1902 Japan: Its History, Arts and Literature by Captain F. Brinkley — Rare Lotus Edition, One of 26 Copies

An exceptionally beautiful and exceedingly scarce volume from Captain F. Brinkley’s celebrated Oriental Series: Japan—Its History, Arts and Literature, published in Boston and Tokyo by the J. B. Millet Company in 1902. This is Volume III of the magnificent Lotus Edition, limited to only twenty-six lettered sets printed on fine Japan paper( often called Japan vellum).

The publisher’s extraordinary full dark teal crushed levant morocco binding is richly decorated with an elaborate lotus design extending across both boards. Pink and red morocco lotus blossoms are intricately inlaid within a graceful composition of gilt stems, leaves, and water lines, framed by multiple gilt rules. The raised-band spine is likewise ornamented with inlaid and gilt lotus motifs and lettered in gilt. Gilt dentelles surround dark teal leather doublures, followed by luminous ivory watered-silk endpapers. An attached silk ribbon marker completes the binding.

The volume is lavishly illustrated with a remarkable color frontispiece printed on silk, together with numerous color and monochrome plates depicting Japanese architecture, gardens, domestic life, decorative arts, customs, and historic scenes. The plates retain their captioned tissue guards. Printed on exceptionally fine, substantial Japan vellum, the leaves have gilt top edges and naturally deckled fore and lower edges.

Volume III explores the customs, pastimes, cultural refinements, and social life of Japan through several historical periods, including the military and Tokugawa epochs. Captain Francis Brinkley was a British-born scholar, journalist, and longtime resident of Japan who became one of the foremost English-language interpreters of Japanese history and culture during the Meiji period.

Condition: Fine. The leather remains rich and supple, the intricate gilt and colored morocco inlays are beautifully preserved, and the binding is firm. The high-quality pages and illustrations are clean and crisp.

SIze: 6¾” x  9½” 

A superb example of turn-of-the-century book artistry and one of the most desirable editions of Brinkley’s monumental work on Japan. Although this is a single volume from the larger set, it is complete in itself as Volume III and is particularly collectible for its elaborate publisher’s binding, silk frontispiece, luxurious materials, and limitation of only twenty-six copies.