Japanese Ex-Libris Stamps

Hosted at the National Diet Library of Japan (that's diet as in legislature), the Japanese Ex-Libris Stamps exhibition is a well curated sample of thirty ex-libris marks culled from the 7.7 million items owned by the library. The stamps are analyzed from the prospective of provenance, but they do offer an interesting view of readership as well. As the site's introduction says with wonderful hyperbole, "by looking at the design and text of an ex-libris stamp, we can grasp the spirit of the book lover in the deepest reaches of the owner's heart." There are some really lovely, and sometimes strange stamps here. The Kamono Mabuchi on the left is my favorite.


Selection Decisions

The owners have been chosen for their historical interest and curiosity. There are several important feudal lords and samurai represented, but also interesting characters such as an Astronomer punished for helping a Dutch visitor smuggle maps out of the country (a serious offence), an 'enlightened' artist who committed suicide over government suppression, a British expat and book-collector, etc.

Metadata

There's a fair amount of metadata about each owner and stamp. For the stamp itself, we get sizes, character translations, and information on variants. For the owner, we get various forms of name, occupation, a short bio, and often other historically relevant information, as well as some information about the collection marked with the stamp. Throughout the exhibit there is also a good amount of information on the history and characteristics of (Japanese) ex-libris stamps in general.

Object Characteristics

The stamps themselves are represented in just one size. They are clear (and sort of striking in their well-reproduced regal vermilion), but often somewhat small and feel cluttered by the text on the page. A larger, separate image should be linked to, which would make study and simple appreciation much easier.

Audience

This exhibit is certainly intended for a general audience who are unfamiliar with the subject. As such, I think it's very successful. I was engaged throughout and did find myself pouring over the images longer than I'd imagined I might.