[Architecture. Japanese Imprints]

Wright, Frank Lloyd.  Kenchiku zuanshû.  Ausgeführte Bauten und Entwurfe von Frank Lloyd Wright (Wasmuth Portfolio).  Osaka: Sekizenkan Honkan, 5 March 1916



Unbound as issued (15 1/8 x 10 1/2 in.; 383 x 267 mm).  32 sepia plates of architectural drawings and plan by Wright, captioned in Japanese; plates on thin paper, some with small marginal defcts skillfully restored, 2 plates with little paper loss closed with japan paper, some plates tanned due to position of the portfolio flaps.  Text booklet, 8vo (8 3/4 x 6 in.; 222 x 153 mm).  Japanese text.  Publisher's green printed wrappers.  Publisher's gilt-lettered (in German) half leather-paper  portfolio, 4 ribbon ties, printed label affixed inside portfolio bearing the name Takeda; some minor wear,discoloration and paper loss all skillfuly restored.

Furanku Roido Raito to Goichi Takeda (Japonisme and Modern Architecture); Henshu Bijutsukan Fukuyama, 2007, pp. 80-1

Unbound as issued (15 1/8 x 10 1/2 in.; 383 x 267 mm). 32 sepia plates of architectural drawings and plan by Wright, captioned in Japanese; plates on thin paper, some with small marginal defcts skillfully restored, 2 plates with little paper losss closed with japan paper, some plates tanned due to position of the portfolio flaps. Text booklet, 8vo (8 3/4 x 6 in.; 222 x 153 mm). Japanese text. Publisher's green printed wrappers. Publisher's gilt-lettered (in German) half leather-paper portfolio, 4 ribbon ties, printed label affixed inside portfolio bearing the name Takeda; some minor wear,discoloration and paper loss all skillfuly restored.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The extremely rare first Japanese edition of Frank Lloyd Wright's Wasmuth Portfolio.  The Osaka edition was edited by Goichi Takeda (1872–1938).  Wright first met Takeds on his first visit to Japan in 1905, and the two became lifelong friends.  During Wright's 1913 visit to Japan, he gave Takeda a copy of the original Wasmuth Portfolio.  Takeda selected 32 plates from the German edition for the first Japanese edition.  Takeda studied in Europe and founded the department of architecture at Kyoto University.  He played an important role in the establishment of modern architecture in Japan and assisted Wright on several projects.

Scarce.  Only two copies this edition have been located in Japan and none outside Japan.  The two copies in Japan are both in institutions: the Faculty of Engineering at Kyoto University and the Institute of Industrial Science, Tokyo University.  A stamp on the inside of the portfolio indicates that this copy was intended as a sample.