The Unknown Craftsman. YANAGI (Soetsu).

First edition. Numerous photographic illustrations, some in colour. 4to. Original printed paper-covered boards, clear vinyl dust jacket with blurb printed to lower in red-ish brown, small marks to edges, otherwise a near fine copy. [7], 222pp. Tokyo, Kodansha International Ltd., The most famous book on Mingei theory by the founding members of the Mingei Movement. The Unknown Craftsman is the culmination of Yanagi Soetsu's philosophy on folk crafts and Bernard Leach's efforts to disseminate these ideas outside of Japan. It includes an introduction by the renowned potter Shoji Hamada, who was a key figure in the Mingei Movement. By the time this book was published in 1972, Yanagi had founded the Nihon Mingei Kaikan (Japan Folk Crafts Museum, 1936) and published 120 issues of Kogei magazine (1931-1951) and had become a well-known figure in Japan. This book marks a distinct turning point, when Yanagi's essays were consolidated and translated into English ? many of which for the first time.