264 wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox: potter Edmund de Waal was entranced when he first encountered the collection in the Tokyo apartment of his great uncle Iggie. Later, when Edmund inherited the 'netsuke', they unlocked a story far larger than he could ever have imagined... The Ephrussis came from Odessa, and at one time were the largest grain exporters in the world; in the 1870s, Charles Ephrussi was part of a wealthy new generation settling in Paris. Marcel Proust was briefly his secretary ...
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264 wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox: potter Edmund de Waal was entranced when he first encountered the collection in the Tokyo apartment of his great uncle Iggie. Later, when Edmund inherited the 'netsuke', they unlocked a story far larger than he could ever have imagined... The Ephrussis came from Odessa, and at one time were the largest grain exporters in the world; in the 1870s, Charles Ephrussi was part of a wealthy new generation settling in Paris. Marcel Proust was briefly his secretary and used Charles as the model for the aesthete Swann in Remembrance of Things Past. Charles's passion was collecting; the netsuke, bought when Japanese objets were all the rage in the salons, were sent as a wedding present to his banker cousin in Vienna. Later, three children - including a young Ignace - would play with the netsuke as history reverberated around them. The Anschluss and Second World War swept the Ephrussis to the brink of oblivion. Almost all that remained of their vast empire was the netsuke collection, smuggled out of the huge Viennese palace (then occupied by Hitler's theorist on the 'Jewish Question'), one piece at a time, in the pocket of a loyal maid - and hidden in a straw mattress. In this stunningly original memoir, Edmund de Waal travels the world to stand in the great buildings his forebears once inhabited. He traces the network of a remarkable family against the backdrop of a tumultuous century. And, in prose as elegant and precise as the netsuke themselves, he tells the story of a unique collection which passed from hand to hand - and which, in a twist of fate, found its way home to Japan.
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Very Good. . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
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Seller's Description:
Good. All pages and cover are intact. Possible slightly loose binding, minor highlighting and marginalia, cocked spine or torn dust jacket. Maybe an ex-library copy and not include the accompanying CDs, access codes or other supplemental materials.
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Seller's Description:
Good-This Paper Back Book is in good overall condition. The covers are intact with some slight wear. The dust jacket, if applicable, is intact with some slight wear. The spine has creasing. Pages may include notes, folds and highlighting. The "Head", "Tail" and "Fore-Edge" may have markings and/or spots. Thanks for supporting our Mission at Goodwill.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Pages are clean with normal wear. May have limited markings &/or highlighting within pages &/or cover. Includes dustjacket, if applicable. May have some wear & creases on the cover. The spine may also have minor wear. Does not come with CD/DVD, if applicable. Access code has been used, if applicable. Does not come with any supplementary materials. Fast Shipping-Safe and Secure Packaging!
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Seller's Description:
The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.
Excellent, riveting book, a little slow at the beginning but then you can't put it down.
carol w
Oct 18, 2012
pictures worth thousands of words
A wonderful page-turning historical story, newly illuminated by masses of photos and maps and documents. I don't own two copies of many books, but this duplicate is so worth it!
Susan G
May 3, 2012
More than biography
The author traces his inheritance of a netsuke collection back to the ancestor who first acquired it. In so doing he tells us of the lives of those who have owned it, and of the times and places in which they lived. The collection amazingly survived even a Nazi incursion into the very house where they were displayed, though much else was destroyed; it was preserved by a German woman who was loyal to this Jewish family.
bleakbird
Dec 1, 2011
My favorite book this year!
This is fascinating, beautifully written and sensitively observed. I am giving it to those I love the most.
Reginald R
Jul 8, 2011
Art & history
This is not jjust all about netsuke, a collection of which the author has inherited, but an excellent historical narrative, after a Parisian episode, of what life was like in Austria, and Vienna in particular, before and after the dissolution and dismemberment in 1918-19 of th Austro-Hungarian Empire, and later, in 1938-39, of the Nazi political, cultural and economic takeover of the country. The Jewish predicament during all these dramatic happenings is espeacially well presented.
