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,...

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...

One large folding engraved frontis. plate & one folding plate. 2 p.l., 43, [1] pp. 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Canterbury: Printed for the Author…, 1786.

First edition and very rare; ESTC locates only one copy in North America. Following Jethro Tull’s invention and perfection of the seed drill, there were numerous others who developed modifications and improvements. The great advance made by Horn, a resident of Dover, was to design and patent a sowing machine that could plant every kind of seed. Pages 36-43 contain a minute description of the ten figures on the... More about The Description and Use of the new Invented Patent Universal Sowing Machine, for Broad-Casting or...

Three parts in two vols. 139; 86 folding leaves. 8vo (235 x 165 mm.), cont. patterned covers (extremities a little worn), new stitching. Edo: ca. 1863.

A fascinating compilation of contemporary reports chronicling the first 11 years of the turbulent Bakumatsu era, 1853-67, the period between Commodore Perry’s first visit to Japan and the establishment of the Meiji government. These two volumes consist of manuscript copies of high-level official documents in the years 1853 to 1863, describing pivotal moments in Japan’s history that fundamentally shaped its relationship to the rest of the world.

Heralding the end of the Edo period and a Tokugawa-controlled government, the Bakumatsu period saw Japan end its policy of strict isolationism. The shogun reluctantly accepted that interactions with the rest of the world were unavoidable; however, sizable factions steadfastly and violently resisted opening Japan to the world. The influx of Americans, British, Russians, French, and Dutch in several port cities instigated numerous crimes against foreigners. In one notable incident in January 1861, a group of samurai assassinated a Dutchman named Henry Heusken, who was serving as secretary and interpreter for the American embassy. That summer, at the British legation in Edo, a band of ronin (masterless samurai) attacked ambassador Rutherford Alcock and several other diplomats, killing two. More about Manuscript on paper. Two hand-drawn maps & a diagram of a Japanese sword

One folding engraved plate. 22 pp. 4to, attractive antique half-calf & paste-paper boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Venice: G. Lironcurti, 1770.

First edition of this extremely rare work on the seed drill, an improvement on Jethro Tull’s invention. This seed drill, whose component parts are depicted on nine figures on the plate, was designed to efficiently plant corn seeds.

Fine copy. Stamp of the Rothamsted Experimental Station on blank portion of title. More about Il Piantatore o sia Nuovo Metodo di Piantare il Formento

[Japan: mid-Edo].

This handsome scroll depicts in great detail two Japanese hand looms used to create complex patterns of silk brocade and birodo (velvet). The greatly enlarged illustrations are inspired by images in the first volume of Akisato’s Miyako meisho zue (1786), a famous guide to Kyoto. Nishijin, a district of Kyoto, was famous for its traditional textile production, employing highly specialized weaving techniques to obtain spectacular designs and effects.

As we unroll the scroll, the first loom we encounter is the sorahikibata, an overhead draw loom, which was used to produced high-quality silks with complicated designs. This loom, invented... More about An uncommonly large and fine scroll (1760 x 475 mm.), depicting two Japanese hand looms, with...