“Kingdom of Beauty is first-rate. Kim Brandt’s analysis is sharp, her organization supple, her writing graceful. Moreover, her synthesis of the imperial with the domestic—and of the ideological with the material—makes the book a model of cultural history.”—Kären Wigen, author of The Making of a Japanese Periphery, 1750–1920 “A richly textured, beautifully written, and provocatively argued analysis of the Japanese ... Read morefolk-craft movement, this study sheds light on empire, middle-class material culture, the aesthetics of fascism, and much else common to twentieth-century societies in the throes of dislocating change. A beguiling book on important themes.”—Carol Gluck, George Sansom Professor of History, Columbia University “Kingdom of Beauty is an important work that contributes a grounded account of knowledge production processes, dynamics of art evaluation, and achievements of art centered social activism in a colonial setting that will be useful to scholars in many fields.”
Liora Sarfati
Museum Anthropology Review
“Kingdom of Beauty is truly the most compelling study of Mingei I have read: it not only answers questions hitherto unanswered, but also provides useful tools for the future study of Mingei, particularly in the context of today’s increasingly globalizing world. . . . I am deeply struck by the manner in which the author has approached often contentious topics with unabated tenacity, integrity, and sincerity.”
Asian Ethnology
“[A]n impressive narrative of mingei’s cultural history . . . . Kingdom of Beauty is a rigorous scholarly work, much of which is based on Brandt’s judicious use of Japanese primary resources. It is beautifully written, and benefits from the inclusion of numerous . . . plates of mingei wares. Brandt’s argument is tight, comprehensive and engaging and, most importantly, groundbreaking in its excavation of the complex social forces at work and the entities associated with mingei’s ascent in the first half of last century.”
Penny Bailey
Asian Studies Review
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