Collection P. Barboutau, V. 1

Collection P. Barboudau - volume 1 Cover
Adoption Amount: $1,300
Category: Preserve for the Future
Location: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Library

Collection P. Barboutau : peintures, estampes et objets d'art du Japon. 1904 June 3., v. 1

Paris : Hotel Drouot, 1904.

This is volume one of a two-volume catalog of the Japanese art collection of Pierre Barboutau (1862-1916) auctioned off on June 3, 1904 in Paris. Barboutau was one of the great 19th century collectors in France and this catalog has become a highly important reference for Japanese prints, paintings, inro, netsuke and works of art. The catalog includes introductions written by Arsene Alexandre (1859-1937) and Pierre Barboutau, followed by collotype plates of the art objects and descriptions of the artists. This particular copy of the auction catalog, number 510 of 1,000 copies printed with the original floral patterned wrappers, was owned by Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), founder of the Freer Gallery of Art. There are two paintings in this volume that were purchased by Freer and are now in the collection of the Freer Gallery of Art. One was a six-panel screen showing a dragon and tiger dated to the Momoyama or Edo period (17th century) (F1904.363). The other painting is a hanging scroll of the Edo period (1615-1868) (F1904.120)

Condition and Treatment: 

This is a folio sized paper bound volume with decorative covers. This is volume one of a two volume set. The covers, made from heavyweight, embossed paper are decorated with a floral print. The front cover has detached and the spine is detaching with areas of loss. The sewing is failing with the first section detached. Conservators will remove and repair the cover, re-attaching the spine. The sections will be separated, the glue on the spine cleaned and the sections re-sewn. After re-sewing the text will be re-cased into the repaired cover. A protective enclosure will be made for this fragile item.

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