THE EXTREMELY RARE 'ORIENTAL CERAMIC ART. COLLECTION OF W.T. WALTERS' BY S.W. BUSHELL, TEN VOLUMES PRINTED IN 1896, NEW YORK, BY D. APPLETON & CO. NUMBER 42 OF 500

with five original green cloth protective covers holding two volumes, each volume bound in yellow cloth and backed with yellow silk, featuring full-page chromolithographic plates by Louis Prang and black and white illustrations, featuring comprehensive discussions on Asian ceramics, focusing primarily on Chinese Imperial and export wares (10)

William Thompson Walters (1820-1894) was a celebrated devotee of art. He was appointed Art Commissioner from the United States to the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 and 1878, and to the Vienna exposition in 1873. According to his obituary in The New York Times 'his collection of Oriental porcelains and ceramics, numbering 3,000 or more pieces of exquisite beauty, is marvelous.'

Considered a highlight in the history of American 19th century printing, this most rare of books was written and compiled by Stephen Wootton Bushell (1844-1908), a physician to the British legation in Beijing who was also a ceramicist and author of many books on this subject.

The intention of publishing 500 editions was probably never realised. More likely, it is estimated that the actual count is around 200 editions. The print production started in 1879 and it required more than 15 years to complete. The majority of the copies were given to major institutions, heads of state and friends of the collector. Thus, they were rarely on the market and to this day are considered among the most coveted books on Chinese ceramics.