1952-1960 A Collection of Historical Studies on Japanese Culture

Description

First Edition, Illustrated, Original Binding, Publishers' Original Binding, With Dustwrapper

Four volumes. First edition. This set contains: The Japanese Discovery of Europe: Honda Toshiaki and Other Discoverers 1720-1798, 1952. Illustrated with a frontispiece, seven full-page images, and a map. Collated complete. Exploring the group of Japanese intellectuals who, rebelling against the isolation of their country at the time, turned to Europe and the Dutch traders permitted to visit Japan for inspiration. With specific commentary on Honda Toshiaka and his writings. Written by Donald Lawrence Keene, an American-born Japanese scholar, historian, teacher, writer and translator of Japanese literature. The Flower and Willow World: The Story of the Geisha Girl, 1959. Illustrated with a colour frontispiece, sixteen plates, and six line drawings. Collated complete. A fascinating account of the history of the geisha in Japan: a role that has frequently been misunderstood by Westerners. Describing the development, social background, training and accomplishments of the geisha, as well as her costume and hairstyle. Written by A. C. Scott, a British author and R.A.F. Officer who later became a professional artist and journalist. The Flowery Sword: Travels in Japan, 1960. With a map to the front of the text. A penetrating look at post-war Japan, based on the author's own observations of the country as she travelled, third-class and alone, across the country from Hokkaido to Nagasaki. Written by Ethel Edith Mannin, a popular British novelist and travel writer, anti-fascist activist and anarchist. The Japanese Print: A New Approach, 1960. Illustrated with sixty-four plates. Collated complete. Written due to a revival of interest in Japanese Art, this work is an authority piece on the printmaking of Japanese artists through history and in modern times. With chapters on the Ukiyo-e School, Kabuki Theatre, picture books, bird and flower prints, and the art of Surimono, amongst others. Written by Jack Ronald Hillier, a British scholar of Japanese art.