The Ornamental Arts of Japan

London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1882-84. First edition. Cloth. Very Good Indeed. 16.5" by 12". Various. The first edition of this lavishly illustrated work exploring the beauties of Japanese art, colourfully illustrated with chromolithographs. The first edition of this work.An uncommon work.Four parts bound in two volumes, being parts 1, 2, 5, and 6 only, of a total of 9 parts, lacking parts 3, 4, 8, and 9.An impressive work exploring the beauties of the ornamental arts of Japan.The author of this work, George Ashdown Audsley, discusses the different mediums oft used in Japanese art, presenting some of the fine examples to be found across the country.Audsley was an accomplished architect and artist who wrote one of the first and most important books on Japanese art in the English language, titled 'The Keramic Art of Japan'. Part I covers drawing, painting, engraving, and printing. Part II covers embroidery. Part V covers incrusted work. Part VI covers metal work.The chromolithographs faithfully portray the vivid and captivating beauty of the art explored in these volumes.Volume I illustrated with a frontispiece, twenty-one chromolithograph plates, and nine monochrome plates.Volume II illustrated with a frontispiece, ten chromolithograph plates, and sixteen monochrome plates.Collated, all plates are present. Rebound in an institutional cloth binding. Externally, smart, with only a few light marks to the boards. Surface wear to the recto of the front endpapers. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and generally clean with a few light handling marks. Small closed tear to the tail of a few pages. Institutional stamps throughout. Very Good Indeed