26 folding leaves (first & last leaves pasted-down as endpapers). Large 8vo (297 x 204 mm.), orig. decorated semi-stiff wrappers, new stitching. [Japan]: early-mid-19th century.

A beautifully rendered album on special thick paper, depicting, in 76 highly finished images, a series of edible (and a few poisonous) fish, crustaceans, sea cucumbers, and a seal. The unidentified artist (see below) was clearly very accomplished; the watercolors are finely executed with rich and realistic colors, employing the full range of effects used in luxury Japanese books and manuscripts, including mica (to provide an iridescence), silver, and a white pigment made from ground-up seashells that provides... More