Sensai Eitaku (4 results)

Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Sensai Eitaku (illustrator). 1st Edition. No 12 of a series. Told in English by Mrs T. H. James. Published by Kobunsha, Tokyo in 1887. Size; 15 x 9.5 cms or 6 x 3 3/4 inches. Page number: 13 folded sheets. 26 pages in total including front and back cover. A folded crepe paper book with silk spine. With colour pictures on 20 of the pages. Condition: Very Good. The front and back covers are slightly creased and dented but still clean and fresh. The spine is a little worn with some loss. The pages within are exceptionally clean and fresh. There is no jacket.

Condition: Very good. First Edition. Scarce and exceptional first edition thus, a light-hearted illustrated adaptation of the Creation and story of Adam and Eve from the Book of Genesis into Japanese. The story of Bible editions in Japan reflects the country's fraught history with Christianity; after the religion was banned in the early 17th century, the portions printed by Catholic missionaries were lost. The ban on Christianity lifted only in the Meiji era, first partially in 1873, then enshrined in the Constitution 1889 by means of an article on the freedom of religion. The post-Meiji Restoration translation effort of the Hebrew Bible began in 1882 and was finally completed in 1887. Books were completed and issued in parts, with Genesis first issued in 1883. This heavily illustrated and lighthearted version of the two most famous stories from Genesis adapts the text to a well-established literary genre of Meiji Japan: Kusaz?shi, a forerunner of manga, popular illustrated works in which the text weaves around the illustrations that dominate most spreads. Because they were meant for a popular audience, the text is often primarily in hiragana, or kanji with furigana; here, the text is shown in three writing styles: kanji, hiragana, and romaji (with furigana glosses). This presentation suggests how Christian mythology must have appeared to Japanese readers, much as (say) Greek mythology seems to modern American readers of Homer. God is depicted as a mustachioed wise man, while the serpent approaches Eve on legs. Most charmingly, one spread depicts God spying on Adam and Eve with a pair of binoculars. While listed as the "first part," it is all published, with no second volume ever appearing. We find only two copies, at the National Diet Library and at Waseda University. 7.75'' x 5.25''. Original printed wrappers. Woodblock printed and illustrated, including 16 double-page spreads. Title page, matching illustrated cover, printed on red metallic-speckled paper. 39, [1] pages. Some staining and wear to wrappers, with 2.5'' paper repair to rear wrapper verso. Black ink calligraphy to versos of both wrappers. Housed in custom blue cloth chemise.

[Tokyo 1881, Eto]. Purple stitched binding wrs., vol. 4 of 5 only, 20 double page woodblock illustrations, printed on hand made paper, 15 x 22.5 cm., very good. . *** Contains b.w. illustrations of E-hon, textiles, scrolls and birds, flowers, Chinese heroes, pottery, porcelain &c. Compiled by Otagawa Yasuchika, the well known ivory carver. * This is signed "Sensai Eitaku" [Kano School, 1843-90]. Eitaku [Kobayashi] was a Japanese style painter & became a pupil of Kano Eitoku Tatsunobu. He attained Samurai status, later he edited several painting books & was an illustrator for the "Yokohama Mainichi Shimbun," specializing in historical subjects. He worked in the Kano, and later Nanga styles. Eitaku: [1843-90]. Superbly done, quite nice ! * CONDITION: The set is bound in original various colored covers, with title slips, title slip of vol. 4 is half gone, and there is some spotting to the front and rear covers of that volume else all are with usual edge wear and some small nibbles on the bottom of vol. 1. Contents of all are clean, no worming. *** . REFERENCE: L. Roberts: DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE ARTISTS, p.23 for more details. * H. Kerlen: CATALOGUE OF PRE-MEIJI JAPANESE BOOKS AND MAPS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS #29, p.14. * Louise N. BROWN: BLOCK PRINTING AND BOOK ILLUSTRATION IN JAPAN, p.180. * L. Dawes: CATALOGUE OF JAPANESE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS: pp.180-181. . *.

[Tokyo 1880-81, Eto]. Vols. 1-4 of a 5 vol. set, very good, blue, green, purple stitched wrs., some faint damp stain on vol.1, 129 double-pages woodcut illustrations, hand-printed on Washi paper, 15 x 23.5 cm. FIRST & ONLY EDITION . *** Contains b.w. illustrations of E-hon, textiles, scrolls and birds, flowers, Chinese heroes, pottery, porcelain &c. Compiled by Otagawa Yasuchika, the well known ivory carver. * This is signed "Sensai Eitaku" [Kano School, 1843-90]. Eitaku [Kobayashi] was a Japanese style painter & became a pupil of Kano Eitoku Tatsunobu. He attained Samurai status, later he edited several painting books & was an illustrator for the "Yokohama Mainichi Shimbun," specializing in historical subjects. He worked in the Kano, and later Nanga styles. Eitaku: [1843-90]. Superbly done, quite nice ! * CONDITION: The set is bound in original various colored covers, with title slips, title slip of vol. 4 is half gone, and there is some spotting to the front and rear covers of that volume else all are with usual edge wear and some small nibbles on the bottom of vol. 1. Contents of all are clean, no worming. *** . REFERENCE: L. Roberts: DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE ARTISTS, p.23 for more details. * H. Kerlen: CATALOGUE OF PRE-MEIJI JAPANESE BOOKS AND MAPS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS #29, p.14. * Louise N. BROWN: BLOCK PRINTING AND BOOK ILLUSTRATION IN JAPAN, p.180. * L. Dawes: CATALOGUE OF JAPANESE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS: pp.180-181. . *.