The Jane Carnegie Oriental Art Library

Kokka Internet Note
regarding the collation of the separate issues

 

The Kokka Magazine is a monthly periodical which has continued, with some breaks, from 1889 to the present. Each issue of the Kokka holds its own fascination as a work of art, with its distinctive cover and binding, its fine illustrations and its sense of continuity. The magazine provides an opportunity to study the changing nature of scholarship over the last century. Furthermore, the provenance of Chinese and Japanese paintings and other artworks, originally in private Japanese collections, can be traced from the many illustrations contained within the series. This collection of 662 issues from 1889 to 1988 includes those from the first decade of its publication.

Each issue has a number of articles, mostly by Japanese scholars, on Oriental art, history and architecture, with a strong emphasis on Buddhist art. Later issues have one or more chief articles together with short texts on a variety of subjects generally linked to the artworks illustrated in the plates. Occasionally a special issue is published on a single topic, to which all of the articles and plates within relate: in this collection there are 24 of these, each called a 'Special number'.

All issues of the Kokka were published and printed in Tokyo by Kokkasha. They include two types of binding: ribbon-tied and stitch-bound. The magazine mostly opens from right to left, with exceptions. For a time an English parallel or near-parallel edition was printed in Western format, opening from left to right, and stitch-bound with gilt-edges. In this collection there are 103 of these full English issues from 1905 to 1918. In some volumes in this collection the Japanese and full English editions alternate.

Kokka Magazine

The coloured cover designs are maintained through the twelve issues of a volume, which may span two calendar years. The exception to this is the English edition which retains the same cover design, although the ground colour changes for some volumes.

All Japanese issues contain a Japanese contents list for articles and plates. A French contents list is included in the English edition from 1908 to 1918. An English contents list is included in most Japanese issues after 1903.

Printed pagination is in Japanese numerals, and is sequential within the twelve issues of a volume between 1890 and 1962. Both sides of the plates were counted in the Japanese pagination by Kokka editors although the plates have no printed numerals. Pages containing the contents list and publisher details have been added to the pagination total for each issue in this collation.

From its inception in 1889 to shortly after World War II, most issues of the Kokka contain one or more original woodcuts, either bound in or tipped in. They are gradually phased out and the last woodcut in this chronological collection of the Kokka is in issue 964 (1973). Tissue interleaves are bound in adjacent to all plates, both woodcuts and collotypes, until 1905. After this they are bound in only with colour plates, woodcut or otherwise, and at this time printed text captions are added onto the interleaves.

Note
Visitors to The Library have the opportunity to view the entire database including that on the individual issues of the Kokka. However, the information regarding this collation will be provided only to the buyer of The Library.

 

Full Entries

Item
3004
Kokka Magazine 
Kokka: numbers 1 to 108

Tokyo, Kokkasha   1889-1898 
Illus, plates (col), tables, diags; 39x27cm   Japanese   Paper   Lacking 4 plates

The first 108 issues of a monthly periodical which has continued to the present day. The term "Kokka" translates as "flowers of the nation". All issues are in Japanese and each contain several woodcuts, collotypes and line drawings. This collection is a complete run from 1889 to 1898. Four issues lack a total of six plates and eight text pages: number four missing one woodcut and text pages numbered 1-4, and number 60 missing two woodcuts, one collotype and four text pages numbered 225-228, and numbers 80 and 103 each missing one woodcut. Many early issues have transliterations or translations written in ink or pencil. Editors: Yamamoto Rokusaburo (1889-1893), Ninomiya Tatsujiro (1893), Nagao Makitaro (1893-1894), Toyama Tomosaburo (1894-1904)
Item
4323
Kokka Magazine 
Kokka: numbers 112 to 530

Tokyo, Kokkasha   1899-1935 
Illus, plates (col), tables, diags; 39x27cm   Japanese   Paper

224 issues of a monthly periodical. Each issue has a number of articles, mostly by Japanese scholars, on Oriental art and architecture. All issues contain one or two woodcuts and a few collotypes and line drawings. Some issues contain an English contents list. This collection contains the following issues: nos 112-200 (1899-1907), 74; nos 201-298 (1907-1915), 87; nos 302-385 (1915-1922), 47; nos 421-486 (1925-1931), 15; no 530 (1935), 1
Item
4324
Kokka Magazine 
Kokka: numbers 659 to 981

Tokyo, Kokkasha   1947-1975 
Illus, plates (col), tables, diags; 39x27cm   Japanese   Paper

212 issues of a monthly periodical and one commemorative folder. Each issue has a number of articles, mostly by Japanese scholars, on Oriental art and architecture. The early issues of this group contain one or two woodcuts and a few collotypes and line drawings and other illustrations. Most issues contain an English contents list. This collection contains the following issues: nos 659-688 (1947-1949), 14; nos 715-800 (1951-1958), 61; nos 801-900 (1958-1967), 69; nos 901-981 (1967-1975), 68
Item
4325
Kokka Magazine 
Kokka: numbers 1001 to 1118

Tokyo, Kokkasha   1977-1988 
Illus, plates (col), tables, diags; 39x27cm   Japanese   Paper

118 issues of a monthly periodical. Each issue has a number of articles, mostly by Japanese scholars, on Oriental art and architecture. Each issue has an English contents list. This is a complete run from 1977-1988
Item
2154

Second
Collection
Kokka Magazine 
Kokka

Tokyo, Kokkasha   1902-1908 
Illus, plates (col), tables, diags; 39x27cm   Japanese   Paper

12 issues of a monthly periodical - issues numbered 187, 201-204, 206-212 - and the cover, contents list and one colour plate and one collotype from issue 143

 This image is taken from item 3105
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