Re: Breaking books

Comments:
: : : I suppose that those of us lucky enough to have decent copies of Hokusai's '100 views of Fuji' should welcome those who break them up an sell individual sheets as it makes those left rarer and more valuable. However the purist must protest at an act of apparent vandalism. I can understand the financial attraction, given the prices being obtained for the single pages. Comments please! : : Thank you, Dr. Illing, for the first posting on our : : new board. I am sure that it will stir up some discussion. : : I can offer a dealer's slant on the subject... : : "100 Views of Edo" was published in 3 volumes : : and each print is truly a masterpiece of design in which : : Hokusai shares an intimate moment with viewer. Each moment : : or print stands alone, with its own story. Because the prints : : are bookplates, they were not sold as single sheets at the : : time of publishing, however, had there been a demand, they : : most certainly would have been, as they often are now. : : There is more interest than ever in Japanese prints : : and great deal of demand for Hokusai. Few collectors : : are in a position to acquire a nice print from the : : "36 Views of Mt. Fuji" or even a good quality set of the : : "100 Views of Mt. Fuji", but for a modest sum a : : collector can own a beautifully designed original print by : : Hokusai that in many respects rivals the designs costing $15,000 : : or more. Most collectors have favorites from the : : series that they want to frame and are not interested in the entire set. : : The demand is great and the opportunities to purchase are : : few. : : As for books in general, this was a convenient way to : : organize and display printed material in the 19th century. : : In the 20th century, Japanese prints were elevated to fine art : : and the most popular way to display fine prints is mounted in frames. : : Often books were put together by the original publisher, but many times : : books were put together by a collector, the way we would put pictures : : in a photo album. : : Collector's often mention of Hiroshige that they would love to : : have a fine "Kambara" or "Shono", etc (myself included). Rarely do they talk : : about having a fine album of Tokaido. Mostly, because the : : idea is pretty redicules. The most expensive Tokaido album that I know of : : went for around $500,000. My assumption is that it is in a corporate vault : : and nobody is enjoying the prints. Since the prints were published : : as single sheets, as well, and since the album was simply a convenient method : : of displaying a group of prints, why not offer Kambara to the : : collector who will cherish the print and Shono to another collector : : who is in love with that print and so on. To me, that is not vandalism : : or cannibalism, but a more human approach to appreciating extraordinary : : objects. : In the beginning of the message my refernece was : to "100 Views of Mt. Fuji", not "100 Views of Edo".