Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained

Very good with tear along spine of only the first leaf of the three-leaf folded cover and light browning to front cover. Light, narrow area of dampstain along bottom edge of inside front cover and small area of top corner at spine of first three leaves as well as along bottom edge and small area of upper right-hand corner of back cover. Slight foxing to inside front cover and foredge and bottom edge of leaves. Duodecimo, 4-page introduction in English, and 20 (i.e. 40) double leaves, folded once in Japanese style. They are comprised of 20 progressive plates, numbered 1-20, printed from wood blocks with captions in English and Japanese. Letterpress tail-piece. Bount in traditional oriental format, tied with red silken threads, front cover has hand-printed woodblock "Ferry over the Sumida" in full color from 20 blocks. A lovely book, beautifully preserved. Through 20 progressive color spreads, each showing separately the added color and the result on the print spreads, each showing separately the added color and the result on the print itself. Thus, the book creates, step by step, a full-color reproduction, made from 20 different blocks, reproducing Kiyonaga's "Ferry over the Sumida". Quite rare. Museum quality.…