Great Waves and Mountains: Perspectives and Discoveries in Collecting the Arts of Japan
by Natsu Oyobe and Allysa B. Peyton (editors)

This richly illustrated volume, just published this week as part of the David A. Cofrin Asian Art Manuscript Series by the University of Florida Press, addresses the history of collecting Japanese art and the factors that contributed to the growth of collections in North America following the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The wide-ranging essays, prepared by contributors that include Princess Akiko of Mikasa, Midori Oka, Akiko Takesue, Robert Mintz, Sinéad Vilbar, Wai Yee Chiong, Jeannie Kenmotsu, John Teramoto, and Vivian Li, fill in gaps in the scholarly investigation of the subject. Art historians discuss the historical development of the Japanese aesthetic and examine questions of connoisseurship, authenticity, and controversial collectors and their current-day reception.

The volume also features case studies on the formation of Japanese art collections in North America, exploring the diverse array of factors that contributed to their quality, contents, and the role that these collections play for their respective communities. Contributors delve into university and museum archives and interview art dealers, collectors, and artists to better understand their own collections. They present original research on cross-pollination and dialogue between artists from Japan and the United States, the development and growth of museums, and the personal histories of the people who shaped art collections. Together, these essays illustrate the shifting priorities in the collection of Japanese art across 150 years.