Itō, Yoshiji.
Atarashii Shitsunai Sōchi to Kagu (新しい室内装置と家具), (New Interior Design and Furniture).
Ōsaka, Kōjinsha Shōwa 9 [1934].
(2), 9, 482 pages, illustrated with a few drawings and 28 plates of photographs.
22,5 x 16 cm. Hardback with a green cover featuring a leather-like pattern and a mounted illustration, original slipcase.
The book was edited by Yoshitsugu Itō, with contributions from Yoshitaka Oguri. It is divided into several sections that explore the evolution of housing, providing an overview of the development of housing styles in Japan and Western Europe, detailed floor plan concepts, and the design and furnishings of individual rooms. Yoshitsugu Itō was an expert in interior architecture and furniture design during the early Shōwa period. He was not only active as an author but also taught at technical colleges (such as the Tokyo Higher School of Arts and Technology), which played a key role in introduing Western manufacturing techniques and aesthetics to Japan.
At first glance, the cover seems jarring for a book on interior design, but it is typical of the ‘Shōwa Modernism’ of the 1930s. The nude as a symbol of modernism. The use of nude photography was intended to signal a radical break with tradition. It stood for ‘liberation’, ‘naturalness’ and the ‘new human’. In the design community of the time, the human body was regarded as the ultimate measure of ergonomic furniture design.
Outside Japan, I can only locate one copy: Library of Congress, in the US.
The original slipcase is slightly stained and damaged at the edges; the book itself is in excellent condition.
Sachgebiete: Architektur, Avantgarde, Design, Möbel
22.04.2026 - 13:26
400,- EUR
Antiquariat Heinz ROHLMANN
