Kanban, shop signs of Japan - Softcover

The Japanese kanban, literally "signboard," is a folk art all its own. Its function-as a symbol and a service-maximizes the traditional arts of carpentry, calligraphy, and often of wood-carving and painting as well. The appeal of these signs is not only as bold and ingenious graphic design, but also as record of the commerce and tastes of the merchant classes in the Edo and Meiji Periods. This is the first collection of kanban assembled for exhibition in this country. It is a chance to study and delight in a singular-yet characteristic-art form of Japan.