Antique Japanese Netsuke including Makers Marks Types Etc. / Scarce Book

Description

NETSUKE
by F.M. Jonas, Charles E. Tuttle Co,1928/1980.
Profusely illustrated in color and mostly black-and-white, this early out-of-print book is a definitive guide to the study of Japanese netsuke.  ”Among the many Japanese ‘objets d’art’ that found their way to the Western World after Japan’s long emergence – just a century ago – from her long seclusion, few aroused greater admiration than the netsuke.  These miniature sculptures, principally in ivory and wood, captivated collectors with charm of their conception, the intricacy of their detail, and the sheer tactile pleasure to be experienced in handling them.”
“One of the first collectors to produce a comprehensive study of the netsuke was F.M. Jonas, whose authoritative work – regrettably long out of print and extremely difficult to obtain – is now being reissued for the pleasure of all who admire the exquisite artistry of the netsuke carvers.  As Mr. Jonas points out in his preface, his object is to put at the disposal of the netsuke collectors a short account of their history and some explanation of the subjects they portray, as well as to supply a guide for determining the names of the carvers and the periods in which they worked.  One of the chief attractions of this book is its impressive set of illustrations.  These consist of fifty-five photographic plates – nine of them in color – picturing a total of 214 netsuke, ranging from the late 17th to the late 19th century.  Also shown are a number of
inro
, the medicine or seal boxes to which the netsuke were attached to serve as pendants or toggles.  The illustrations together with the exhaustive appendix listing the known netsuke carvers, metal workers, and makers of inro, provide invaluable information for both collectors and students.”
6.1” x 8.5” hardback with dust cover in very good condition.  185 pages plus photo plates.
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