Art of the Japanese Kite

By Tal Streeter

Book Overview

An interdisciplinary exploration into the history of kite making and flying. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0834801574
• ISBN13: 9780834801578
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: Weatherhill
• Length: 181 Pages
• Weight: 1.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 0.5" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

The Art & History of Japanese Kite-Making (w/color photos)

From front jacket: "The kite, soaring and swooping, a bright streak of color against the clear blue sky, is one of Japan's most exhilarating craft forms. Even on the ground, the variety of Japanese kites in size, shape, and decoration is a constant source of visual delight. Here are birds and insects, legendary heroes and Kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, tops, and fans, all drawn in bold, vivid hues. The largest kite of all, the Hoshubana Showa, weighs over 1750 pounds, measures 48 by 36 feet, and can only be flown by a team of 50 men using heavy ropes. At the other end of the scale is the miniature kite, smaller than a postage stamp and flown by thin strands of thread in the breeze of an electric fan. This book is an American sculptor's joyous tribute to the Japanese kite. In 130 photographs, including 52 in full color, and an immensely informative yet zestfully spontaneous text, the author introduces a wide selection of Japanese kites. He also takes the reader into the workshops of six famous Japanese kite makers, where the process of making a kite unfolds: the preparation of bamboo and paper materials, the drawing of the picture, the positioning of noisemakers, and even the application of powdered glass on the cutting string of fighting kites. Here are hints and tips on making your own kite, a brief history of the kite in the Orient, and the excitement of the annual kite festivals held at Shirone and Hamamatsu, where hundreds of giant kites battle in the skies."

Japanophile alert!

If you are a Japanophile or remotely interested in kites, then this book needs to be ordered! I bought it for a relative as a gift and when I received it to wrap and send, I couldn't put it down and had to order my own copy. It is out of print but many copies are available used and in good condition. Also of interest to anyone involved in handmade crafts and the Living National Treasures of Japan.

Artistic, historical & social appreciation of kites in Japan

Tal Streeter based this book on extensive interviews in Japan, and time spent there making and flying kites. This is not a how-to book, but it does provide tremendous inspiration for kite makers and gives essential background information on materials and design. It is also a very entertaining read, with acute observations on Japanese history and culture. Tal Streeter's respect for traditional kite makers and their craft shines through this book. And although it has many serious points to make about the decay of tradition, it also captures and describes the joy and passion that the Japanese invest in kite flying - a joy very evidently shared by the author. The photographs in this book are simply magnificent. For serious collectors of literature on kites, and of Japanese culture, this is a must have book.