Great Waves and Mountains

Illuminating the history of collecting Japanese art



This richly illustrated volume 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. With wide-ranging essays

that 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.