Tag: kazari

Raden and Rhinestone obidome

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I’m not sure who makes these particular raden (mother-of-pearl) obidome, but there’s a huge glut of them on eBay right now. Plenty of different shapes and styles, but all large pieces of mother-of-pearl decorated with Swarovski crystal accents. One seller has them up for Buy It Now prices of approximately $40, but another keeps putting them up as regular auctions with a starting bid of one cent. I bid on a few of them on a whim and got outbid, but since I wasn’t particularly attached I wasn’t upset when I lost. Then this beauty came up. To me, it looked like a moon. I wanted it. I needed it. I bid high, and won it for a whopping ninety-eight cents. The shipping was an impossible two dollars. What a bargain!

It adds the perfect amount of sparkle to an outfit, and even came in a fancy-schmancy black velvet box. Screw diamonds – rhinestones are a girl’s best friend 😉

I’ve already worn it once, with my crazy vintage outfit at the ToyCon.

Book Review – Kazari: Decoration and Display in Japan 15th-19th Centuries

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Kazari: Decoration and Display in Japan 15th-19th Centuries, edited by Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere
ISBN-10: 0810967480
Amazon.com listing

A very kind and generous friend of mine recently sent me this book she found while tidying up. Knowing my interest in Japanese culture and arts, she figured I would appreciate it more than a used bookstore would, and I am incredibly grateful. While this may not relate directly to kimono (though there are some gorgeous examples in the book) I figured some of my readers might be interested in this.

This book is a beautiful, lush photographic catalogue of Japanese decoration from the 15th through to the 19th century. It collects all aspects of decorative items, from paintings to dishware to kimono and shares them in large full-colour photographic plates. The texts are in-depth and interesting without being ponderous or overly academic, and the author makes a concentrated effort to explain terms transliterated from the Japanese. There are essays for each category and further elaboration when these categories overlap.

As interesting as the text is though, it is definitely the photographs that make this book worth the value. It is a large, hardcover volume, similar to a coffee-table art book. The photographs are huge, sharp, and full of detail. The book is far too large and the spine far too stiff to fit well into a standard flatbed scanner, but I have scanned a few pages as an example. I apologize for the shadow and blur in the centre.

I would recommend this book for:


– Anyone interested in the history of decorative arts in Japan as a whole.
– Anyone looking to learn of the evolution of practical and graphic design.
– Anyone looking for some lovely Japanese eye candy.

I would not recommend this book for:


– Anyone looking for procedural how-tos for Japanese art.
– Anyone interested in books specifically about kimono.

 

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