The Art of Japan

Jacob Henry Schiff (1847–1920), a German-born American Jewish banker, facilitated critical loans for Japan in the early twentieth century. Working on behalf of the firm of Kuhn, Loeb & Co., Schiff’s assertiveness in favour of Japan separated him from his fellow German Jewish financiers and the banking establishment generally. This book’s analysis differs from the consensus that Schiff funded Japan largely out of enmity towards Russia but rather sought to work with Japan for over thirty years. This was as much a factor in his actions surrounding the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) as his concern to thwart Russian antisemitism. Of interest to financial historians alongside Japanese historians and academics of both genres, this book provides a lively and thoroughly researched volume that precisely focuses on Schiff’s mastery of banking.

This profusely illustrated book by an expert in the Japanese art of flower arrangement surveys many techniques, from ancient to modern. American writer Mary Averill (1866–1954) offers practical advice drawn from her direct experience of the importance of flowers to daily life in Japan. More than 80 drawings depict the finer details of choosing flowers, proper use of foliage, combining different varieties of flowers, and the symbolism involved.