BARNETT, Percy Neville.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Souvenir of Glimpses at Ukiyo-ye and Nishiki-ye: Brocade Prints of Japan. First signed limited edition, number 15 of 50 copies signed and numbered by the author, stamped with his red seal, and illustrated with six beautiful Japanese woodblock prints, including three of the author's specially carved bookplates. Barnett issued two signed limited editions of this title in 1942-43; the first is preferred for having two more prints than the second.Percy Neville Barnett (1891-1953) devoted the first half of his life to the study of bookplates, publishing several limited editions on the subject. In the 1930s, he turned his attention to Japanese woodblock printing. In 1940 and 1941, he published two lengthy works on the subject - Glimpses of Ukiyo-e and Glimpses of Nishiki-ye - but wartime restrictions confined the editions to 11 and 15 copies only. Barnett produced this Souvenir as a taster for other friends and acquaintances.While an homage, the Souvenir is in itself a work of art and displays the high standard for which Barnett's works are known. "A perfectionist at a time when the second-rate satisfied many people, Barnett chose the best materials available: he procured type-fonts from Germany, used hand-made paper, and imported vellum from England, board from Scotland, silk from China and brocade from Japan" (ANB).

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