One scroll measuring 277 x 3830 mm. Ink, brush, & wash in red, blue, black, and brown, on paper newly & expertly backed. Japan: after 1853.

A contemporary copy of an official report concerning Commodore Perry’s first expedition, when he attempted to land on Japanese shores in 1853. Much of the scroll is wonderfully illustrated and contains a map tracking the American squadron’s path through Uraga Channel on its way to Edo. The scroll dramatically depicts two American steamships and concludes with the text of four internal government documents concerning the arrival of these foreign ships that contain the contents of high-level discussions on the... More about Ikokusen toraiki keibi haichi zumaki [Information on the Arrival of Foreign Ships, Illustrated...

Numerous text illus. 2 p.l., xlvi, [2], 459, [1] pp.; 2 p.l., 274 pp., one leaf; 2 p.l., 309, [3] pp. Three vols. in two. Large 8vo, orig. printed wrappers bound in cont. blue morocco-backed marbled boards, signed “Petitot Rel.,” t.e.g. Paris: Techener, 1897-98-98. [with]: (—). Catalogue de la Collection de Dessins et Estampes de l’Ecole française du XVIIe et du XVIIIe Siècle de feu M. le Baron Jérôme Pichon. 2 p.l., 124 pp. Large 8vo, binding as above. Paris: A. Danlos, 1897.

The posthumous sale of Baron Pichon’s second library (more than 6000 lots) of illuminated manuscripts, illustrated books, and... More about Catalogue de la Bibliothèque de feu M. le Baron Jérôme Pichon

2 p.l., 385, [1] pp. Small 8vo, disbound (some pale dampstaining & browning), uncut. The Hague: A. de Hondt, 1723.

The uncommon sale catalogue of the library of Dalmann; this is one of the “meritorious catalogues recommended by J.G. Schelhorn.”–Taylor, Book Catalogues, p. 225. Taylor states that he was tempted to include all the catalogues from Schelhorn’s list found in his Anleitung, including the Dalmann, to his own list of catalogues of private libraries recommended for reference use (pp. 223-66 in Book Catalogues).

This was a large library of 3634 lots (1426 lots of folios, 1305 lots of quartos, and 903 lots... More about Bibliotheca Dalmanniana, distrahenda per Abr. de Hondt, Die 22. Novb. & seqq. 1723…

24 color-printed woodcut illus., of which six are double-page & 18 are full-page. 20 folding leaves. Large 8vo, orig. wrappers (wrappers somewhat soiled), orig. block-printed title label on upper cover, new stitching. [Osaka or Kyoto: very likely issued privately, Preface dated 1808].

First edition, posthumously published, of this extremely rare work by Buzen Sumie (1734-1806), edited by his son, Aizan. WorldCat locates no copy of our edition; there was a later edition issued in 1826 with rather different images and color palette. The Union Catalogue of Early Japanese Books does not record a copy.

Small tray or pot landscapes — known in the Edo period as senkeiban — have their origins in 10th century China. The “trays” (in Chinese zhan jing pan or penjing) were made out of copper or pottery. They were filled with soil, rocks, pebbles, sand, plants, and miniature trees, forming elaborately conceived miniature garden landscapes. The landscapes are clearly Chinese in style, with mountains and pagodas surrounded by the sea or rivers (represented by pebbles or sand). Many of the created landscapes include miniature houses, temples, gates, stairways, etc. The descriptive text for many of the images discusses the unity and philosophy involved in the creation and depiction of these miniature landscapes. More about Senkeiban [Illustrations of “Tray” Garden Landscapes

Woodcut title-page, 30 double-page & 24 full-page woodcuts. 45 folding leaves. Three vols. in one. 8vo, orig. wrappers, block-printed title label on upper cover (printing of label very faded), new stitching. Kyoto: Chojiya, [1751].

First edition of this illustrated selection of poems from the Tale of Genji, the first novel ever written. The fine woodcuts are by Mitsunobu (or Nagaharu) Hasegawa (active 1710-55), “the leading Ukiyo-e artist of the Kamigata area and, in fact, [he] had few rivals as a book illustrator even in Edo, apart from Toyonobu.”–Hillier, The Art of the Japanese Book, p. 181.

With the increased availability of woodblock-printed books in the 17th century, The Tale of Genji was an obvious text to reprint and illustrate. Many artists put their skills to work on illustrated editions. This edition, which contains 54 poems from the 54 chapters of Lady Murasaki’s novel, was illustrated by Hasegawa. Hoshushi has provided a Preface and text next to each poem explaining the background. At the head of each illustration is the name of the chapter from which it comes. More about Ehon fuji no yukari [Illustrated Poems from the Tale of Genji: A Selection]. Preface & text...

34 painted scenes, using brush and colors, on 136 pages. Text written in a very legible hand. 29; 23; 22; 21; 25; 28; 20; 32; 21; 21 folding leaves. Ten vols. 8vo (265 x 185 mm.), orig. wrappers, new stitching. [Japan: ca. 1811 or shortly thereafter].

This very beautiful manuscript depicts and describes the famous “Seven Hot Springs at Hakone” and surrounding mountainous landscapes. These spas, and the beautiful landscapes in which they are located, have been known and enjoyed since the 12th century; they play an important role in the cultural and artistic imagination of the Japanese. The waters are also considered to have important medicinal qualities.

Our superbly illustrated manuscript is one of several early copies (there is another in the National Diet Library), probably derived from a scroll of “Shichito no shiori.” They served as pictorial guides to the seven main hot springs (onsen) of Hakone. The author of the text was Roka Sanjin, and the whole work was edited by Bunso Shujin, both of whom have furnished Prefaces in the first volume. There follows an index for all ten volumes. A history of onsen is provided with discussions of their medical benefits. More about Manuscript on paper, entitled on first leaf of Vol. I “Shichito no shiori” [“Stories about...

Many black & gray ink drawings and maps (mostly double-page). 16 leaves. 8vo (250 x 170 mm.), orig. wrappers (slightly soiled), later stitching. Japan: from the text: “1853.”

An extensively illustrated contemporary manuscript recording Japan’s immediate responses to the recent foreign incursions, following Perry’s first mission to Japan. This document contains plans for Japan’s defense, presented with elaborate maps of Uraga Channel and the area around the capital, Edo. It also includes sections where the anonymous author has compiled information on potential invaders: China, Korea, Russia, and the United States. A map displays the limited scope of Japanese understanding of the outside world in 1853... More about Illustrated manuscript on paper, containing an internal review of Japanese national defense in...

Scroll (273 x 13,760 mm.). At end (in trans.): “All the images are of the whaling at Taiji…April 1857, Tennojiya Shinsuke owned.”

A remarkable, long, and vividly rendered whaling scroll, from Wakayama Prefecture, depicting the whaling activities in unusual detail, of the famous town of Taiji and its bay (“Taiji ura”), the site of the annual dolphin slaughter, featured in the 2009 Oscar-winning documentary The Cove. Taiji has long been known as a whaling town, and its history is essentially the history of whaling in Japan. In the 17th century, whalers of the town developed a series of more sophisticated whaling techniques... More about Manuscript scroll on paper entitled “Kujirakata shosha zue” [“Genuine copied illustrations...

62 pages (all of the drawings are pasted onto the blank leaves of the album). 8vo (275 x 207 mm.), orig. patterned boards (rubbed), stitched as issued. [Japan: late Edo].

Morning glories, first brought into Japan by the Chinese, were originally used for medicinal purposes as a laxative. But soon the Japanese cultivated them as ornamental flowers. During the Edo period, morning glories became very popular and the subject of aesthetic admiration. Much like “tulip mania” in 17th-century Holland, Japan experienced several morning glory booms in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Japanese horticulturalists have been the leaders in cross-breeding the flowers to... More about Finely illustrated sketchbook album, a collection of hundreds of highly detailed &...

One large folding printed chart (533 x 368 mm.). Title within typographical border. 1 p.l., 62 pp. Small folio (290 x 180 mm.), modern boards, label on spine. [Mexico City]: from the folding chart: “Viuda de D. Joseph Bernardo de Hogal,” 1755.

First and only edition printed in Mexico of these important ordinances governing manufacturing, trade, and the production and commerce of food within Mexico City. This copy is complete with the extremely uncommon folding chart detailing bread costs and prices. These 117 statutes touch upon many aspects of daily life, including the large-scale production of bread; quality controls on bread; animal husbandry and the production... More about Ordenanzas de la fiel Executoria formadas para su Gobierno por la muy Noble, y muy Leal Imperial...

Two scrolls, measuring 290 x 6540 mm. & 290 x 6870 mm. Ink, brush, & wash in various colors, on paper, newly & expertly backed. Japan: ca. 1855.

These two vividly illustrated contemporary scrolls recount Commodore Matthew Perry’s second expedition to Japan from the perspective of the Japanese. A large number of the scenes are devoted to American machinery and technology, which the Japanese had never seen before, such as a small-scale train locomotive, a telegraph transmitter, a freestanding steam engine, a furnace, and a cannon. Executed shortly after Perry and his squadron departed, these scrolls also contain portraits of Perry and his chief of staff, Henry A.... More about Two finely illustrated scrolls depicting Commodore Perry’s second and decisive visit to Japan,...

282 pp., 1 leaf of errata. 8vo, cont. red morocco (lettering-piece on spine largely flaked away), gilt border round sides, flat spine gilt, a.e.g. Madrid: T. Alban, 1806.

First edition of a rare work that proposes improvements to the fishing practices of Andalucia. Marín Cubillos, director of a school for orphans and a censor, compares fishing practices in this region with the systems of other areas in Spain, England, and Africa. He also discusses the legal questions of fishing outside of local waters. There are notes on catching many types of seafood, including oysters, porgy, snapper, corvina, anchovies, salmon, etc. The... More about Representación dirigida al Rey…en defensa de las Pesquerias de Barcas y parejas, con Artes al...