Description
Original 1914 first edition of Bronzes from Ceylon, Chiefly in the Colombo Museum by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, issued as Memoirs of the Colombo Museum, Series A, No. 1. This scarce early Colombo Museum monograph is a serious large-format art reference devoted to Ceylonese / Sri Lankan bronze sculpture, with illustrated plates documenting Hindu figures, Buddhist figures, animal figures, and minor metal objects from the museum collection.
This is an important Coomaraswamy title for collectors of South Asian art, Sri Lankan / Ceylon history, Buddhist and Hindu sculpture, and early museum scholarship. The work is especially desirable as the 1914 original, distinct from later facsimile reprints, and includes visually appealing bronze sculpture plates such as Nataraja / Shiva.
This copy also has two notable provenance features: it is an ex-Yale School of the Fine Arts copy, with institutional stamp and catalog markings, and it bears the ownership signature of Jean Sulzberger on the front endpaper. The Sulzberger signature adds an appealing association/provenance angle to a book centered on South Asian art, religion, and museum scholarship.
Key features:
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Original 1914 first edition printed for the Colombo Museum in Ceylon
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By Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, a major scholar and interpreter of South Asian art
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Memoirs of the Colombo Museum, Series A, No. 1
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Large-format volume, approximately 12.25″ x 9.25″
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Illustrated with twenty-eight plates of Ceylonese / Sri Lankan bronzes
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Includes Hindu, Buddhist, animal, and minor metal object subjects
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Ex-Yale School of the Fine Arts copy with institutional stamp and catalog markings
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Ownership signature of Jean Sulzberger on the front endpaper
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Bound in brown institutional cloth with gilt spine title
Condition notes: later institutional cloth binding with rubbing, handling marks, light soiling/scuffing, bumped/rubbed corners, and wear at the spine ends. Ex-library / institutional markings are present, including the Yale School of the Fine Arts stamp and catalog/date markings. Interior shows age toning and normal handling wear. One tissue guard has a small tear. Binding appears intact, and the plates remain attractive with strong image detail.
A scarce, historically significant original Coomaraswamy art monograph with strong visual content and excellent institutional/provenance appeal. A desirable reference for collectors of Sri Lankan art, Ceylon history, South Asian bronze sculpture, Hindu and Buddhist iconography, and early 20th-century museum publications.
Please view all the photos for condition, completeness, and details.
