Barry Davies Oriental Art Japanese Lacquer. Nambokucho to Zeshin - The Collection of Mike and Hiroko Dean.
London, Barry Davies Oriental Art, 2002, First edition, Folio, Hardcover, book condition: As new, dust jacket condition: As new. 304 Pages, 116 pieces illustrated in multiple colour plates.
This beautiful volume illustrates Japanese lacquerwares and inro in the renowned collection of Mike and Hiroko Dean, ranging in date from the 14th to the 19th century. Nambokucho (1336-1392) constitutes a short period at the end of the Kamakura era. It was a time of internal disturbances and two rival branches of the Imperial family were vying for succession. The most powerful of the warlords, Ashikaga Takauji, occupied Kyoto, and had himself appointed shogun by Emperor Komyo of the Hoku-cho (northern dynasty) in order to set up the Ashikaga Shogunate of the early Muromachi period. The branch of the Imperial family with the more legitimate claim to the succession, had established its court around the Emperor Go-Daigo at Mt. Yoshino, about 70 km south of KYoto; hence Hoku-cho (northern dynasty in Kyoto) and Nan-cho (southern dynasty at Mt. Yoshino). As the power of the Ashikaga Shogunate increased, the Hoku-cho branchn grew more powerful and in 1392, Nan-cho agreed to return to Kyoto at the request of Shogun.
Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891), well known to Western collectors, was the last of the great creative lacquer artists of the Edo period.
Item nr: 7464