Study project: early Tosogu Collections

[tosogu_eu]

Dear friends of tosogu,

A few months ago I started a little project about early European Collectors of tosogu.

 

I wanted to understand the start of the "japnonisme", to people behind the first collections, their perspectives and networks they operated in.

 

My goal is to make this knowledge accessible and build a series of essays to share.

 

Please take a moment and have a look: https://tosogu.eu/essays/

 

It's not complete, so I invite you warmly to share your feedback, discuss with me and help to find some blind spots

 

Also I would be very happy to identify objects of these provenance, understanding the symbols, markings or numbers used by the early collectors. One example I can share is the tsuba (sign. Sadamasa) from the Fahrenhorst Collection: https://tosogu.eu/walter-fahrenhorst-the-collection-that-came-home/

 

Thank you for your time and help already. 

Regards from Frankfurt, Alex

[Matsunoki]

Have you looked at the Tomkinson collection?

….or the Edward Wrangham collection? (See Bonhams past auctions for this one)

[Spartancrest]

I have done a three book set on the subject, along with five others centering on specific collections from the 19th century and early years of the 20th. Plus a few related design references - the books mentioned concentrate only on tsuba other objects from those collections are not included.

  Total pages 934 

 

  1924 100 pages        1894 > 1902   88 pages

 

   1916  98 pages       1911  68 pages 

 

 

  1884  and 1898  82 pages

 

  I did the Wrangham collection along with the Hartman collection for my own study source. A thick book of 415 pages

[I guess it is a "pirate book" as it is the only one in the world ]

 

The Georg Oeder collection was translated from German to English - the original German is here:  https://archive.org/details/japanischestichb00vaut/mode/2up

 

Willkommen bei NMB, Alexander!

 

Edited April 19 by Spartancrest
MORE LINKS

[CSM101]

One of the earliest german collections: the Alexander Mosle collection.

 

From the Baden-württembergische Landesbibliothek: https://www.transfernow.net/dl/20260419JxVfaYEM

 

The whole catalogue Verlag E. A. Seeman, Leipzig 1914

 

Btw: don' the forget Gustav Jacoby, Otto Kümmel, Oskar Münsterberg...

Edited April 19 by CSM101

[tosogu_eu]

Thanks everyone, that was very helpful. The books about early tsuba articles are already in library (at least the first) 

 

- Moslé is funny, I did already write it but forgot about it in draft status.. so this will definitely come.

- Weber & Poncetton will complete the French series soon

- Hawkshaw, Tomkinson, Hartmann will enhance the British folks. Actually I am waiting to receive the Hartmann catalog... damn customs.

 

Thanks for your input!

Please feel free to add, share your thoughts and tell me: which is your favorite?

 

Best, Alex

[Tim Evans]

There is an English copy of the Mosle catalog in the NMB Downloads > articles area. Brian my need to fix the link. A big pdf, it may take a while to download.

 

 

https://www.nihontomessageboard.com/articles/Mosle.pdf

 

 

 

[Tim Evans]

Here is some interesting background and context information on Alexander Mosle' as written by one of his employees. The Mosle' episode starts about page 5. 

 

https://antonymaitland.com/hptext/hp0001.txt

 

Also, you may check here for some commentary about early collectors. 

https://shibuiswords.com/haynesarticles.htm

 

 

[ROKUJURO]

And do not forget the BEHRENS collection, auctioned off in Paris (I think 1912) with a four volume catalogue by H. Joly.

[CSM101]

Behrens was 1914.

 

(only 2 out of 3)

[tosogu_eu]

Thanks for the additions.

 

Please take a moment and have a look at my page. You will already finde some essays: would love to hear your feedback 

 

Behrens: https://tosogu.eu/w-l-behrens-the-taste-for-the-archaic/

 

Church: https://tosogu.eu/sir-arthur-herbert-church-the-chemists-eye/

 

Joly: https://tosogu.eu/henri-l-joly-the-man-behind-the-catalogues/

 

Baur: https://tosogu.eu/alfred-baur-the-collection-that-became-a-museum/

 

Vever: https://tosogu.eu/henri-vever-the-art-of-seeing-twice/

 

Krohn: https://tosogu.eu/pietro-krohn-the-Japanese-argument-for-danish-design/

 

Halberstadt: https://tosogu.eu/hugo-halberstadt-the-collection-he-could-not-keep/

 

And the German collectors of course: Oeder, Jacoby, Brinkmann, Fahrenhorst, Tikotin...

 

[Spartancrest]

Alexander I also did a four volume book series on the A.H.Church collection - the unpublished Koop catalogue in book form with the addition of both views of the guard, which unfortunately the museum's online resource does not have.