments from earliest times down to present, illustrated by a lavish collection of large, painstakingly reproduced black-and-white plates, a rich assortment of color plates selected for their faithful representation of the originals, and an extremely large selection of smaller illustrations showing representative examples of each of the many wares discussed in the interesting text. Though the text presents its account historically, its chief emphasis is on Japanese ceramic wares as art, to be viewed against their own historical background, but above all as art deserving study and appreciation in its own right. Another important innovation of the text is its treatment of Japanese ceramics under a relatively small number of major categories, bringing understandable order to the maze of intricate kiln and other designations which have often rendered the field needlessly obscure. The authoritativeness of the text and the authenticity of the specimens illustrated--many of them rare items from private collections seldom to be seen even in Japan--are assumed by the eminence of the scholars of whose work the book has grown. A map of kiln sites and an index, complete with Japanese characters for proper names and ware designations, make the volume one for reference as well as aesthetic enjoyment." -- Publisher''s description