Eaglemania: Collecting Japanese Art in Gilded Age America

*Eaglemania* celebrates Boston College's mascot, a monumental Japanese bronze eagle, following its recent conservation and return to view. Donated in the 1950s by the estate of diplomat and collector Larz Anderson (1866-1937) and his wife, Isabel (1876-1948), the eagle recently received in-depth restoration that has revealed its fine detail, carefully modeled form, and excellent material construction. *Eaglemania* brings the history of this stunning object to life. It features new research on topics that contextualize the Boston College eagle, assembling articles that discuss various aspects of its Edo- and Meiji-period origins. These include the Andersons' acquisition of the eagle; the Boston College eagle seen in comparison with other exceptional Meiji eagle figures; the meanings of eagle depictions in the Edo and Meiji periods; and Japan's rise as a destination for American collectors, particularly of sculpture, in the Meiji period. Through its focus on eagle imagery, this study illuminates cross-cultural dynamics resulting from American collectors' fascination with traditional and contemporary Japanese arts and Japanese artists' adaptation to this market.