Double faced mask, kpeli-yeha or kodoli-yehe. Wood and pigmentation.

TOLEDO, OHIO – The Toledo Museum of Art, thanks to 40 years of collecting by Molly and Walter Bareiss, holds more than 1,400 modern illustrated books dating from the 1850s through 2000.

Mr and Mrs Bareiss, who divide their time between Germany and Connecticut, generously donated the entire collection to the Toledo Museum of Art in 1984.

The Toledo Museum will open a major exhibition of these books entitled, “: The Molly and Walter Bareiss Collection of Modern Illustrated Books,” on February 14, which will run through May 11.

The exhibition will feature seven sections highlighting the diverse strengths of the collection: “The Book Beautiful,” features classic livres d’artistes; “A Publisher’s Vision” is a selection of books by Vollard, PAB and other key publishers; “Artist as Author” includes many contemporary artists’ books; “Inside/Out-side” examines books of different shapes, sizes and bindings; “The Authors” highlights important works of literature; “Scripts, Scores and Costumes” features the many illustrated works for theater and dance; and “Visual Poetry” looks at the artistry of type design.

The list of artists represented include such luminaries as Marc Chagall, Aristide Maillol, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Robert Motherwell, Robert Rausch-enberg and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Significant volumes include Parallèlement by Paul Verlaine and Pierre Bonnard, Die Gesänge des Maldoror by Georg Baselitz and comte de Lautréamont [Isadore Ducasse], and Dlia Golosa (For the Voice) by El Lissitzky and Vladimir Vladimirovich Maiakovsky.

The Toledo Museum of Art’s commitment to the collecting of rare books and manuscripts began with George W. Stevens, its first director. Shortly after the founding of the museum in 1901, Stevens established a noteworthy collection of inscriptions, manuscripts, incunabula, rare printed editions, and historic bindings.

In the 1970s, the museum significantly expanded its collection with the acquisition of a portion of George Wittenborn’s art book collection. In December 1984, Molly and Walter Bareiss donated their collection of modern illustrated books, propelling the museum into the role of resource for scholars, students and visitors.

In conjunction with the exhibition, a comprehensive catalog of the Bareiss Collection will be published.

Several programs will run in conjunction with the exhibition. For tickets, 419-243-7000 or 888-763-7486, or visit www.toledomuseum.org.

Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm; Friday, 10 am to 10 pm; Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm; closed Monday. The museum is at 2445 Monroe Street.