Oriental Series: Japan, its History, Arts and Literature, Captain F. Brinkley. Published by J. B. Millet Company, Boston and Tokyo, 1901. Tokyo Edition. Limited to 500 copies of which this is number 15. Eight volumes. Three quarter leather over red marbled boards: red leather to front and back, brown leather banded spines; gilt spine titles; gilt top edges; marbled endpapers. Illustrated throughout with sepia photographs, tinted colour plates, and black and white illustrations; plates are tissue guarded with printed titles; full size fold out colour map. 8vo up to 9½” tall. Binding is tight and square; Volume I showing lightly weakened front inner hinge. Light rubbing to board edges with two volumes showing small loss of leather to heads of spines; boards are faded on Volume I. Contents in fine condition in all volumes with a 5cm closed tear to edge of map (Volume VI). A lovely collectible set.
Volume I: 260pp. Present Japan, Primaeval Japanese, On the Verge of History, Early Eras of History, The Nara Epoch, The Heian Epoch. Volume II: 286pp. The Military Epoch, Manners and Customs, Weapons and Operations, The Way of the Warrior, Refinements and Pastimes. Volume III: 256pp. Refinements and Pastimes, Early Tokugawa Times, Middle Period, Later Period, Fall of The Tokugawa. Volume IV: 265pp. Manners and Customs, The Tokugawa Court, Criminal Procedure, Liberty, Justice, Slavery, Philosophy, Education, Enlightened Government. Volume V: 260pp. Financial Conditions, Japan’s Foreign Politics, Progress, Creed and Caste, Religion and Rites, Superstitions. Volume VI: 300pp. Festivals, Observances and Pastimes, The History of Commerce. Volume VII: 396., index. Japan Pictorial and Applied Art, Art: Various Applications, Sword Furniture, Special Subjects. Appendix: Names, Periods, and Schools of Japanese Artists; List of Chisellers of Sword Furniture. Volume VII: 450pp., index. Japan Art: Early Wares, Wares of Hizen, Wares of Satsuma, Wares of Kyoto, Wares of Kaga, Wares of Owari and Mino, Miscellaneous Wares, Ceramic Art. Appendix: Porcelain and Faience Marks and Seals.
Francis Brinkley (1841-1912) was an Anglo-Irish newspaper owner, editor and scholar who resided in Meiji period Japan for over 40 years, where he was the author of numerous books on Japanese culture, art and architecture and an English-Japanese Dictionary.
