The artist's touch, the craftsman's hand : three centuries of Japanese prints from the Portland Art Museum /

Another book on Japanese prints? Editor Graybill (Portland Art Museum) deftly explains why, in the face of an abundance of information already out there, the PAM has published this catalogue. Its focus is on 257 prints, a study of which "would contribute most" to the field of Japanese art history and which--prior to this catalogue--have not, in many cases, been presented in publications in English. In her acknowledgments, Graybill presents a nice Who's Who of scholars working in the field. The text comprises five essays. Donald Jenkins (emer., PAM) discusses the history of Japanese prints and, in a second essay, reconsiders the prints of Harunobu. Laurence Kominz (Portland State Univ.) examines Kabuki prints; Carpenter (Metropolitan Museum of Art) studies still-life in Surimono; and Lynn Katsumoto (PAM) discusses the Mary Andrews Ladd Collection of Japanese Prints (which initiated the museum's collection in 1932). This catalogue offers a significant amount of new material. The catalogue proper, by Graybill and Katsumoto, has full curatorial data plus intriguing comments on individual prints from the late 17th century to the early 21st. Included are a chronology, glossary, and list of works in Japanese. Illustrations are excellent. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers. D. K. Haworth emeritus, Carleton College