The first volume of this extensive work comprises a catalogue of an exhibition opening January 13, 2001 at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. The fully illustrated catalogue contains excellent descriptions of 125 surimono on display, a large part of which was recently acquired by the Museum. Includes detailed translations of the poems by various translators, under the supervision of Keiko van Bremen. The second volume includes comprehensive explanations by Matthi Forrer of the over 800 surimono that constitute the Rijksmuseum collection, together with illustrations, mostly in black and white.

A pioneering publication which deals with the most famous series - the Seishû gishi den (1847-48) and its sequel the Seishû gishin den (1848) - of the forty-seven masterless samurai (rônin) by artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861). The true 18th century tale of revenge by forty-seven rônin for the death of their lord was enormously popular in Japan: it was dramatized for the Kabuki theatre and its heroes were often depicted in Ukiyo-e prints. Kuniyoshi was a master in the genre of warrior prints, and his series expressively portrays these warrior Œfolk heroes¹. Dr. Weinberg¹s book also includes translations of the texts which appear on the prints and which recount each hero¹s exploits. In addition, there are photographs of the relics of the masterless samurai and the ruins of their castle in Akô.

The first monograph in English on the stunning series of seventy-four prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) illustrating figures from the Suikoden. Commonly known in English as The Water Margin, it is the Japanese adaptation of the 14th century Chinese vernacular novel, the Shuizu zhuan, which recounts the exploits of a group of rebels on mount Liang under the leadership of the brave and righteous Song Jiang. Of brigands and bravery reproduces the 74 known designs of the series. The one hundred and eight heroes of the series Suikoden (Tsûzoku Suikoden gôketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori) are illustrated in full colour; each is accompanied by an explanatory text. The publication also offers supplementary information on topics relating specifically to the series such as tattooing.

The female image is a comprehensive survey of the genre of bijinga (prints of beautiful women) produced in the shin hanga (Œnew print¹) tradition that evolved in the early 20th century. This bilingual (Japanese/English) publication is lavishly illustrated with works from Japanese, European and American public and private collections. Included are not only prints by major artists such as Hashiguchi Goyô (1880-1921), Torii Kotondo (1900-76) and Itô Shinsui (1898-1972), but also examples from more obscure print designers which have rarely been reproduced. An essay by Shinji Hamanaka of the Yamatane Museum of Art in Tokyo regarding the concept of bijinga and by Amy Reigle Newland on the appreciation of shin hanga in the West provide further insight into aspects of bijinga and shin hanga.

An English-language catalogue accompanying an exhibition of the same name that will open in October 2000 at the Gemeentemuseum, Den Haag. It presents a clear picture of the diversity of Japanese instruments and their use in the Kabuki and Nô theatres during various festivals and within the celebrated Yoshiwara quarter. The basis of the exhibition are 170 prints depicting musical instruments. These works have been described at length by the Japanese print scholar Matthi Forrer. Illustrations of actual musical instruments have been supplied with commentary by Onno Mensink, and the history of the collection and installation of Japanese prints at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag has been enumerated upon by Magda Kyrova. A number of other authors have contributed essays on the Kabuki and Nô theatres, Japanese festivals and the Yoshiwara .

Heroes of the Kabuki theatre aims at the collector of 19th-century Kabuki prints. Apart from a concise description of 36 popular Kabuki plays, it offers the reader a reference section on actors, playwrights, theatre, types of plays, types of roles and attributes (costumes, crests, hairdo, etc.) which should enable the collectors to identify the images on their prints.

An enduring witness to Dutch-Japanese relations is the Arita export porcelain made for the Dutch market in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was instrumental in ordering and distributing a diversity of such export wares. Private trade also played an important role. This resulted in the importation of large amounts of Japanese porcelain into the Netherlands: these works were assimilated into Dutch life and they stimulated the interest in exotica from the Orient. Whilst many of these exquisite pieces have been lost over time, numerous examples of Japanese export ware are still housed in public and private collections in the Netherlands. In Fine & Curious, Dr. Jörg discusses the variety of export ware and the extraordinary pieces in these collections, many of which are described for the first time. This survey offers a fascinating insight into one aspect of Dutch-Japanese interaction.

Plunder and pleasure is the first book of its kind to provide an in-depth study of the role played by dealers and collectors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the Western craze for East Asian art was at its peak. The book comprises an overview of Japonisme and the translation into English of two important French texts detailing the trade in Asian art at this time: Notes d'un Bibeloteur au Japon by the art dealer Philippe Sichel (1839/40-99) and Souvenirs d'un vieil Amateur d'Art de l'Extrême-Orient by the collector Raymond Koechlin (1860-1931). Both translations are extensively annotated. A discussion of the content and significance of the translations as well as short biographical sketches of Sichel and Koechlin are also included. Plunder and pleasure casts new light on the subject of Western tastes for East Asian art during this period and furthers our understanding of the cultural relations between the Far East and the West that were going on at this time.

The German doctor and scientist Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866) played a major role in the development of Western scientific disciplines in Japan, especially in medicine. Equally important were his contributions to Western knowledge about Japan, which remained virtually closed to the outside world until 1854. Siebold and Japan depicts the life of this impassioned man, whose love for Japan and its people resulted in the creation of several definitive ethnographic, zoological and botanical collections.

Editor's note: A thoroughly enjoyable read! This book appeared in my mailbox in mid-summer as part of a large packet of recent publications from Hotei Publishing. Just in time for my summer vacation, as like many others this year, I spent long hours in the airport due to delayed and cancelled flights. This book was a friendly companion: not only was it easily tucked into my carry-on, but also I found it both fascinating and engaging.

The book chronicles the life of Philipp Franz von Siebold and includes illustrations of the objects he collected, now in the National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden; drawings and paintings by Kawahara Keiga, who accompanied the Opperhoofd Johan Willem de Sturler, Dr. Burger and Dr. Siebold on the court jouney to Edo in 1826; plates from Siebold's works Nippon and Fauna Japonica;l and photographs, among other illustrations.

The book is well organized, fivided into sections that detail major events in this man's career (two trips to Japan, advisor to the king, permanent advisor of Japanese affairs, etc.) as well as the collections he is responsible for accumulating and cataloging (botanical, zoological, and ethnographic). As one of many publications commemorating the 400 year relationship between the Netherlands and Japan that Hotei Publishing has released this year, the account records an important moment in history. The Press is responsible for a variety of good quality publications that illuminate various aspects of this history, including, in addition to this one, The court journey to the shôgun of Japan: From a private account by Jan Cock Blomhoff and Bridging the divide: 400 years The Netherlands-Japan.

From 1641 onwards, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) held exclusive trading rights with Japan. A staff of some twelve to fifteen men was based at Deshima, a small artificial island in Nagasaki harbour. The Dutch Chief or Opperhoofd was required to make an annual journey to the court of the shôgun in Edo (present-day Tokyo). He bore tribute and provided the shôgun with information on such topics as the progress of Western sciences and the state of the world. The Opperhoofd Jan Cock Blomhoff (1779-1853) made his first journey to Edo in 1818. In addition to the official diary he kept during this journey, Blomhoff also maintained correspondence with his wife in Holland. This hitherto unpublished material is a major source of knowledge on Tokugawa Japan. It offers details about Blomhoff¹s travels and contains numerous references to the objects he acquired. Many of these pieces are reproduced in the book, along with other documents such as maps.

Mount Fuji has always stirred the imagination of artists. Many Japanese print artists, including some of the greatest like Hokusai and Hiroshige, have attempted to capture the spirit of this mountain in their designs. This book offers an overview of the many faces of Mount Fuji as seen through the eyes of such artists. The prints reproduced in Mount Fuji, sacred mountain of Japan are drawn from the holdings of Mr Martin Dorhout, a long-standing collector of Japanese prints. In the introduction Chris Uhlenbeck presents Mount Fuji to the reader through its mythology, early portrayal, pilgrimage history and its depiction in Japanese prints, in particular, the work of Hokusai and Hiroshige. The catalogue contains further chapters on Mount Fuji from the Tôkaido, Fuji and the Chûshingura drama, Fuji and poetry (surimono), Fuji seen from Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Fuji: the thirty-six views. Descriptions of more than one hundred prints have been compiled by Merel Molenaar. This English-language catalogue will accompany the exhibition Fujiyama - Mount Fuji in print to be held from 4 June to 10 September 2000 at the Groninger Museum in Groningen, the Netherlands.

Bridging the divide: 400 years The Netherlands-Japan represents the unique co-operation between Dutch and Japanese scholars in commemoration of the anniversary of four centuries of Dutch-Japanese bilateral relations this year. A sound, lavishly illustrated academic work, targeting a general, but well-informed, audience, this book is the most complete overview to date of the shared history between these two nations. The publication is divided into fifteen chapters written by eight Dutch and ten Japanese authors with approximately fifty vignettes contributed by specialists in the field.

The city of The Hague had been familiar with Japanese art and culturelong before Japan was discovered by the rest of Europe. One merchant in The Hague, Dirk Boer (1803-1877), was particularly taken with Japan. In the early 19th century he opened his shop ŒJapansch Magazijn¹ (ŒJapanese Repository¹), which he filled with exotic merchandise. He also introduced to the public a hitherto unknown Japan in his gallery ŒPanorama van Schilderijen en Kabinet van Zeldzaamheden¹ (ŒPanorama of Paintings and Cabinet of Curiosities¹). His second store, the ŒGroote Koninklijke Bazar¹ (ŒGrand Royal Bazaar¹), became a popular venue, with its fame extending far beyond the Netherlands. The catalogue Japansch Magazijn accompanies an exhibition of the same name to be held at the Haags Historisch Museum from 1 April to 2 July 2000. Marika Keblusek was guest curator for the exhibition Japansch Magazijn at the Haags Historisch Museum.