Condition. The book is in Very Good condition. There is fraying of the cloth along the edges and corners. One place at the top has a 1/4 inch tear of the cloth. Internally the plates are very clean with no damage to the image areas or tissue guards. There is some darkening of the plate margins, particularly along the outside edge. Faint water staining to the very bottom edge of a few leaves. Significant loss of fabric covering the spine.

 
Murayama, Jungo:
A Gallery of Japanese and Chinese Paintings, Tokyo, The Kokka Publishing Company (Yazaemon-cho, Kyobashi-ku), folio (17 x 12 in), 100 plates (72 in black and white collotype and 28 tipped in color woodblock prints), gold and green brocade silk over boards, string tied. All plates are on thick card stock paper. Of the color plates 19 are of Japanese art and 8 are of Chinese art. The plates is protected by a descriptive tissue guards with information in English and Japanese. Each tissue guard provides information on the art and notes it's location. At times two plates are consolidated and have only one descriptive tissue guard before the first plate. All plates are on thick card stock paper.

In the preface the compilers of the book note:

.... the editorial staff of the Kokka Company, has been compiled the present volume, presenting one hundred of what may be considered to be the choicest of ancient Japanese and Chinese paintings.

In the Japanese section we have chosen sixty-five representative productions extending in date from the reign of the Empress Suiko down to the close of the Tokugawa period; while, under the heading of China, we have included the equally typical specimens of the three dynasties of T'ang, Yuan, and Sung. The reason why we have chosen the productions of these dynasties to the exclusion of the Ming and the Ch'ing periods, is that the art of these three dynasties has had the closest bearing on ours.

Another characteristic of the present volume is the insertion of an unusually large number of coloured wood-engravings, 28 in all, a number rather exceptional in a work of this size. We desire to add that all these coloured prints are of that unequalled workmanship which is to be expected from the hands of artizans in the exclusive employment of the Kokka Company. (English Language Preface)

The Kokka Company published a series of at least four, including this book, art reproduction books of this type during the period of 1906-1908. This was the last and most expensive book and it was priced at double and triple the price of the other books. For more information on the Kokka Company and this series of books, click here.

Kazumasa Ogawa was associated with the Kokka at the time this book was published. While I find no attribution to him, it is very likely the collotype plates were based upon his photographs.

To see the:

• Table of plates (in Japanese), click here.
• Preface (in Japanese) click here.
• Preface (in English) click here.

Table of Contents - Plates * = Color Woodblock Prints, Tipped In

SUIKO PERIOD

1. I.    Paintings on the Tamamushi Household Shrine

   NARA PERIOD
   

2. II.    From the Mural Paintings in the Kondo of the Horyu-ji Temple

3. * III.    Portrait of Prince Shotoku
   

4. * IV.    Portrait of Kichijo-ten
   
5. V.    From a Folding-Screen with Female Figures, in the Collection of the Shoso-in Imperial Repository

6. * VI.    From the Kwako-genzai-ingwakyo
   

   HEIAN PERIOD
   Wocho Period
   

7. * VII.    Amida and Attending Deities
8. VIII.    Amida and Attending Deities
   
9. IX.    Portrait of Emma-ten

   Fujiwara Period
   

10. * X.    Portrait of Fudo-myowo
    
11. XI.    Amida and the Twenty-Five Bosatsus, attributed to Priest Eshin-sozu
12. XII.    The Death Scene of Buddha
    
13. * XIII.    From the Senzui-Byobu

    

14. XIV.    Portrait of Fugen-Bosatsu
    

15. XV.    The Resurrection of Sakyamuni
    
16. XVI.    Door-Painting in the Ho-wo-do in Uji, by Tamenari Takuma
    
17. XVII.    Vision of the Gods Behind the Mountains
    
18. XVIII.    Portrait of Kujaku-myowo

    Heike Period
    

19. * XIX.    A Scene from the Genji-monogatari by Takayoshi Fujiwara
    

20. XX.    Frontispiece Paintings in Hand-Copied Buddhist Scriptures, by members of the Taira Family
    
21. XXI.    Animal Caricatures, by Toba-sojo Gakuyu
    
22. XXII.    Legends of the chief God of the Shigizan Temple, attributed to Toba-sojo Gakuyu
    
23. * XXIII.    The Anecdotes of Ban-Dainagon, attributed to Mitsunaga Fujiwara
    

    KAMAKURA PERIOD
    

24. XXIV.    Fugen-bosatsu and the Ten Rasetsujos
    
25. * XXV.    Portrait of Monju
    
26. * XXVI.    Portrait of Gatten by Shoga Taktma

27. XXVII.    A Scene from the Heiji-monogatari, attributed to Keion Sumiyoshi
    

28. XXVIII.    A Scene from the Kasuga-gongen-Kenki by Takakane Takashina
    
29. XXIX.    A Scene from the Life of Priest Ippen

    ASHIKAGA PERIOD
    

30. * XXX.    Fishing with Cormorants, by Yukihide Kasuga
    

31. XXXI.    Rakans, by Priest Mincho
    
32. XXXII.    Portrait of Yuima, by Bunsei
    
33. XXXIII.    A Landscape, by Shubun
    
34. * XXXIV.    Portrait of Daruma by Jasoku
    
35. XXXV.    A Landscape, by Priest Sesshu

36. XXXVI.    A Landscape, by Keishoki
    

37. XXXVII.    A Landscape, by So-ami
    
38. XXXVIII.    An Autumn Landscape, by Masanobu Kano
    
39. XXXIX.    Chinese Priest Wei-shan Kicking over a Vessel, by Motonobu Kano
    
40. XL.    Summer and Winter Scenes, by Sesson

    MOMOYAMA PERIOD
    

41. XLI.    An Aged Pine Tree, by Eitoku Kano

42. XLII.    The Four Sages of Mount Shang-Shan, by Yusho Kaihoku
    

43. XLIII.    A Scene from the Genji-monogatari, Sanraku Kano

    TOKUGAWA PERIOD
    

44. * XLIV.    The Hikone-Byobu
    

45. XLV.    A Shrike by Niten Miyamoto
    
46. XLVI.    The Three Smiling Sages at the Tigers' Vale, by Shokwado Shojo
    
47. XLVII.    From an Illuminated Scroll containing the Hyakunin-Isshu Verses, by Koetsu Honnami
    
48. XLVIII.    A Lotus Pond, by Sotatsu Nomura
    
49. XLIX.    The Chinese Emperor Huang-ti, by Tannyu Kano
    
50. L.    A Stage, by Moronobu Hishikawa

51. * LI.    Plum Tree, by Korin Ogata
    

52. * LII.    The Nunozarashi Dance, by Itcho Hanabusa
    

53. * LIII.    A Musical Feast in Autumn Night, by Choshun Miyagawa
    

54. LIV.    A Savant, by Taigwa Ikeno
    
55. * LV.    A Summer Landscape, by Buson Yosa

56. * LVI.    Puppies and Convolvulus, by Okyo Maruyama
    

57. * LVII.    A Beauty, by Utamaro Kitagawa
    

58. LVIII.    A Deer by a Maple Tree, by Groshun Matsutnura
    
59. LIX.    Mandarin Bucks and Plum Trees by Keibun Matsumura
    
60. LX.    Flowering Plants in Summer after a Shower, by Hoitsu Sakai
    
61. LXI.    Landscapes, by Buncho Tani
    
62. LXII.    An Old Temple on a Pine-clad Mountain by Chikuden Tanomura
    
63. LXIII.    A Goose in the Snow, by Kwaza Watanabe
    
64. LXIV.    Portrait of Susano-No-mikoto, by Hokusai Katsushika
    
65. LXV.    Tokwaido Scenes, by Ichiryusai Hiroshige
    

T'ANG DYNASTY

1. * I.    Portrait of Priest Pu-'kung-chin-kang, by Li Chien
   

   SUNG DYNASTY
   

2. * II.    Portraits of Two Arhats, attributed to Li Lung-mien
   
3. III.    Portraits of Two Arhats, attributed to Li Lung-mien
   
4. IV.    A Flock of Gulls in the River attributed to Chao Ta-nien
   
5. V.    Mountains After Rain, by Lutig-men-man-shih
   
6. VI.    Autumn and Winter Landscapes, attributed to the Emperor Huitsung
   
7. VII.    Autumn and Winter Landscapes, attributed to the Emperor Huitsung
   
8. * VIII.    A Herdsman Returning Homeward, by Li Ti
   
9. * IX.    A Herd of Cattle in the Field, attributed to Yen ' Tzu-ping

10. X.    Puppies, attributed to Mao I
    

11. * XI.    A Sage admiring a Moon-lit View, attributed to Ma Yuan
    
12. * XII.    A Solitary Angler in a Wintry River, attributed to Ma Yuan
    
13. XIII.    A Winter Scene, attributed to Ma Lin
    
14. XIV.    A Summer Landscape, attributed to Hsia Kuei

15. * XV.    A Craggy Mountain Lane, attributed to Hsia Kuei
    

16. XVI.    A Sage under a Pine Tree, attributed to Hsia Kuei
    
17. XVII.    A Dancing Pu-tai, by Liang-k'ai
    
18. XVIII.    Hanshan and Shihte, attributed to Liang-k'ai

19. XIX.    Fish in Nature, attributed to Fan Anjen
    

20. XX.    Kwannon and Monkeys and a Crane, by Mu-ch'i
    
21. XXI.    Kwannon and Monkeys and a Crane, by Mu-ch'i
    
22. XXII.    A Dragon in the Clouds, by Mu-ch'i
    
23. XXIII.    Portrait of Priest Wu-chun
    
24. XXIV.    A Summer Landscape, by Yii-chien
    
25. XXV.    Portrait of Sakyatrmni
    
26. XXVI.    Lanscapes
    
27. XXVII.    Landscapes
    
28. XXVIII.    Priest Hsian-chuang on his Homeward Journey from India
    

    YUAN DYNASTY
    

29. * XXIX.    A Cockscomb, by ' Chicn Sliun-chu
    

30. XXX.    A Summer Landscape, attributed Sun Chun-tse
    
31. XXXI.    The Hermits T'ieh-kuai and Hsia-ma Yen Hui
    
32. * XXXII.    A Moon-lit Sea
    
33. XXXIII.    Portrait of Lin Ho-Ching, by Sheng Tsu-chao

34. XXXIV.    Priest Tan-hsia Burning a Buddhist Statute, attributed to Indra
    

35. XXXV.    A Mountain After the Rain, attributed to Kao Jan-hui
    

     
    

 
For information on Kazumasa Ogawa, click here.