"The Mary Griggs Burke Collection, represented in this volume and in the exhibition it accompanies, is a testimony to the intensity and selectivity of Mrs. Burke's collecting, guided by a discerning eye, a deep affection for Japan, and an appreciation of the country's cultural heritage." "Long recognized as one of the finest collections of Japanese art in private hands, the Mary Griggs Burke Collection is the largest and most comprehensive outside Japan." "While it provides a historical overview of the development of Japanese art, the collection illustrates as well Japan's capacity to foster divergent artistic traditions both from other cultures and from those that reflect indigenous tastes. It also demonstrates the profound impact of Buddhism on Japanese culture, the tastes and values of the courtly and military elite, and the interests of patrons who range from Sinophile rulers and scholars to pleasure-seeking urbanites."--BOOK JACKET.

The Burke Collection of Japanese art is recognized worldwide as the most significant collection of Japanese art in private hands. This catalogue presents 168 masterpieces from the collection that date from the Protoliterate era (ca. 10,000 B.C.) through the Edo period (1615¿́¿1868), including handscrolls and hanging scrolls, woodblock prints, large screens, lacquerware, and ceramics. The text is written by the renowned scholar Miyeko Murase, the principal adviser to Mary Griggs Burke in the development of the collection. Murase presents Japanese art as an eloquent expression of Japanese culture; more than a record of an important exhibition, this stunning volume takes its place as a key resource for understanding and appreciating the art and culture of Japan. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website.