Japanese Bamboo Art: The Abbey Collection

Japanese Bamboo Art: The Abbey Collection is a Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin from spring 2017. It documents the Abbey Collection, a promised gift of seventy-one bamboo works to The Met by Diane and Arthur Abbey. This digital PDF edition is available for instant download.

Written by Monika Bincsik, assistant curator in the Department of Asian Art, the Bulletin explores the refined beauty and technical sophistication of Japanese bamboo art. Moroyama Masanori contributes an afterword on the contextual history of the Abbey Collection.

Book Overview

This museum art publication focuses on Japanese bamboo art in the field of Asian art. Japanese bamboo art has been little known in the West until recent years. This publication offers a comprehensive selection of works from a cultural tradition stretching back hundreds of years.

The Abbey Collection represents many notable bamboo masters, including all artists designated by the Japanese government as Living National Treasures. The volume accompanies the exhibition “Japanese Bamboo Art: The Abbey Collection,” on view beginning June 13 at The Met. It includes a director’s note by Thomas P. Campbell and places bamboo within Japanese culture, daily life, literature, and decorative arts.

What You’ll Discover Inside

• A detailed look at the Abbey Collection and its promised gift of seventy-one works to The Met.
• An introduction to notable Japanese bamboo masters, including Living National Treasures represented in the collection.
• Essays on bamboo in Japanese culture, from the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter to the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.
• Information on bamboo species and cultivation, including madake, the Japanese timber bamboo.
• Context on the growing Western appreciation of Japanese bamboo art and the collectors who preserve it.
• An afterword by Moroyama Masanori on the Abbey Collection’s contextual history.

Why This Book Matters

Japanese bamboo art combines refined beauty with technical sophistication. This Bulletin makes a significant collection accessible to members and visitors of The Met. It also documents a craft tradition that has only recently gained broader recognition in the West.

The Abbey Collection joins an earlier gift to The Met from Edward C. Moore, chief designer of Tiffany & Co. His 1891 bequest included nearly eighty bamboo baskets and other Japanese works. This publication helps preserve the record of both collecting moments.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital download, and no physical item will be shipped. Access is available immediately after purchase. The PDF works with tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and reading apps that support PDF files, including appropriate Kindle apps.

FAQ

How soon will I receive access? Access is available immediately after purchase.

Will I receive a physical copy? No. This is a digital download, and no physical shipping is involved.

Which devices are compatible? The PDF works with tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and reading apps that support PDF files.

This Bulletin offers a clear and thoughtful introduction to Japanese bamboo art. Download your copy today and explore the Abbey Collection.