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Distributed for Royal Collection Trust

Japan

Courts and Culture

With a Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales and Princess Akiko of Mikasa

Distributed for Royal Collection Trust

Japan

Courts and Culture

With a Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales and Princess Akiko of Mikasa
Japan: Courts and Culture tells the story of three centuries of British royal contact with Japan, from 1603 to c.1937, when the exchange of exquisite works of art was central to both diplomatic relations and cultural communication. With discussions of courtly rituals, trade relationships, treaties, and other matters of concern between the two nations, this book provides important historical and political context in addition to granting a new look at the works of art in question. Featuring new research on previously unpublished works, including porcelain, lacquer, armor, embroidery, metalwork, and works on paper, this book showcases the unparalleled craftsmanship of these objects, and the local materials, techniques, and traditions behind them.

Japan: Courts and Culture is published to accompany a spectacular exhibition of the same name, which opens at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, in June 2020. The book’s stunning photography, contextual essays, and historical insights offer a highly visual record of a royal narrative and history that has not yet been widely documented.

320 pages | 300 color plates | 9 1/4 x 10 3/4 | © 2020

Art: Middle Eastern, African, and Asian Art


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Table of Contents

Foreword
British and Japanese royal family trees
Map of Japan
1. Introduction, Rachel Peat
2. First Encounters, 1600–1639, Rachel Peat
3. Trade, 1639–1854, Rachel Peat
4. Porcelain, Melanie Wilson and Rachel Peat
5. Lacquer, Rachel Peat
6. Travel, 1854–1901, Rachel Peat
7. Samurai, Arms and Armour,Gregory Irvine
8. Metalwork, Kathryn Jones
9. Treaty, 1901–1937, Rachel Peat
10. Artistic Exchange, Kathryn Jones
11. Courtly Ritual, Caroline de Guitaut
12. Coda, Rachel Peat
13. Appendix: The Model of the Taitokuin Mausoleum, William H. Coaldrake
Glossary Timeline of Key Events Bibliography Acknowledgements Index

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