Sims Reed Rare Books×

Kanjinsuki. (Kandinsky)

Kandinsky. Murayama Tomoyoshi

Tokyo. Ars / Arusu-Sha. 1925
Sold
A good copy of Murayama 'the Kandinsky of Japan' Tomoyoshi's study of Wassily Kandinsky.

The ground-breaking study of Kandinsky by MAVO artist and theoretician Murayama Tomoyoshi analyses Kandinsky's work from his pre-abstract beginnings to 1924. The work features extensive reproduction of paintings and other work by Kandinsky, the beautiful colour frontispiece - reproduced presumably with pochoir colour - taken from 'Kleine Welten' and the whole work is illustrated with reproductions of Kandinsky's smaller format prints from 'Klänge'.

'Murayama wrote on Wassily Kandinsky (1866 - 1944) more than any other artist whose work he encountered abroad, hence his nickname of 'the Kandinsky of Japan' ... Murayama adapted many of the Russian painter's ideas, principally his emphasis on breaking down the boundaries between art and other areas of life.' (Gennifer Weisenfeld writing in 'MAVO: Japanese Artists and the Avant-Garde 1905 - 1931).

The work is scarce and we can trace copies at the National Diet Library, Japan and Columbia only.
pp. (i), (i), 6, (ii), 7, 65 leaves of plates, 90, (i), (iv). 8vo. (196 x 138 mm). Leaf with colour frontispiece by Kandinsky (a reduced plate from 'Kleine Welten') with guardleaf, printed title in blue and black, 3 leaves with introduction and publication history and text illustrated with numerous monochrome vignettes after Kandinsky (mainly from Klänge) and 65 leaves of glossy paper with illustration of works by Kandinsky recto only (1 in colour) each with printed caption and date, leaf with publication details and pasted-in booksellers stamp and index. Printed text in Japanes with occasional insertions in German. Original publisher's blue cloth, front board ruled in black, title gilt to spine, original cream dust-jacket with printed titles in blue and black and illustration after Kandinsky in purple to front panel.
#46228

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