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BY LOUISE CORT AND NAKAMURA KENJI
1994, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
160 PAGES, OVER 100 DUOTONE PHOTOS
PUBLISHED BY WEATHERHILL, NY
VIDEO: 11 MINUTES, COLOR
1994, ARTHUR SACKLER GALLERY
AT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
THE BOOK AND THE VIDEO ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH
THE SACKLER GALLERY BOOKSTORE
(202) 357-4880
Reviewed by Elaine Vukov
Through the fortuitous meeting of a highly skilled basketmaker, a dedicated collector and a discerning curator, a complete collection of beautiful handcrafted Japanese baskets has been preserved in the U.S. for future generations to study and enjoy. The baskets are the work of Hiroshima Kazuo, a professional basketmaker who resides in a small village in the southern part of Japan. From November 20, 1994 to July 9, 1995 Mr. Hiroshima’s works were exhibited at the Arthur Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The exhibition is over but an excellent catalog and video, both entitled A Basketmaker in Rural Japan , remain to document the life and works of an extraordinary craftsman.