"Ordinary People's Crafts" was the philosophy of the 1920's Mingei movement in Japan. The speed of modernization brought focus to the slowness of craft; artisans redirected importance to the handmade, natural and utilitarian beauty of each region's crafts and textiles. Collected over a span of forty years, Asian Art researcher and collector Thomas Murray has compiled his vast collection of Mingei and eighteenth to twentieth century textiles in Textiles of Japan. Hundreds of full-color and black and white photographs feature the handcrafted details of patterned cottons, natural plant fibers and animal skin cloth used in both daily clothing items and ceremonial dress. Additional scholarship is provided by Japanese Art historians Virginia Soenksen, Director of the Madison Art Collection, and Anna Jackson of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This stunning, well-researched volume is a testament to the cultural significance of textile art and pattern design in Japanese culture throughout history. 10.5"W x 2"D x 13.75"H by Thomas Murray, Virginia Soenksen and Anna Jackson hardcover 520 pages.