Bücher von Christopher Dresser

First Published in 2001. As an architect and ornamentist by profession, the author of this volume has specialist knowledge of many manufacturing processes and presents his observations on architectural edifices and Japanese art. Includes photos and commissioned drawings.

Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) was arguably the first British industrial designer, working in a variety of media, and this 1862 work was his most influential book. Highly illustrated, it describes how to incorporate ornament into design, and encouraged the rising middle classes to decorate their homes themselves.

Educated at the Government School of Design (predecessor of the Royal College of Art), Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) became arguably the first industrial designer, identified by his name on his work. He was an early proponent of oriental art: as a leading figure in the Aesthetic Movement, he promoted Japonism in art and decoration. In 1876-7 he toured Japan at the Japanese government's invitation, investigating local manufacturing and design. This beautifully illustrated 1882 work is the result. The first half is a travelogue of Dresser's time in Japan, written with a designer's eye for the architecture and decoration around him. The second half, covering the various ways in which design and decoration were used in the manufacturing industries, includes consideration of architectural motifs, the importance of symbols, lacquerware, ceramics, metalware, and fabric production. This remains an invaluable resource for the student of Japanese art and design.

The author of this work, an architect and ornamentalist by profession with a solid knowledge of manufacturing, went to Japan after the Meiji Restoration to observe what an ordinary traveller would not notice. The result is an absorbing and informative work on all aspects of building and the decorative arts for which we shall be always in his debt. From temples to carpentry tools, from candlesticks to theatre design, all are displayed and described here.