Overview

Drawing on diverse perspectives, this collection of 12 essays and around 150 colour illustrations explores the history and mysteries of the Coral Road from the Mediterranean to Japan. From Italy, with its ancient traditions of deep-sea coral fishery, production and trade, the reader is transported to Tibet and India, where coral has long been revered as a Buddhist treasure and amulet. The focus then moves to Japan, with the book highlighting the vivid red coral tree of folklore and festivals and the lavish use of the exotic gemstone in the magnificent accessories and craftwork of the Edo Period (1603-1868), before tracing the history of Japanese coral fishery, trade and production in modern times. Inspired by an urgently perceived need to preserve the legacy of precious coral for future generations, this retrospective, yet forward-looking, book will appeal to a wide readership, from marine ecologists to economic, social, cultural and religious historians, as well as scholars of fashion and design.

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9781527567832

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Iwasaki Nozomu received his PhD in Fishery from the Ocean Research Institute of the University of Tokyo in 1985. He is currently a Professor in the Faculty of Geo-Environmental Sciences of Rissho University, Japan, where his research focuses on the ecology and sustainable use of precious coral. In 2003, he launched a comprehensive research project on precious coral, including its biology, resource management, trade, history, and cultural significance. Within this context, he edited the book A Biohistory of Precious Corals: Scientific, Cultural and Historical Perspectives (2010), and produced a documentary video entitled Precious Corals: A Closer Look Through the Eye of Science (2017).

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