Catalogue of the Morgan Collection of Chinese Porcelains

New York: Privately Printed by Order of Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan (DeVinne Press &, 1911. First, Limited Edition. Fine. 2 volumes; Royal 8vo; 9 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. (240 x 160 mm); Vol. 1: pp. xvii + 196 pp.; Vol. 2: lxxiii + 145 pp. 158 chromolithographs with rice paper guards inscribed with legend in red ink, legends pasted on the border of the image in vol. 2. In vol. 2 plate no. 147 is used as a frontispiece. Volume 1 of this set includes an additional chromolithograph of a Glazed Earthenware Fish Bowl, with the mark "The Connoisseur" tipped into the last fly leaves.
LIMITED EDITION of 250 copies FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION. Each volume includes an index of cases with schematic drawings and key numbers, as well as Chinese characters and diagrams of maker marks. Top edges gilt, rest uncut; Dark green-brown pebbled morocco, with gold fillets on boards, five raised bands on spines, title in gilt with gilt decorations in compartments. Fillets on wide turn-ins, moss green moiré silk and morocco doublures, spine lightly sunned on volume 1 and small bump at spine head. Volume 2 bound in slightly darker and more pebbled morocco, with similar detailing and moiré-silk doublures.
From J. PIERPONT MORGAN'S OWN LIBRARY, with his own morocco bookplate pasted on the first flyleaf and with the PRESENTATION INSCRIPTION around the bookplate "Sir Guy Laking | with kind regards | J. Pierpont Morgan | Library | Octo. 22 1906. The two volume set is quite rare, and these are beautiful copies of the 250 printed exclusively for private circulation, first edition, one of 250 unnumbered sets. Printed by Robert Grier Cooke and Frederic Fairchild Sherman.
With historical text and notes by William M. Laffan, Stephen W. Bushell and Thomas B. Clarke Colophon v. 1: "Witnesseth the Printer hereof, April the Thirtieth, Anno Domini, Nineteen hundred and four, that there have been made Two hundred and fifty impressions of this Book and that none more can be had whatsoever, all things essential thereto having ceased to exist. Composition and printing of the text by the De Vinne Press vol. 2: "Two hundred fifty copies of this book privately printed by Frederic Fairchild Sherman for J. Pierpont Morgan, MCMXI"

Sir Guy Francis Laking, 2nd Baronet CB MVO (1875 - 1919) was an English art historian. In 1902 Kind Edward the VII created the post of Keeper of the King's Armoury at Windsor for him, and he was also Inspector of the Armoury at the Wallace Collection. In 1911 he became the first Keeper of the London Museum, where he was tasked with acquiring, cataloguing and arranging the collection. He held this post until his death in 1919. We can surmise that J. P. Morgan gifted him this copy "Chinese Porcelains", vol. 1, from his own personal library.