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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.