"The Kamei Collection dates back to the Meji period (1868-1912) when it was started by Count Koreaki Kamei, heir to the old Tsuwano Clan of Japan. The Count, who was studying art history and aesthetics in Germany, originally gathered the pieces to serve as reference materials. This comprehensive collection is comprised of over 16,000 examples of 19th Century European dyeing, weaving, wallpaper, and design patterns for textiles that have all but disappeared today...Selected pieces from this collection have now been compiled into two volumes: volume I deals with dyeing, weaving, and wallpaper, and volume II with design." -- front matter