Splendours of Japan

The Bodleian Library houses one of the oldest institutional collections of Japanese rare books and manuscripts in Europe, dating back to the first half of the seventeenth century.

Leading scholars and experts provide a tantalising glimpse into the collection's rich and multifaceted history, celebrating five centuries of collecting. Peter Kornicki investigates early encounters between England and Japan, explaining how Japanese books and manuscripts arrived in England from the archipelago in the seventeenth century. Melissa McCormick examines a narrative handscroll compared with other lavishly illuminated manuscripts, which she argues were produced for bridal dowry. Edward Kamens discusses deluxe poetry anthologies, which arrived at the Bodleian at the turn of the century. Marinita Stiglitz delves into the production and use of handmade paper, colour pigments and ink. Katja Triplett discusses the production of printed publications by the Jesuit Mission Press and Laura Moretti offers an overview of the thriving publishing market in Japan in the early modern and modern period.

Among the stunning items are richly painted handscrolls, the first Japanese books to arrive at the Bodleian in the seventeenth century, and the oldest trade agreement between England and Japan.