Many illus. 150, [2] pp. Small 8vo, light brown Fabriano Ingres paper wrappers stamped in white foil, title on spine. [South Freeport, Maine]: Antinomian Press, 2003.

Ben Kinmont’s seventh bookseller catalogue, published as part of the project Sometimes a nicer sculpture is to be able to provide a living for your family. 100 items are thoroughly described. In excellent condition. Printed offset by Ascensius Press in an edition of 750 copies.

|| Antinomian Press 36. More

Seven engraved plates (several folding). viii, 177 pp. Large 4to, early 19th-cent. half-calf & marbled boards (some scuffing), flat spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. London: Printed by W. Bulmer for G. Nicol et al., 1795.

First edition of the Board of Agriculture’s famous report on the potato. During the final four decades of the 18th century Britain experienced a number of corn harvest failures with a resulting rise in the price of wheat. The Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, the Board of Agriculture, and various private individuals advocated the adoption of the potato... More

One hand-colored engraved plate. xix, 51 pp. 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards (some foxing), spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. London: C. Dilly & J. Phillips, 1787.

“Second edition” (but see below) of this translation of Commerell’s work on the mangel wurzel, an uncommon beet developed in the 18th century as a fodder crop for livestock and, when harvested young, an excellent source of nutrition for humans. Commerell (d. 1799), chaplain to the Princess of Lowenstein in the German Lorraine and a member of the Société d’Agriculture de Paris, was interested in husbandry and wrote a monograph... More

Several woodcut illus. in the text. 20.5; 30; 30.5; 26; 33.5 folding leaves. Five vols. 8vo, orig. semi-stiff embossed wrappers, orig. title-slips on upper covers, new stitching. Osaka, Kyoto, & Edo: various dates including 1795 & 1819.

A later edition (1st eds.: 1785-1800) of this comprehensive cookbook of Japanese cuisine by the most important recipe author of the late 18th century. “Little is known about this mysterious author. Kidodō may have worked as a professional restaurant chef in Kyoto, where all his books were published…[One of his writings] refers to him as a cook (ryōrinin), and invites readers to visit... More

One full-page woodcut. .5, 29, .5; 15.5 folding leaves. Two vols. 8vo, orig. blue wrappers, orig. block-printed title labels on upper cover, later decorated wrappers, later stitching. From the colophon at end of Vol. II: Edo, Kyoto & Osaka: Hanabusaya Heikichi et al., 1812.

[with]:

—. Haru nanakusa ko [Thoughts about Seven Herbs in Spring]. Three full-page woodcuts & nine smaller woodcuts in the text. .5, 36 folding leaves. 8vo, orig. blue wrappers as above, later decorated wrappers, later stitching. From the colophon: Edo: Yamashiroya Sahei, 1814.

First editions, a rare complete set, of these two works, which... More

Numerous woodcuts, many full-page, in the text. 2 p.l., 27, 11, 26; 20, 21, 24 folding leaves. Six parts in two vols. Oblong 8vo, orig. blue wrappers, manuscript title labels on upper covers (the label on Vol. I is largely worn away), new stitching. [Kyoto?]: most of the parts end with the date 1642.

First edition of this rare collection of early gastronomic texts from the Shijo school of hocho shiki. It was the oldest school of the special imperial knife ceremony and describes rituals in which the chef carves fish and poultry using a special kitchen knife... More

Six pages of color paintings of species of sweet potatoes. 14 folding leaves. 8vo (267 x 190 mm.), orig. decorated semi-stiff wrappers, stitched as issued, manuscript title label on upper cover. [Japan]: late Edo.

Sweet potatoes are one of the glories of the Japanese table. The author of the text of this finely illustrated manuscript was the Nagasaki resident Tokitane Kohiga, mathematician and scholar of materia medica. The text was written in October 1805, and this is surely a later copy.

The sweet potatoes of Ryukyu (today, Okinawa) are famous. The potatoes came from China and began to be cultivated... More

Two formats (190 x 152 mm. & 150 x 365 mm.). [Oguni machi, Kotamagawa 小国町小玉川]: 1865-67.

This archive describes the manufacture and regulation of yamajio mountain salt in the town of Oguni machi, on the Tama River in the mountainous area of Yamagata Prefecture, north of Niigata. The onsen springs of the town are rich in minerals and were used to manufacture salt for local and regional inhabitants. Today, there are very few producers of mountain salt, due to the laborious process, but it is highly valued by connoisseurs of salt for its delicate taste.

Our archive consists of:

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