Signed: Anderson - The Pictorial Arts of Japan - 1886

A monumental and richly illustrated standard work on the history of Japanese art in the 19th century, here in the particularly desirable, author-signed presentation copy by the author himself. William Anderson's fundamental portrayal belongs to the significant early Western publications on Japanese painting and its art-historical traditions.

First edition. Publisher: London, Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1886. First issue. Large Folio. XIX, 276 pages with 80 plates in different reproduction methods, including 16 color plates, as well as 146 text illustrations. With illustrated silk endpapers to the plates. Artist’s Proof Copy No. 72, personally signed by William Anderson on the title page. Decoratively half-leather binding with dark green silk covering the boards, rich gilt on the spine and gilt title on the board. Color-paper flyleaves and ex libris "G. Bowman, M.D." with the motto "Persevere." LARGE FOLIO 42 x 31 cm, 8.5 kg
--------------------------------------
William Anderson was a British surgeon, art collector, and one of the most important early Western connoisseurs of Japanese art. During his stay in Japan from 1873 to 1880 he acquired extensive knowledge of the local painting and assembled a significant art collection, which later came into the possession of the British Museum.

His main work offers a comprehensive overview of the development of Japanese painting from its earliest beginnings to the 19th century. It discusses at length the various schools of painting, their leading representatives, stylistic peculiarities, and artistic techniques. In addition, Anderson deals with relations to Chinese and Korean art as well as adjacent art forms such as ceramics, lacquerware, and decorative arts.

Of particular importance are the elaborately reproduced artworks, which for the first time exposed European readers more extensively to the variety of Japanese visual traditions. Landscape painting, Buddhist art, portraits, animal and plant depictions, and scenes of everyday life convey an exceptionally versatile impression of Japanese art history.

The present exemplar is distinguished by its handwritten numbering and the author\'s signature. The special binding and the signed edition make it a charming collecting piece of early European Japanology literature.
--------------------------------------
Decorative binding more worn, especially on the spine and corners. Inside, there are occasional light foxing, but overall an splendid and highly representative exemplar of this monumental Japanese work, whose extraordinarily elaborate binding, fascinating illustrations, and the author’s handwritten signature make it a special collectible.