Chinese Jews: A Compilation of Matters Relating to the Jews of K'aifeng Fu.
by WHITE, William Charles
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Toronto: University of Toronto Press,, 1942. From the library of "Reform Judaism's pride, its boast, its most valued treasure" First edition, first printing, from the library of Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut and his wife, Elizabeth Strauss. The author served as Bishop of Henan and his ministry was headquartered in Kaifeng, the provincial capital, where he controversially took over the site of the former synagogue. William White (1873-1960), a Church Missionary Society pastor, began his service in Fujian in 1897. In 1909, he was consecrated bishop and tasked with starting the society's missionary enterprise in Henan. Over the next two decades, he purchased antiquities and artefacts for the Royal Ontario Museum, where he would later become Keeper of the Asiatic Collection. White's actions vis-à-vis Kaifeng's Jewish history divided opinion, and locals objected to his purchase of the synagogue site and his attempts to ship Jewish tablets back to Canada. Nonetheless, he helped compile a wealth of information on the history of the city's Jewish community, which found full expression in this monumental three-volume history. In 1934, he returned to Canada, taking a professorship of Chinese Studies at the University of Toronto. Provenance: Elizabeth and Guenther Plaut (1910-2003; 1912-2012), with their bookplate in each volume and their shelf location slip loosely inserted in the first volume. Wolf Gunther Plaut (also known as Guenther Plaut) served as rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto, for several decades, and his English-language commentary on the Torah represents a milestone in English-language religious scholarship. In 1999, he was described by Rabbi Alexander Schindler as "as a leader of his generation, arguably the most prominent rabbi of North American Jewry in the latter half of the 20th century. He was, and remains, Reform Judaism's pride, its boast, its most valued treasure" ("In Memorium"). In 1938, he married Elizabeth Strauss, a zoologist who later published on Jewish genealogy. Their archives and most of their sizeable library are held at the Leo Baeck Institute and York University, Toronto. Three volumes, quarto. Original brown buckram, spines lettered in gilt, top edges trimmed, others untrimmed. Each volume with 1 or more frontispieces, illustrations in text. Cloth lightly rubbed, gilt faded in places, some leaves unopened: a near-fine set. "In Memorium: Rabbi Gunther Plaut", York University, available online.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Peter Harrington (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 170564
- Title
- Chinese Jews:
- Author
- WHITE, William Charles
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Place of Publication
- Toronto: University of Toronto Press,
- Date Published
- 1942
- Note
- May be a multi-volume set and require additional postage.
Terms of Sale
Peter Harrington
All major credit cards are accepted. Both UK pounds and US dollars (exchange rate to be agreed) accepted. Books may be returned within 14 days of receipt for any reason, please notify first of returned goods.
About the Seller
Peter Harrington
Biblio member since 2006
London
About Peter Harrington
Since its establishment, Peter Harrington has specialised in sourcing, selling and buying the finest quality original first editions, signed, rare and antiquarian books, fine bindings and library sets. Peter Harrington first began selling rare books from the Chelsea Antiques Market on London's King's Road. For the past twenty years the business has been run by Pom Harrington, Peter's son.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Buckram
- A plain weave fabric normally made from cotton or linen which is stiffened with starch or other chemicals to cover the book...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
- Quarto
- The term quarto is used to describe a page or book size. A printed sheet is made with four pages of text on each side, and the...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...