With the advent of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, art became accessible to Japan's burgeoning merchant classes. Though a uniquely Japanese art form, the prints reveal interests in celebrity, fashion, entertainment, and travel that have a universal human appeal, regardless of time or place.

Dreams and Diversions celebrates Japanese woodblock prints with a collection of ten original essays by an international team of scholars. They draw attention to the unique and longstanding relationship between the port city of San Diego, its collectors, and the nation of Japan. The essays not only advance the field of art history with new research and discussions of rare prints but also tell engaging stories for all readers interested in Japanese art and culture from the 17th to the early 20th centuries.

The contributors to Dreams and Diversions include Michael S. Inoue, Hiroko Johnson, Andreas Marks, Junichi Okubo, and Sonya Rhie Quintanilla.

Dreams and Diversions examines Japanese ukiyo-e print treasures from the rarely seen collections of the San Diego Museum of Art.

Reviews

"The variety of themes effectively explains the origins of ukiyo-e and the development of woodblock print culture . . . Lavishly illustrated, this book is crucial for all scholars, students, and connoisseurs of Japanese culture. Summing up: Highly recommended."

* Choice *

"Dreams and Diversions makes a fresh, and rigorously informed, beautifully presented, and very readable contribution to ukiyo-e studies. It is a welcome addition to the literature."

-- David Bell * New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies *



Book Information
ISBN 9780937108475
Author Andreas Marks
Format Hardback
Page Count 216
Imprint San Diego Museum of Art
Publisher San Diego Museum of Art
Weight(grams) 1293g