145
145
Isamu Noguchi monographs, eight
Isamu Noguchi monographs, eight
bound printed paper
estimate: $600–800
result: $4,064
provenance: Collection of James Zemaitis
This work will ship from Chicago, Illinois.
Complete Lot Details
Creative Art: A Magazine of Fine & Applied Art, Vol. 12, Number 1 Isamu Noguchi, Jan 1933. Provenance: Modernism 101, Baton Rouge. Cover photograph is “Head of a Japanese Girl” by Isamu Noguchi. Contents include Julien Levy’s 11-page article on Noguchi, the first significant essay on the artist. This was the first issue from the magazine’s second year as an independent American publication after breaking with “The Studio” of London.—JZ Wrappers lightly worn and soiled with mild spine roll and a chip to lower corner, but a very good copy.
Isamu Noguchi: A Sculptor’s World Isamu Noguchi, forward by Buckminster Fuller, Thames and Hudson, london, 1967. 259 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First edition. There have been numerous printings and editions of Noguchi’s seminal publication. This is a first edition suitable for serious book collectors.—JZ Minor wrinkles to top section of the jacket, extremely minor losses to top laminated layer of the jacket’s spine, minor sunning to the top of the jacket’s back cover, faint impressions of writing on the cover, minor foxing on one title page.
Noguchi’s Imaginary Landscape Martin Friedman, Walker Art Center, 1978. 90 pages, Softcover. First edition. Provenance: Weinberg Modern, New York. One of my all-time favorite front and back covers.—JZ Minor wear to the covers and spine, otherwise a fine copy.
Isamu Noguchi: Master Sculptor Valerie J. Fletcher, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and Whitney Museum of American Art, Scal, London, UK, 2005. 236 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First edition.
The Goodyear Table by Isamu Noguchi, Phillips, New York, 12/06/2014. Auction catalogue with essays by Dakin Hart and Oscar Humphries. Elegant and well-researched document of the $4.45 million record sale.—JZ
Isamu Noguchi Patent Holder: Designing the World of Tomorrow, The Noguchi Museum and Dr. M. T. Geoffrey Yeh Art Gallery, St. John’s University, 2015. 44 pages, Softcover. First edition exhibition catalog, curated by Dakin Hart and Michael Kirsch with essay by Deborah A.Goldberg. Overlooked, rarely seen, highly recommended.—JZ
Taking Shape: The Akari Light Sculptures of Isamu Noguchi, Wright, Chicago, 04/30/2023. The first in-depth study of Akari lights. Sophisticated connoisseurship, curated by Adam Edelsberg with essay by Glenn Adamson.—JZ
Isamu Noguchi and Modern Japanese Ceramics: A Close Embrace of the Earth Louise Allison, Bert Cort, Winther-Tamaki, University of California press, Berkeley, 2003. 219 pages, Hardcover with dustjacket. First edition.
Curated: The Library and Design
Collection of James Zemaitis
At the intersection of scholarship and connoisseurship lies Curated: The Design and Library of James Zemaitis—an offering that reflects a career spent exploring, documenting, and shaping the discourse around modern and contemporary design. This carefully assembled selection includes both a compelling group of design works and a rich library of publications that have guided and inspired James Zemaitis throughout his decades in the field.
As Director of Museum Relations at R & Company since 2016, James has played a central role in developing exhibitions and fostering institutional partnerships. His recent curatorial projects, including Born Too Tall: California Women Designers, Postwar to Postmodern, demonstrate a thoughtful and inclusive approach to design history. Prior to his time at R & Company, James held leadership positions at Sotheby’s and Phillips, producing over fifty design sales and helping shape the trajectory of the postwar and contemporary design market.
This collection reflects James’s deep engagement with the material and intellectual history of design. The included library—rich with foundational texts, rare catalogues, and scholarly references—provides a rare window into the ideas and research that have underpinned his work as a curator, advisor, and educator.
This auction brings together design and scholarship in a way that reflects a lifetime of passion and purpose. We are honored to invite collectors, curators, and enthusiasts alike to discover a collection shaped by insight, research, and enduring care.