An interview with Rare Oriental Book Company, ABAA, ILAB - AN ART AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COMPANY

Biblio checks in with Rare Oriental Book Company, ABAA, ILAB - AN ART AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COMPANY to learn more about their book business, collecting interests and more! To view and shop their inventory, click here.

When did you get started in bookselling?

I established the RARE ORIENTAL BOOK CO., ABAA, ILAB., 1967

What drew you to bookselling?

I was an academic for several years in the Asian specialty, with a focus on Japan, China and Southeast Asian arts, history and culture. I studied in Japan and Taiwan, therefore i had a natural tendency to the literature of these areas and cultures. I read and collected a lot of books concerning these subjects and therefore had a need to weed out books that were not currently needed any more. Book selling became a way to exchange items.

Did you have any mentors in becoming a bookseller?

While at U.C.L.A., as an under graduate and graduate student I had won the University student library contests several times, in both under graduate and graduate levels. I am the last winner of the "Best Student Library in America" contest otherwise known as the "Amy Loveman Award," it was discontinued just after I won . I was encouraged by by the University Librarian, Dr. Moore and several other friendly librarians to enter the national contest. That award came to U.C.L.A. and impressed several librarians. After winning, my collection of Lafcadio Hearn books and manuscripts were displayed in the U.C.L.A. Research Library, and I became the "darling" of the U.C.L.A. libraries.

What are your specialties as a dealer?

Being a specialist and academic, I studied in Japan for two years at Tokyo University, and in Taiwan for one year. That experience assisted me in becoming fluent in Japanese & Chinese. With frequent trips to all of those countries in the Far East over the past 50 years, has contributed to my interests in Asia. My natural tendency has been to deal in original materials in these areas. Having solid language skills and extensive exposure to these areas and cultures, i speak, read, write Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese naturally gives me access to a variety of resources that assist me in building knowledge and inventory. Of course I also deal in materials in most any language. I am focused now on books, photos, maps and other materials about all aspects of Japan, China, Korea, S.E. Asia: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, Borneo, Malaya, Tibet, Mongolia, Central Asia and the whole of the Far Eastern & Southeast Asian areas. Specific subjects of strength are in the arts, fine arts, painting, ceramics, jade, lacquer, woodblock printing, history, social science, ethnography, primary travel accounts, rare and early books, maps, biographies/autobiographies, monographs and Japanese & Chinese woodblock printed and illustrated books [E-hon], and most anything fascinating from and about these cultures. There are no limits to what I like to buy.

What's the most amazing book you've ever sold?

I have been fortunate to acquire and purchase many famous libraries during my 50 year tenure. From among those gems, perhaps one rarest & most important, and surely the earliest item I have sold, was the HYAKUMANTO DHARANI: BUDDHIST INVOCATIONS OR MAGIC CHARM. THE WORLD'S OLDEST VERIFIABLE EXAMPLE OF BLOCK PRINTING. This is an exceptionally rare set of four variant scrolls printed in Nara in the year of 764-770 A.D, by the the Empress Shotoku. Although its is said she printed 1,000,000 of these scrolls, less than 1600 individual scrolls remained in 1955, the others lost to fire, attrition and natural disaster. There is no record of any institution holding all four variants, though several places have one or two examples none have the complete set of four variants. It was my distinct pleasure to acquire these, along with their wooden pagoda containers, and place them with our client.

What is your favorite part of being a bookseller?

Visiting libraries and viewing their rarities is surely on the top of the list. Additionally, the excitement of visiting and sometimes buying personal libraries of famous collectors has no equal.

Do you have an open storefront or have you in the past?

I have never had a brick and mortar establishment. I have always maintained a private library and art gallery, which is not open to the public. I entertain invited visitors only.

If so, do/did you have any bookstore pets?

A few silverfish and moths are among some of the uninvited, but we have managed to extinguish their appetite for our books !

What is the funniest / strangest / scariest thing that ever happened in your store?

The great earthquake of 1989 was a stunning event. We are located less than a mile from the epicenter. Some 25, 000 volumes fell off the shelves into a large heap ! I learned to never place my large folios on the top of book shelves. Luckily, there was actually very little damage to our books, but our teak book cases needed some assistance once it was all over. All book shelves are attached now firmly to the walls and to each other in preparation for the next big one !

What is your favorite bookshop (other than your own)?

I have always loved several eclectic book stores around the world. Moe's in Berkeley has remained one of my favorites, I have been going there and knew Moe since the mid 1960's. In the UK, Quaritch, Dawson's [gone now !], and a few others, a wide variety of others in Europe, Japan, China & Korea have always been fun. New York used to have great stores, most are gone now, but Strand is still fun.

What do you personally like to read? Collect?

I have been reading non-fiction most of my life. Being a disabled vet, I currently like Tom Clancy and his ilk.

What's your favorite book you personally own? Would you sell it, if the price were right?

Francis GARNIER's: VOYAGE D'EXPLORATION EN INDO-CHINE, and a few of the other early 17th century European books on Japan, China and Indo-China are among my favorites. There are also several other items in Chinese & Japanese I adore in my "collection privée."

What one book would you buy if price were no object?

There are several ! Aurel Stein and that genre, and some of the 15-16th century items are at the top of the list.