Paul Carus, author and Komiya Yasu 小宮ヤス, artist.

Karma: A Story of Early Buddhism, Third Ed. [crepe paper].

Item #90885

Karma: A Story of Early Buddhism, Third Ed. [crepe paper]. Paul Carus, author and Komiya Yasu 小宮ヤス, artist. Hasegawa Takejirō 長谷川武次郎, publisher (for The Open Court Publishing Co. Chicago). Tokyo. Meiji 30 [1897]. (20x15.5cm) crepe paper book (chirimen-bon 縮緬本), illustrated with color woodcuts. Bound Japanese style, fukuro-toji with stab binding (yamato-toji) and opens Western style. Illustrated front and rear wrappers with colophon on illustrated page on inside rear wrapper. 20 pages, illustrated in color throughout, with text in English on the topic of Buddhism. 5 Chapter headings: “Devala’s Rice-Cart,” “Business in Benres,” “Among the Robbers,” “The Spider Web” and “The Bequest of a Good Karma.”

One of the very special crepe paper books published in Japan in different languages, it was made from mulberry paper and first printed, and then pressed (about 10 times), before it was bound. Incredibly, the writing and illustrations are clear despite this Chirimen-bon “shrinking” process that resulted in a textured feel to the pages that resemble the chirimen 縮緬 or crepe fabric that gives the paper its name.

A few spots of toning, otherwise overall good condition.

Price: $475.00