Nagoya

Rare edition in second printing, which can be translated under the title Hokusai Sketches, volume 9. 15 volumes were indeed published covering Hokusai's work. The first was published in 1814 and the last posthumously in 1878. The final volume is considered apocryphal by some art historians. The volume contains approximately 40 subjects, most on double pages in black, grey and flesh tones. It is essential to add that one cannot determine with certainty whether this is the first printing or a later printing, because on this subject, there was no difference for the Japanese, and the publisher reprinted volumes as needed, the notion of first printing not being relevant with regard to Japanese books. We know however that the publisher made a second printing of this book between 1828 and 1878. The later printings do not have the same publisher's name and often possess a date, which is not the case with the earlier printings.
Accordion-fold volume, bound by stitching. Grey diamond-patterned cover with title label and writing in red on white background. Very good copy, quite fresh.
The Hokusai manga treat varied subjects, scenes from daily life, but also warrior scenes, also scenes of typically Japanese legends, animals and flowers and landscapes, animated or not, notably Mount Fuji. It is generally considered that, after a period of intense production, Hokusai very carefully selected his sketches, and even redrew a certain number of them, arranging them according to the order we know today. However, Michener maintains that the layout of the different sketches on a given plate was actually decided by the engravers and publishers, and not by Hokusai himself. We should recall that the technique of Japanese printmaking is very close to the original drawing, since the ink drawing was applied to a piece of wood that the engraver carved, precisely following the lines of the drawing, which was itself destroyed by this operation. This volume contains numerous animated landscapes, warrior scenes,