[SKETCHTOUR GENRE] Kanao Bun'endô, publisher.

HANSHIN MEISHO-ZUE

1916. Item #90037

[SKETCHTOUR GENRE] Kanao Bun'endô, publisher. HANSHIN MEISHO-ZUE 阪神名勝図絵. A folding album of 30 ôban-size color woodcut prints, printed by Nishimura Kumakichi and published by Kanao Bun'endô in 1916-17.

There are two prefatory pages: a map of the trip around western Japan depicted herein, and a table of contents, plus the prints. The artists who designed the prints were Akamatsu Rinsaku (1878- 1953), Noda Kyuhô (1879-1971), Hata Tsuneharu(1883-? ), Mizushima Nihou (or Nihofu) (1884-1958) and Nagai Hyosai (1882-1945). Our copy has little to none of the foxing to which this work is often subject, with just a bit of mild toning to one or two of the prints. The finest of all of Bun'endô's remarkable portfolio productions, The HANSHIN MEISHO ZUE is very scarce, even individual prints from the series are by no means common. For more on this remarkable work, see Charles Mitchell's article in ESSAYS ON JAPANESE ART PRESENTED TO JACK HILLIER. This is the orihon folding album version of the series, issued by Bun'endô. As such, it does not have the fascicle covers of the subscription series, but is complete as issued. The old brocade album covers are a bit dusty, but the prints themselves are in good state and colors and are free of the foxing often associated with this production. All in a clasped chitsu case.

Price: $8,500.00