Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... Japanese Zen Gardensby Yoko Kawaguchi
None Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Japanese Zen Gardens by Yoko Kawaguchi Photographs by Alex Ramsey AMAZING, After reviewing this 208 page elegantly illustrated book I completely get what Zen means. I was enthralled all the way through, not just because of the gorgeous photography, but also the explanation of how the gardens are set up really blew me away. I loved the way the author took her time to teach us the history and symbolism of each one. I would recommend this blessed head turner to anyone looking for some calm and peace in their lives. This sweet find has easily made it to my nightstand to help keep the midnight meanies away. Thank you both, what a gentle energy to share with the world. Love & Light, Riki Frahmann no reviews | add a review
'Beautifully illustrated, packed with fascinating insights' Robin Lane Fox in the Financial Times A new handbook-sized edition of Japanese Zen Gardens. Japan's iconic zen gardens are revealed in Alex Ramsay's specially commissioned photographs and their history and meaning is explored in Yoko Kawaguchi's learned text. The austere, enigmatic rock gardens of Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital, have never ceased to fascinate garden lovers. Weather-â?beaten rocks set in an expanse of white sand raked into geometric patterns challenge the idea of a garden as a space chiefly dedicated to the cultivation and appreciation of plants. How did the taste for this kind of garden arise? What do the stones represent? Why aren't there more flowers?This book sets out to answer questions such as these. It explores the Zen characteristics of these gardens, and discusses the impact Zen Buddhism has had on the Japanese way of looking at the natural world. This book also shows how key traditional concepts, such as that of using the confined space of a garden to create a landscape in miniature, were reinterpreted in Zen temple gardens. It explores how they make use of traditional imagery, such as those of mountain and sea, and how they reflect that acute sensitivity to the passage of time and the changing of the seasons which characterizes so many other Japanese garden styles. Yoko Kawaguchi's thoughtful and learned book illustrated with commissioned photography by Alex Ramsay, this book covers important examples of Japanese Zen temple gardens from the fourteenth century through to the twentieth century. It appeals to readers who are interested in gardens, garden design and garden history, as well as in Zen Buddhism and Zen aesthetics. It also serves as a useful reference book for travellers planning a trip to Japan to visit the country's temples. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNone
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)712.6The arts Area planning and landscape architecture Landscape architecture / landscape design Private parks and groundsLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
The photography in this book is lovely. Unfortunately, the writing is too dry, and the use of parenthesed words too irritating for me to continue with reading this. I gave up around page 33.