Product Description

Bamboo has emerged as the building material of choice for the twenty-first century. Designers in every field from architecture to aeronautics are discovering ever more innovative uses for the miracle plant. Five times stronger than concrete and flexible enough to be woven like silk, bamboo has for millennia been an indispensable necessity of life for cultures around the world. Botanically classified as a grass, it is one of the fastest growing plants on earth. Its abundance and extreme durability have made it a natural choice as the raw material for fences and partitions. Indeed, in Japan, bamboo fence building has become an art form, and endless varieties of bamboo fences exist, from simple picket designs to elaborate fences woven with bamboo branches.

Bamboo Fences provides a detailed look at the complex art of bamboo fence design and presents these unique structures in more than 250 photographs and line drawings. Author Isao Yoshikawa gives a brief overview of the history of bamboo fence building in Japan and classifies the different designs by type. A glossary provides an explanation of Japanese fence names and structural terms. Yoshikawa explains how the wide range of fence designs had its origin partly in the full development of the tea ceremony during the sixteenth century, when elegant bamboo fences became important elements of tea ceremony gardens. Bamboo partitions were used in Zen temples, and from there spread to ordinary homes. Many fence styles are named for the temple in which the first of their kind was built. From the widely used 'four-eyed fence' (yotsume-gaki) and the fine 'raincoat fence' (mino-gaki) to the expensive 'spicebush fence' (kuromoji-gaki), the natural color and texture of these exquisite bamboo fences could complement any landscape. Whether you plan to use bamboo to bring privacy to your yard, Zen to your garden, or are just seeking an environmentally friendly alternative to chain-link or wood; the simple beauty of these Japanese bamboo fences is sure to inspire.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #130141 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 159 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781568988344
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Bamboo's abundance and extreme durability has made it a natural choice as a raw material for fences and partitions. 'bamboo fences' provides a detailed survey of the art of fence design in japan, from those used in your garden to larger scale wall structures. The history of bamboo and its use is supported by 250 images which showcase the versatility and material aesthetics of the wood. more than twenty different fence designs described, all classified by type, from the common 'four-eyed fence' (yotsume-gaki) to the expensive 'spicebush fence' (kuromoji-gake), giving a good overview of the craft. there is also a glossary which has explanations of japanese fence names and structural terms, as well as technical drawings of the designs to better understand their complexity." --Design Boom, June, 2009)

"Simply gazing at the photographs may inspire some tranquillity of your own." (May, 2009) --Martha Stewart Living

"Simply gazing at the photographs may inspire some tranquillity of your own." --Martha Stewart Living, May 2009

"The photographs by Suzuki perfectly illustrate the work." -- Darius Himes --Live Books, July 1, 2009

Review
"Bamboo's abundance and extreme durability has made it a natural choice as a raw material for fences and partitions. 'bamboo fences' provides a detailed survey of the art of fence design in japan, from those used in your garden to larger scale wall structures. The history of bamboo and its use is supported by 250 images which showcase the versatility and material aesthetics of the wood. more than twenty different fence designs described, all classified by type, from the common 'four-eyed fence' (yotsume-gaki) to the expensive 'spicebush fence' (kuromoji-gake), giving a good overview of the craft. there is also a glossary which has explanations of japanese fence names and structural terms, as well as technical drawings of the designs to better understand their complexity."

Customer Reviews

super!fantastic!
here in Rio de Janeiro we have a marvelous bamboo course that drove me to look for bamboo books.
when I bought both "bamboo fences" and "building bamboo fences" my eldest daughter has asked me why bamboo fences by the same author(isao yoshikawa)?
This wonderful way to "look inside" the books gives us the unique chance to choose without a blind system.
bamboo fences is a remarkable photo book about this milenar japanese technique.in the building bamboo fences half the book is another basket of splendid fence photos and the other half the drawings show how to do them.
My advice: buy both together and do not tell your kids.