1837. [MEISHOKI]. NIKKÔ SANSHI, 5 vols. Edo, Tempo 8 [1837]. 25.7 x 18.3 cm., With original covers, though they are not the light blue covers called for at Mitchell 436, but rather grey covers with a blind-printed pattern of floral roundels. A fresh and clean copy in good impression (perhaps... More
1949. SEKINO Jun'ichirô, artist. KOJIKI EMAKI. Tôkyô, Sei-en-sô, Shôwa 24 [1949]. Printed "hors commerce" #33 in an edition of 120 copies, signed by Sekino. A large (36 x 30 cm) kappa-ban, color stencil-printed volume in stencil-printed boards, bound fukuro-toji but with Western-style spine. A rendition of the early histories embodied... More
1970. [CREATIVE PRINT MOVEMENT] KANAMORI Yoshio. KOZAN. Nihon Aishokai, Shôwa 45, signed by Kanamori. Number 132 of 150 copies. Huge western bound folio, 45.9 x 31.7 cm. Each of the 15 color woodblock illustrations is double page - and are in consequence remarkably large and therefore difficult to print. Quite... More
1911. [EHON - Design Book] Yamada Unsôdô, publisher. MOMIJI. Kyoto: Yamada Unsodo, Meiji 44 [1911]. 26.5 x 19 cm. Orihon, with printed paper covers over boards. Thirty double fold sets of color woodcuts detailing the leaf forms of some 187 different species of Japanese maple. A scarce example of Unsodo's... More
1929. [EHON - BOTANICAL] Tanigami KÔNAN, artist. SHÔKEI KABENJÔ San. Kyoto, Unsôdô, Shôwa 4 [1929]. There is a complex series of puns involved with the titling of this work. Suffice it to say that the title describes a collection of designs of flowers and grasses of an unusually large size..... More
1923. [EHON] Tanigami KÔNAN, artist. SHÔKEI KABENJÔ Ichi. Kyoto, Unsodo, Taisho 12 [1923]. There is a complex series of puns involved with the titling of this work. Suffice it to say that the title describes a collection of designs of flowers and grasses of an unusually large size. They are..... More
1927. [CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE - JAPANESE]. KODOMO NO KUNI Number 7 from Volume Six. Numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11 & 12. Shôwa 2 [1927] Tôkyôsha, Tôkyô. Each bound in wrappers, 25.8 x 18.8 cm. On quality paper, printed in color throughout. Kodomo no Kuni (The Land of... More
1925. [CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE - JAPANESE]. KODOMO NO KUNI Run of 9 issues from Volume Four. Numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11 & 12. Taishô 14 [1925] Tôkyôsha, Tôkyô. Each bound in wrappers, 25.8 x 18.8 cm. On quality paper, printed in color throughout. Kodomo no Kuni (The... More
1926. [CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE - JAPANESE]. KODOMO NO KUNI Run of 6 issues from Volume Five. Numbers 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 12. Taishô 15 [1926] Tôkyôsha, Tôkyô. Each bound in wrappers, 25.8 x 18.8 cm. On quality paper, printed in color throughout. Kodomo no Kuni (The Land of Children)... More
1924. [CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE - JAPANESE]. KODOMO NO KUNI Run of 8 issues from Volume Three. Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 & 10. Taishô 13 [1924] Tôkyôsha, Tôkyô. Each bound in wrappers, 25.8 x 18.8 cm. On quality paper, printed in color throughout. Kodomo no Kuni (The Land... More
Shibata ZESHIN, painter. Large album leaf painting of an Oni. 19.4 x 30.6 cm image size. Mounted in a large oblong album leaf. Signed and sealed by Zeshin. With his characteristic brushwork. Zeshin (1807-91) was a lacquer artist, painter and printmaker. His works have become much sought-after of late. Zeshin... More
1923. [CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE - JAPANESE]. KODOMO NO KUNI Run of 10 issues from Volume Two. Numbers 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12. Taishô 12 [1923] Tôkyôsha, Tôkyô. Each bound in wrappers, 25.8 x 18.8 cm. On quality paper, printed in color throughout. Kodomo no Kuni... More
1922. [CHILDREN'S MAGAZINE - JAPANESE]. KODOMO NO KUNI Run of 6 issues from Volume One. Numbers 3, 4, 7, 8, 10 & 12. Taishô 11 [1922] Tôkyôsha, Tôkyô. Each bound in wrappers, 25.8 x 18.8 cm. On quality paper, printed in color throughout. Kodomo no Kuni (The Land of Children)... More
1891. [BIRDS & FLOWERS] Imao KEINEN. KEINEN KACHÔ GAFU. Natsu no bu. Kyoto: Tanaka Jihei. Meiji 24 [1891]. 1 vol., approx. 35.5 x 25.1 cm. Stringbound, fukuro-toji, Japanese style. This is Vol.2 [Summer] and has 32 plates. These original Tanaka Jihei issues (which preceded the Unsodo versions) have become quite... More
1891. [BIRDS & FLOWERS] Imao KEINEN. KEINEN KACHÔ GAFU. Haru no bu. Kyoto: Tanaka Jihei. Meiji 24 [1891]. 1 volume, approx. 35.5 x 25.1 cm. Stringbound, fukuro-toji, Japanese style. Vol.1 [Spring] only, it has 31 color woodblock prints of birds and flowers, of which 7 are huge double page prints... More
1900. [DESIGN] Kaigai TENNEN. TENNEN HYAKU TSURU. Part 1 (of 3). Kyoto, Unsodo, 31.7 x 22.1 cm. Meiji 33 [1900]. Tassel bound in printed heavy paper covers. 20 lavish color woodblock images with metallic ink and over-printing of designs on a theme of cranes. Tennen is one of the most... More
1931. [CREATIVE PRINT MOVEMENT] HIRATSUKA Un'ichi, editor. KITSUTSUKI Hangashû 3-go Shizumono. This "Dôjin" magazine was limited to a maximum of 500 copies, though, as it ceased production that year of 1931, it would be hard to credit such a large production of it. Edited by Hiratsuka Un'ichi, as well as... More
1952. [Chinese Woodcuts, Peking Jung Pao Chai] SHIH CHU CHAI CHIEN P'U Fei An T'i. Peking: Peking Jung Pao Chai,[with the 1952 preface] Set of four volumes (each 31 x 21.3 cm) of the TEN BAMBOO HALL POETRY PAPERS. The TEN BAMBOO HALL POETRY PAPERS, of course, date back to... More
1789. [EHON - HORSES] Hirasawa Kyokuzan & Suzuki Fuyô, artist. KAYÔ HISÔ 2vols. Edo, Suharaya Mohei, Kansei 1 [1789]. Ôhon, string-bound, Japanese-style, fukuro-toji. 26.0 x 18.5 cm. 2 vols. Original title labels, original covers. Wonderful pictorial treatise on horses, handcolored images of horses in all their habits. Considered an important... More
1812. [ÔRAIMONO] [Kitao MASAYOSHI]. ONNA BUNSHOU Shikishikagami. Kyôto, Tôkyô & Ôsaka. String-bound fukuro-toji, Japanese-style in the opriginal printed covers. A scattering of tiny wormholes to the covers but the interior is very good. Surprisingly good printings for such an ephemeral item. The title label is missing. The plentiful illustrations of..... More
1875. [EHON] Kawanabe GYÔSAI, Artist. Tsuuzokû ISOPPU MONOGATARI. Tokyo: Watabe. Meiji 5 [1872] 6 volumes. Hanshibon, 22.5 x 15 cm. Blindstamped patterned cream paper covers, string-bound Japanese-style, fukuro-toji. The interesting and now increasingly uncommon translation of Aesop's Fables into Japanese from the English version of Thomas James. Illustrated throughout in... More
1907. [DESIGN] Furuya Kôrin, designer. SHASEI SÔKA MOYÔ 2 vols. Kyoto: Unsodo, Meiji 40 [1907]. Folding orihon albums, 24.9 x 18 cm. Printed paper over card covers, each volume with 25 double page color woodblock prints of vegetal and flower designs by the important designer Korin. Lavishly printed and overprinted... More
1926. KYOMU SHISÔ-SHA. YOSHIYUKI Eisuke (edited by). KYOMU SHISÔ = Nihilism. 3 volumes, all published. Tôkyô: Kyomu Shisô-sha, Taisho 15 (1926). 21.6 x14.8 cm. Western binding, paper wrappers. Eisuke Yoshiyuki (1906-1940) was a dadaist poet and modernist novelist. Born in Okayama prefecture, in 1922 Yoshiyuki quit high school after being..... More
1928. [ADVERTISING ART - JAPAN]. KÔKOKKAI. THE PUBLICITY WORLD. Gotaiten Hôshuku SÔSHOKU ZUAN-SHÛ. Tokyo, Shotenkai-sha, Showa 3 [1928]. Decorated paper wrappers. 26.3 x 19 cm. 96 pp. Kokokkai was the premier professional journal on the art and science of advertising in Japan at the time of its publication. The issues..... More
1930. [ADVERTISING ART - JAPAN]. KÔKOKKAI. THE PUBLICITY WORLD. Volume 7, number 11. Tokyo, Kôkokukai-sha, Showa 5 [1930]. Decorated paper wrappers. 26.3 x 19 cm. 88 pp. Kôkokkai was the premier professional journal on the art and science of advertising in Japan at the time of its publication. The issues... More