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Josiah Conder - The Floral Art of Japan, 1899

Josiah Conder (Brixton, England, 1852 - 1920, Tokyo)

The Floral Art of Japan, 1899

Printed ink on paper; fourteen colored woodblock prints , 36.2 x 27.62 x 2.54 cm (14 1/4 x 10 7/8 x 1 in.)

Commentary

This book was the first to introduce the Japanese art of ikebana, flower arrangement, to an English-speaking audience and is richly illustrated with colored woodcuts of gardens and interiors by the Japanese artist Ogata Gekko. Gretchen Osgood Warren had this copy shipped from Japan to Boston, a journey that took a year. One plate showing the village of Somei recalls Isabella’s annual display of autumnal chrysanthemums in the museum’s courtyard—a tradition we continue today.