[Rarebooks] FS: Bing. Artistic Japan

[Kaaterskill Books]

We offer for Sale:

Bing, S. [Siegfried]. Huish, Marcus B., Eng. Lang. ed. ARTISTIC 
JAPAN: ILLUSTRATIONS AND ESSAYS. A MONTHLY ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL OF 
ARTS AND INDUSTRIES [SIX VOLUMES IN THREE]. London: Sampson Low, 
Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1888-1891. Illus. with 337 plates (148 
color, 189 duotone, 14 folding), 36 color covers, and 532 b/w 
drawings (most in-text). Folio (34 x 26 cm). Three quarter morocco 
over red pebbled cloth, five raised bands ruled in gilt, six 
compartments, one lettered in gilt, five with gilt floral 
decorations, boards ruled and lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, 
marbled endpapers (hardback). Cordier: Bibliotheca Japonica, col. 630 
(Fr. ed.). Catalogue of the Avery Architectural Library p.90. First 
edition. Colored covers bound in rear of each volume. Extra title 
page each volume. 36 issues. All published.

  "Among the publications that appeared toward the end of the 
nineteenth century with the aim of educating the European and 
American public about the art and culture of Japan, few were as 
successful or as visually compelling as Artistic Japan. Appearing in 
monthly installments from mid-1888 until 1891 -a run of thirty-six 
issues- the magazine reached wide audiences by being printed in three 
languages (French, German, and English). This international character 
paralleled the breadth of the Japonisme movement of which Artistic 
Japan became one of the most visible and popular manifestations. The 
magazine reached knowledgeable collectors who were already intensely 
enthusiastic about Japanese art; it also appealed to wealthy members 
of the middle class eager to collect Japanese objects as part of 
reshaping their own home environment. The issues were lavishly 
illustrated, taking advantage of the most modern achievements in 
color printing, and included examples of Japanese art selected from 
leading European collections. The magazine became an encyclopedic 
display of Japanese art currently housed in Europe as well as a 
visual reference source, valuable for diverse artists such as Vincent 
van Gogh and the jeweler Lucien Falize. The well developed essays 
prepared by the leading Japonistes of the day added insight and 
enthusiasm to the cause of Japanese art and culture and gave readers 
a good opportunity to understand why Japanese art was so highly 
appreciated at the time. Thus, Artistic Japan became an instrumental 
educational tool for the international Japonisme movement" (Gabriel 
P. Weisberg, The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts, Vol. 
1.Spring, 1986, p. 6).

ABPC shows none at auction in the last 14 years. Very good copies, a 
few scuffs at the corners and joints, discoloration along the lower 
edges of the boards, small chip to rear lower corner of one volume, 
scattered foxing mainly to endpapers, faint browning to the edges of 
some leaves otherwise contents about fine, plates bright. A handsome 
set.  [31895] $2500.00

Regards,

Charles Kutcher
Kaaterskill Books
P. O. Box 122
East Jewett, NY 12424
email: books at kaaterskillbooks.com
phone: 518-589-0555
www.kaaterskillbooks.com
Members ABAA/ILAB/IOBA


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