Japanese Prints from the Baur Collection
The Baur Collections / Collections Baur. Japanese prints. Vol. I-II. Matthi Forrer. Geneva: 1995. ISBN 2-880331-007-5. Dfl. 575,00 / £ 240.00. 682 pp, with 606 plates in colour. Hardcover with dustwrappers in slipcase.
One of the finest collections of Oriental art in the world is housed in a converted residence in a stately neighbourhood in Geneva. Here is gathered the result of a lifetime of collecting by the Swiss industrialist entrepreneur Alfred Baur (1865-1951).
By Chris Uhlenbeck
Following his education in Switzerland, Alfred Baur joined a large international trading
company which sent him to Ceylon, his first introduction to the wonders of the East.
Within a short period of time he became extremely successful and started out on his own.
His interest in Oriental art was vast and over the years he put together top quality
collections in the fields of Chinese and Japanese ceramics, sword furniture, lacquerware,
netsuke, Chinese jades, and Japanese prints. All these areas of interest were
approached with a keen sense of quality: Baur's collecting strategy was dictated by the
conviction that it was better to assemble a small quantity of high quality pieces rather than
amassing enormous quantities, an option which could have been so easy at the time at
which he was collecting.
During his lifetime he donated the collections to a foundation which bore the name of
himself and his wife.
Over the years, all objects in the collection have been published in book form. They are
considered to be some of the most important publications in their respective fields. The
final project consisted of the publication in two volumes of the collection of over 600
woodblock prints. The curator of the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden, the
Netherlands, Dr Matthi Forrer, took upon him the task of meticulously describing this
fascinating collection. The curator of the Baur Collections, Dr Frank Dunand, has
contributed an absorbing introduction on the formation of the print-collection based on the
extant correspondence between Baur and his suppliers, T.B. Blow and K. Tomita.
This introduction on the formation of the collection (in French and English) is followed
by a (again bilingual) general introduction by Forrer on the nature of the woodblock print
medium and the art historic developments over time.
The catalogue is organized chronologically, by artist. All prints are illustrated in excellent
colours and are accompanied by a descriptive text in English of the subject depicted,
translations of the Japanese titles and su-titles, signature forms, publisher's marks, size,
and references to the literature.
What makes this prestigious publication unique is first of all that only a limited number
(11) of the prints have been published before in colour. Secondly, the nature of the
collection with a remarkable emphasis on triptychs from the mid-19th century by artists
such as Kunisada, Kuniyoshi, and Hiroshige, results in the publication and description of
many undocumented prints from this period. Thirdly, the collection contains some of the
finest impressions known of certain famous designs by such artists as Sharaku, Utamaro,
Toyokuni, Eisen, and Hiroshige. In a number of cases, variant impressions are also
present in the collection.
If any fault was to be found with this publication at all, it could perhaps be lamented that
it has not been produced in a slightly less expensive manner, but it must be admitted that
the full glory of this remarkable collection cannot fail to impress the reader while leafing
the pages.
The "Baur Collection: Japanese prints" Volume I & II can be ordered
from:
Ukiyo-e Books B.V
Breestraat 113a
2311 CL Leiden
The Netherlands
Tel: +31-71-5143 552
Fax: +31-71-5141 488
or
Han Shan Tang Books
42 Westleigh Avenue, Putney
London SEW15 6RL
United Kingdom
Tel: +44-181-7884464
Fax: +44-181-7801565