CHINESE PORCELAIN With Notes by T. J. Larkin

2 volumes. Early Printing. With 485 black and white plates, primarily from photographs, illustrating nearly 900 objects, also with illustrations of potter's marks within text. Large 8vo, publisher's original black cloth gilt decorated and with stylized gilt lettering on both the upper covers and the spines. xxiv, 270; xxxiviii, 506 pp. A very fine and handsome set, the text exceptionally clean, the black cloth rich and dark with no fading, the gilt bright, very sharp with no wear or rubbing.

Edizione: a beautiful set of this definitive text by one of the greatest english collectors. william giuseppe gulland spent most of his life as a merchant in the east where he developed an interest in chinese porcelain. he was chairman of paterson, simons & co. from 1877-78 and served as a legislative council member of the government of singapore. in 1905 gulland presented to the victoria & albert museum 180 pieces of porcelain illustrative of the different kinds of glazes used by chinese factories. the remainder he bequeathed to the museum subject to the life interest of his wife, julia clementina.<br> when gulland died in 1906, his wife presented a large number of pieces in 1907 and the rest of the collection ? 526 pieces ? was transferred on her death in 1931.<br> this work is a fully illustrated handbook treating the subject technically from the earliest known specimens of the art down to the present day. gulland examines and explains how the apparently inconsequent decorations all have a deep mystical significance. in two respects gulland's work was pioneering; he was the first to draw general attention to the decorative cycle which porcelain shares with painting, wood-block printing and other arts of the 'middle kingdom' and for his intimate knowledge of the coast and hinterland of china and his deep understanding of both the art of the country and the land.<br> this important and useful work also contains a glossary, chronological table, list of marks, and an extensive index.