Ars Asiatica, First Edition (2 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Good. No jacket. In French. Ex-libris, with standard markings. Rebound in buckram. Covers shelfworn.

Hardcover. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. 1st Edition. First edition. II a ete tire de cet ouvrage 25 exemplaires de luxe, text et planches sur papier de la Manufacture Imperiale du Japon, numerotes de 1 a 25. Folio, 34.8*27cm, wt:2.6kg, 98pp, 51 full-page plates (47 in black and white, 4 duplicate plates in color), printed obverse only, with all tissue guards in place; all guards have imprinted captions; reproductions in sepia, with the exception of the full-color frontispiece plus 3 other full-color plates. Complete with all pages and plates. Almost wholly in French, with the original Chinese retained for certain titles, documents, poems, and reference passages. Boards in brown olive. Ex-lib, with the usual plates and markings; withdrawn from the Ryerson Library at the Art Institute of Chicago, to which it was presented as a gift from the library's benefactor, Martin A. Ryerson. Boards retain first canvas binding. At some point the Ryerson repaired the spine in matching canvas; the book doctor was no calligrapher but neatly printed a short title on the spine. The volume transmigrated later to the collection of a Smithsonian Asian arts specialist in Washington, D.C. The well-worn volume remains remarkably intact despite its travels and apparent vigorous usage. All panel edges are eroded, most notably at the corners, and surfaces show scuffs and scratches. The spine crown and foot are frayed, with a 2cm tear at the right vertical edge of the spine crown. Hinges and joints are shaken but holding respectably: front hinge paper starting to crack; rear hinge intact. Normal age tanning to all pages and plates, but no foxing. The tissue guard for Plate 25 is lacking its lower right corner, but the loss hasn't affected the caption printed on the tissue. This volume, uncommon in retail, is the record of an exhibit held at the Musee Cernuschi in Paris from April through June 1912. The exhibit provided a showcase for Chinese masterpieces from the 8th through the 18th centuries; the present volume reproduces 47 of the highest interest. Photos available upon request.