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Born to a noodle-maker in the small town of Toba, Japan, Kokichi Mikimoto followed his vision and passion, becoming one of the world's greatest inventors. His creation--the cultured pearl. Throughout history this rare jewel of the sea has possessed mystery, power, and wealth. Mikimoto tells the story of one man's quest to uncover the secret of an iconic gem of nature. Today, Mikimoto is synonymous with the pearl and recognized internationally as a symbol of excellence. Heavy in the hand and cool to the touch, a Mikimoto pearl remains the ultimate symbol of purity, high style, and natural elegance. Review: A Mikimoto Pearl Fashion History - in gorgeous pictures - I love fashion photography books. Assouline Publishing makes the best small (80 pages like this one) and large coffee table (Tashen's Berlin, Paris, London) books. Assouline did a three book set honoring Coco Chanel (Chanel, Jewelry, Perfume); a fat book honoring Le Must de Cartier and so much more. So when you see that the publisher is Assouline, think beautiful fashion photography and captions rather than an in depth history of a subject. Mikimoto is just that - a fashion snack of pictures of Mikimoto pearls throughout history. Unfortunately there are currently no Mikimoto biographies available. There are however, some great books about pearls and their history. Pearls by Fred Ward - you saw his photographs and articles in National Geographic about pearls and other gems. This is my favorite pearl book. Tiffany Pearls by Jon Loring - the long time Tiffany jewelry historian created a great coffee table book with photographs and portraits of pearl lovers through the centuries (from celebrities to royalty). Review: A graceful little "coffee table" book on the surface; much more by extension of your imagination. - This was a gift for a friend who is fascinated by inventors and their inventions. It is a small, graceful book with beautiful illustrations, and the biographical sketch of Mikimoto is very touching. Nothing is mentioned of the quality control movement that played such a great role in Japan's post-war development, but Mikimoto embodied most of its principles half a century before the movement; and perhaps examination of his life sort of explains why Japanese engineering (e.g., Toyota) still tops the charts in quality today.
| Customer Reviews | 4.0 out of 5 stars 15 Reviews |
T**A
A Mikimoto Pearl Fashion History - in gorgeous pictures
I love fashion photography books. Assouline Publishing makes the best small (80 pages like this one) and large coffee table (Tashen's Berlin, Paris, London) books. Assouline did a three book set honoring Coco Chanel (Chanel, Jewelry, Perfume); a fat book honoring Le Must de Cartier and so much more. So when you see that the publisher is Assouline, think beautiful fashion photography and captions rather than an in depth history of a subject. Mikimoto is just that - a fashion snack of pictures of Mikimoto pearls throughout history. Unfortunately there are currently no Mikimoto biographies available. There are however, some great books about pearls and their history. Pearls by Fred Ward - you saw his photographs and articles in National Geographic about pearls and other gems. This is my favorite pearl book. Tiffany Pearls by Jon Loring - the long time Tiffany jewelry historian created a great coffee table book with photographs and portraits of pearl lovers through the centuries (from celebrities to royalty).
T**N
A graceful little "coffee table" book on the surface; much more by extension of your imagination.
This was a gift for a friend who is fascinated by inventors and their inventions. It is a small, graceful book with beautiful illustrations, and the biographical sketch of Mikimoto is very touching. Nothing is mentioned of the quality control movement that played such a great role in Japan's post-war development, but Mikimoto embodied most of its principles half a century before the movement; and perhaps examination of his life sort of explains why Japanese engineering (e.g., Toyota) still tops the charts in quality today.
P**A
Mikimoto Light. Meh. Nice photos.
I read Aja Raden’s “Stoned” and got a more complete story in one chapter than this whole book. It’s a shame, because what a story! Really amazing, tenacious man. A few historic photos, nothing I hadn’t seen before. Nice photos of Mikimoto showpieces. But if you’re looking for a deep-dive info source, this is not your book.
B**E
Mikimoto
This is a very interesting book. With beautiful pictures. It was nice to get the history of the company and it's founder. Mikimoto is my favorite pearl jewelry. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this subject matter.
A**R
Three Stars
Feels lacking. More of a coffee table book. I've learned more about Mikimoto, his life, and inspiration elsewhere.
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