Sinologist Stephen Bushell Curator William (1 results)

Published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1909, this catalogue documents the celebrated Morgan Collection of Chinese porcelains, one of the most important early Western collections of Chinese ceramic art. Compiled by noted sinologist Stephen W. Bushell and curator William M. Laffan, the work provides detailed scholarly descriptions of form, glaze, decoration, and dynastic attribution, and remains a foundational reference in the study of Chinese ceramics. This is the second edition, issued without illustrations, as stated, and strictly limited to 500 copies. This copy carries exceptional and fully traceable provenance. It originates from the estate of Hans Froelicher (1877-1958), a Swiss diplomat and collector whose library included scholarly art and museum publications. Froelicher later became a controversial historical figure due to his diplomatic role as Swiss envoy in Berlin during the Second World War; however, this volume predates that period and reflects his earlier collecting activity. The book was presented by the Froelicher Estate to Goucher College Library, officially received on May 16, 1933, and later marked 'Withdrawn.' The volume has been professionally rebound by Charles Eliot (Baltimore, 1901) in blue cloth with gilt spine lettering. An important institutional-grade reference combining rarity, scholarship, and documented chain of custody. Stephen W. Bushell (1844-1908) was one of the most influential Western authorities on Chinese ceramics, serving as a physician-diplomat in China and producing foundational works in sinology. William M. Laffan (1866-1926) was closely associated with J. Pierpont Morgan and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, contributing significantly to the early cataloguing and scholarly presentation of Morgan's collections.