WELCOME TO CATALOGUE 40A
JAPAN AND EAST ASIA
RECENT ARRIVALS

19 ARTICLES ‑ LINGUISTICS, ANTHROPOLOGY, ARCHAEOLOGY, SCIENCE

55. [EAST ASIA]  NOUVEAU JOURNAL ASIATIQUE, OU RECUEIL DE MÉMOIRES, D'EXTRAITS ET DE NOTICES RELATIFS A L'HISTOIRE, A LA PHILOSOPHIE, AUX LANGUES ET A LA LITTÉRATURE DES PEUPLES ORIENTAUX ... TOME VIII. Paris: (published for the Société Asiatique) Par Autorisation de M. Le Garde des Sceaux, a l'Imprimerie Royale, 1831. 544 pp. Juillet 1831 - Decembre 1831. 8vo., quarter brown calf with gilt rules and spine lettering, brown marbled paper covered boards. Marbled edges, plain endpapers. Light to moderate foxing within. Includes:
Jacquet: Mélanges malays, javanais et polynésiens - Notice sur l'alphabet Yloc ou Ylog
Colonel Tod: Géographie du Radjast'han
Garcin de Tassy: Mémoire sur quelques particularités de la religion musulmane dans l'Inde, d'après les ouvrages hindoustani
- ?: Anciennes cérémonies du mariage en Géorgie
P. Hippolyte Desideri: Notes sur le Tubet (KL)
Lamare-Picot (E. Burnouf): Rapport sur la collection d'antiquités indiennes
Pauthier: Lettre ... relativement à un article sur son Mémoire sur la doctrine du Tao
Klaproth: Lettre ... au Rédacteur
Reinaud: De la Gazette arabe et turque imprimée en Égypte
Carmoly: Tour du Monde, ou Voyages du rabbin Péthachia de Ratsibonne, dans le XIIe siècle, traduit de l'hebreu
Reinaud: Notice des ouvrages arabes, persans et turcs imprimés en Égypte
Jacquet: Notice sur une médaille mongole de Ghazan-khan, traduite de l'allemand
Jacquet: Etymologie du nom de Ziagatara, que les Japonais donnent à l'Europe
Klaproth: Seconde lettre au Rédacteur
Chézy: Notes et corrections supplémentaires por l'édition in-4o du drame indien de Calidasa, intitulé la Reconnaissance de Sacountala
Klaproth: Notice et explication des inscriptions de Bolghari
Saint-Martin: Note sur les inscriptions arméniennes de Bolghari
Abel-Rémusat: Observations sur l'ouvrage de M. Schmidt, intitulé Histoire des Mongols orientaux
- ?: Extrait d'un manuscrit inédit intitulé Religions des Malabars
and Critique Littéraire:
Klaproth: Note sur le catéchisme chinois intitulé Thian chin hoei kho. $475.00

CLASSIC OF EAST ASIAN TECHNOLOGY

56. [EAST ASIAN TECHNOLOGY].  SUNG Ying-hsing.  TENKÔ KAIBUTSU  [T'IEN-KUNG K'AI-WU]. Ôsaka & Edo, Kawachiya Mohachi, Kashiwabaraya Saheii & Yamazaki Kimbei, Meiwa 8 [1771]. 9 volumes in three. This Japanese edition of the Ming era classic of Chinese technology was the earliest version by far available until the postwar period when a single copy of the original edition of 1637 was finally located. (See the translator's preface to the English translation: CHINESE TECHNOLOGY IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, Dover Pub., 1966, for more) Ours is a remarkably clean copy of the Japanese edition, which, as it turns out, retained the elegant simplicity of the original Ming illustrations, which it captured faithfully. The Chinese text is printed with the diacriticals which make it possible to read in classical Japanese and there is a brief Japanese language preface. In the original binding, fukuro-toji, with remains of the original printed paper title labels. With a nice early clasped chitsu. Good impression, very good condition copy of this classic text in the history of technology. $7,850.00

57. [EHON - BIRDS & FLOWERS] [Nakayama SÛGAKUDÔ].  Shasei SHIJÛ‑HACHI TAKA GAJÔ. Tokyo, et al., Hakubunsha, 1888. 35.8 x 23.4 cm. Orihon folding album, in cloth-covered boards with printed paper title label, of 48 color woodcut images of birds and flowers after designs done by Sûgakudô, an important student of Hiroshige, for a series of prints printed circa 1860. This set from recut blocks was printed under the supervision of Nagao Keihitsu, for the publishing house Hakubunsha. Clearly, the same team of skilled engravers and printers who had worked on Taki Katei's album of birds, done the same year for Hakubunsha, worked on this album as well. The images are titled in both English and Japanese. The printing is exquisite, the colors lovely, in excellent impression and condition. Former owner's stamp on the front cover, brief title on the rear cover. Complete, as issued. Very scarce and lovely work. $4,750.00

ANTI-WAR SATIRE

59. [EHON] Itô Chûta.  ASHURA CHÔ  Dai Go‑kan. Tokyo: Kokusui Shuppansha, (Arata Eisuke), Taishô 10 [1921]. 5 volumes complete. Bound in printed cloth over [25.6 x 21.4 cm] boards with thongs. Entitled (roughly) "Demon Sketchbook". The Asuras of the title are the warrior gods of Indian religion, condemned to constant strife. The book is a deeply bitter and ironic look at the politics and social scene of the World War I era, not only in Japan itself, but around the world. As such it is an amazing slice of life during and after the world war from the unique perspective of a Japanese humanist given to Swiftian excess. The author (and illustrator), Itô Chûta, was an architect and gifted caricaturist. The printer/publisher was a bit of an ironist himself, as the closing note mentions that his "National Purity Publications" ["Kokusui Shuppansha"] did not quite embody the usual "National Purity" which was being bruited about. Obviously this work is a product of Taishô liberalism. Ten or so years earlier or later, it would have never reached the light of day in a less tolerant political atmosphere.  

There are 500 pages of plates, each is one-half color woodcut caricature and one-half wry commentary in a combination of letterpress and woodcut calligraphy. Well-printed and interesting, the full set of 500 plates in five volumes - with the original clasped cases - is quite a find, as one only occasionally finds even odd volumes. The cases are a bit chipped, the outer boxes very unusual, the contents are quite clean, in very good overall condition. $2,950.00

60. [EHON] KAWANABE Kyôsai.  GYÔSAI HYAKKI GADAN. Orihon folding album, 21.8 x 12.1 cm. Printed paper title label. The title page credits Shûeidô of Tokyo as publisher in 1890. This is the saihan reprint from 1895, released by Okura Magobei, et al. This remarkable work captures the spirit of Gyôsai's grotesquerie perfectly - page after page of imagination and visual panache. There are 24 1/2 double page images of an avalanche of demons - the folded doubles are styled as a continuous scroll, one image following and continuing the last. Wonderful.

This work is unaccountably scarce in the marketplace, the first we have seen in many years. This copy is in good impression and very good condition. Complete, as issued. See Hillier's description in his 2 volume compendium, pp. 941, 942 & 944. Also see Timothy Clark's DEMON OF PAINTING, p.65. In a nice hinged kiriwood box.  SOLD

61. [EHON] [Ki Baitei, artist].  KYÛRÔ GAFU 2 vols.. Tôto [Edo], (Kansei 9) 1797. 26.5 x 18.2 cm String-bound Japanese style fukuro-toji. Original grey blindstamped covers and printed title labels. Resembles the copy "c" in Mitchell at p. 403 for the presence of 64 single page images in sumi, (a greater number of images than the first edition with poems, the poems being omitted and images added in all subsequent editions, including this one) the 2 pp. preface and Ryuga afterword with the date of 1797. There is no colophon, neither are there ads, but there is a title page identifying the publisher (unread) as being from Tôto [Edo], despite the fact that all the other editions we could find reference to were published in Kyôto. So, an interesting edition and a lovely copy - near fine condition and a very good printing overall. In a custom clasped chitsu case. Baitei [1734-1810] was one of the most eminent of Buson's students and this book is probably his finest - dynamic, fresh and understated all at the same time. An unusual book in the marketplace nowadays.  SOLD

62. [EHON] Maki BOKUSEN, artist.  KYÔGA‑EN  Shohen. [Nagoya] Tôhekidô [Eirakuya Tôshiro] Orange blind-patterned covers with printed paper title label. String-bound Japanese-style, fukuro-toji. 22.7 x 15.8 cm., Originally published in the early 1800's in Nagoya, this edition from the original blocks was done most probably in the 1870's. The Forrer ad designation is G-47. A similar copy appears at Mitchell p.385. The artist was a student of Hokusai's who is said to have contributed many designs to the MANGA. The color designs of "MAD DRAWINGS" herein range from the fanciful and fun to the grotesque and scatological. Good impressions and colors, good condition. A quite unusual work. SOLD

64. [EHON] TAGAWA Shundo, edit. & KURATA Tôgaku, artist.  GAIBAN YÔBÔ ZUGA. [Edo] Ansei 2 [1855]. String-bound Japanese-style, fukuro-toji, with original covers and printed title labels, 2 vols., complete. 18.2 X 25.2 cm. One double page woodcut color printed hemispherical map of the world, and 43 (of 44 full) page color prints of people from all over the world - portrayed in somewhat fanciful native costume, largely in pairs, male and female. Each portrait has explanatory text on the facing page. Fascinating and unusual Japanese view of the human race at the time of Perry's arrival. [Kerlen 422 for 1854 edition; KSSM II 41-3] Very good impressions and colors, nicely restored. In custom clapsed chitsu folding case.  SOLD

65. [EHON] Takeuchi Seihô, artist.  SEIHÔ-GA HAKU HITSU JÛNISHI JO. n.p., n.p., n.d. [Kyoto & Tokyo: Yamada Unsôdô, c. 1910-1912] 37.4 x 25.5 cm Orihon folding album of 12 full page color woodblocks. In stiff paper over board covers with a printed paper title label. A clean copy in which the tiger and ox prints have paper repairs. A few worm holes. Good impressions and colors. This set of double oban size prints (with center fold) of the 12 animals of the Zodiac represents one of the scarcest and most desirable of all 20th century ehon. Takeuchi Seihô was a genius and his collaboration with Unsôdô a triumph. Mitchell did not see a copy but relied on the Ryerson description, Hillier did not see a copy. [Mitchell, p.464; Ryerson, p.428; Brown p.202]  $2,250.00

66. [EHON] Taniguchi Gesso, artist.  HAIKAI HYAKU GASAN  2 vols. 26.6 x 19.5 cm. Ribbon-bound, Japanese-style, fukuro-toji, Decorated paper covers, printed paper title labels. Nicely printed in sumi and colors,after designs by Gesso (1774-1865) with 100 lovely little Shijô style vignettes as counterpoint to a series of haikai and 3 additional color woodcuts of the editor and the poets. This is a Meiji reprint of the edition found at pp. 279-80 of Mitchell. Done in Wakayama, as was the original, it is a very uncommon work. Very nice copy. Complete. $950.00

67. [EHON] YAMASHIRO MEISHO FÛGETSU SHÛ. Kyoto, Torii Matashichi, Meiji 18 [1885]. 2 vols., complete, 26 X 17 cm. Yellow blindstamped pattern covers, printed paper title labels, string-bound Japanese-style, fukuro toji. Based on a reworking of the blocks from the 1861 work, TAMA HIROI, here with different preliminaries and finals, different haiku poems and reordered images with additions. Hence, not a reprint but a recreation of that late Edo era masterpiece, brought forward into Meiji. Very good condition, impressions, color. Complete. See Mitchell 551-2. $1,600.00

68. FICKE, Arthur Davison.  TWELVE JAPANESE PAINTERS. Chicago: Ralph Fletcher Seymour Co./The Alderbrink Press (1913). One of 250 copies, of which 100 were for sale. Cover designed by Frederick W. Gookin with his initials stamped on front board to right of iris design. 49 pp. 8vo., dark yellow cloth stamped in gilt, white and blind. Moderate shelfwear to bottom of rear board and spine heel and crown. Spine darkened. Two personal bookplates to front pastedown, pencil gift inscription to front flyleaf, faint pencil notations to rear endpapers. Reflections in verse on twelve ukiyo-e painters. Text lightly toned at edges. Very good overall. $145.00

71. GETZ, John.  HAND‑BOOK OF A COLLECTION OF CHINESE PORCELAINS LOANED BY JAMES A. GARLAND. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1895. First edition. 56 pp. + numerous b/w plates, complete (Cases 1-23) 8vo., grey cloth, beveled boards stamped in silver and blind. Minor shelfwear to boards, spine slightly dulled. Gilt/green floral endpapers. Interior clean and tight. B/w photo reproduction plates. Arranged in sequence of cases in the exhibit. Near fine.  $40.00

PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE