[Travel]. Kurata, Saburo

Barukan Sobyo [Balkan Sketches]

Osaka: 1956. [4],270,[1]pp. plus plates. Black cloth stamped in blind and white; original dust jacket. Jacket with some chipping and wear, a few tears reinforced with tape on verso. Authorial presentation inscription on front flyleaf. Internally clean. Very good. Item #6271

A rare Japanese travelogue to Yugoslavia in 1954, written and illustrated by the renowned painter Saburo Kurata. This copy features a manuscript dedication by the author to Tsuneko Kondo Kawase, a Ljubljana-based Japanese female collector, art promotor and intellectual. Kawase, who was also known by her Christian name, Marija Skušek, was recognized as a pioneering ambassador of Japanese culture in Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became the first communist country to formalize diplomatic relations with Japan. The two countries reestablished their bilateral relations in 1952, and Japan opened its representation in Belgrade that same year. This partnership was elevated to the level of embassies from both sides in 1957. In 1954, a renowned Japanese artist, Saburo Kurata (1902-1992), was invited by the Yugoslav government to visit the country and give lectures on Japanese art. During his stay, which lasted over a hundred days, Kurata traveled throughout Yugoslavia, resulting in the present work. This richly illustrated book is not a typical travelogue; rather, it offers an experience seen through the eyes of a Japanese artist experiencing post-war Balkan Communist culture and the role of art. Saburo Kurata created dozens, if not hundreds, of sketches during his travels in Yugoslavia, many of which were included in the book.

He was pleasantly surprised by the strong appreciation for art in Yugoslavia, where the government invested significant funds in exhibitions and the founding of museums and libraries. Kurata was particularly excited by the promotion of children’s art, which was nearly unknown in Japan at the time. He also described the perceptions of Japanese art and traditional artwork in Yugoslavia. In December 1954, he traveled to Ljubljana and was thrilled to discover that Japanese culture was well known there, largely due to a Japanese woman named Tsuneko Kondo Kawase, who had married a Slovenian officer Ivan Skušek. Kurata was delighted to meet a fellow countrywoman, as she assisted him in arranging his exhibition, introduced him to high society art circles, invited him to a Christmas party, and made him miso soup. Shortly after publishing his travelogue in early June, 1956, Saburo Kurata sent Tsuneko a copy of the book with a personal dedication on the first page, in appreciation of their friendship and her help. An extraordinary association copy of this rare work. We locate two copies in OCLC, both held in Japanese institutions.

Price: $3,750.00