Captivating Japan

First edition of this ambitious study dedicated to the eminent Orientalist Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy, in which the author sets out to examine "l'état et les destinées de l'Asie, d'y suivre la trace des systèmes religieux et d'en indiquer l'enchaînement" (cf. Cordier, Sinica, 70. Barbier I, 305 c. Quérard XI, 101.)

Contemporary full porphyry calf bindings, smooth spines decorated with quadruple gilt fillets and gilt fleurons, gilt ornamental borders at head and foot, olive-green calf lettering- and volume-labels, three with losses at the corners, gilt rolls to the headcaps, covers framed with double gilt fillets, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges, gilt fillets to...

Rare first edition (see Cordier, Japonica 583; Nipponalia I, 2073. Neither of these bibliographies mentions the map. Polak 8448).

Contemporary half cherry-red calf, spine slightly faded, with four raised bands gilt with dotted tools and fillets; light rubbing to the spine, red paper-covered boards, corners slightly bumped, speckled edges.

Occasional light foxing; a pale dampstain affecting the opening leaves and the folding double-page map showing the plan of the Strait of Shimonoseki.

This work relates the Anglo-French naval campaign of 1862–1863, by Alfred Roussin (1839–1919), a naval officer who commanded the frigate...

Third edition, partially revised and corrected, incorporating new material.

Bradel binding in olive-green half percaline, smooth spine, bordeaux morocco-grained shagreen lettering-piece; restored and lightly soiled original wrappers preserved; modern binding.

Some scattered foxing, bookplate mounted on the verso of the front wrapper, traces of adhesive at the head and foot of the endpapers.

The first edition appeared in 1868.

This collection of twenty-six short independent pieces chiefly concerns the Chinese world and its adjacent regions (Indochina and Japan).

"New edition, with parts in first edition, incorporating an unpublished preface; the first edition had appeared in 1927 in Tokyo at the close of Claudel’s ambassadorship in Japan (1921–1927) and was issued in three fan-shaped quarto volumes. Work illustrated with Japanese characters calligraphed by Ikuma Arishima. Composed between June 1926 and January 1927, this essay (blending traditional calligraphy, haiku, and short Western-style verse) bears witness, among Claudel’s other creations, to the influence of the Far East on his poetic practice.

Moving and exceptional presentation inscription, signed and dated by Paul Claudel to his eldest daughter, Marie Claudel, known as...

Very rare first edition of the Japanese translation, accompanied by Taiichi Ogawa’s annotated commentary.

Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of Alphonse Daudet.

Spine with two tears at head and foot, soiling to the wrappers, a few minor spots internally.

First Japanese edition of Alphonse Daudet’s masterpiece. Harshly received in Provence upon its publication in 1872, despite the support of Frédéric Mistral, the novel soon came to be regarded as one of the landmarks of French literature, and the character of Tartarin became the emblem—and finest ambassador—of the city of Tarascon.

Rare first edition comprising a fine series of 40 two-tone lithographs by Yuko Watanabe depicting Japanese types, scenes of traditional life, costumes, and more: Ronin, hara-kiri, samurai, the attack on Shogun Nobunaga, a geisha’s visit, young women paying a call, a game of go...

Not in Colas, nor Hiler & Hiler; lacking from the Bn; not in Nipponalia or Cordier. Wenckstern, I, p. 228 (gives the Yokohama address, undated, and mentions two volumes, the second—of which no trace could be found—containing 25 plates).

Bound in full beige cloth, smooth spine without lettering, lithograph mounted on the upper cover; twentieth-century binding.

Minor tears affecting three...

First edition illustrated with a folding map at the end of the volume (cf. Nipponalia, I, 2061; Innocencio, IX, 208; lacking from Cordier Japonica, Hill and Palau).

Only two copies recorded in the CCFr (Sorbonne and BULAC).

Rare edition of this account of one of the earliest European voyages undertaken to establish commercial relations with Japan, following the success of the American Commodore Perry in 1853.

Spine cracked with loss at foot, traces of adhesive paper at the head and tail of the endpapers, modern bookplate pasted on the verso of the front cover.

First edition, printed in a small number of copies, of this offprint from the Revue des arts décoratifs of January 1885.

Unbound copy.

Copies recorded in the CCFr only at the BnF, the Musée des Arts décoratifs, and Troyes.

This offprint gathers the three lectures delivered on 18, 21, and 25 October 1884 by the influential art critic Philippe Burty (1830–1890), a key figure in the emergence of Japonism.

Inscribed by Philippe Burty to the archivist and historian Pierre Margry (1818–1894).

Edition of wich no leading copies exists.
Binding of the editor in full black fabric.
Iconography.
Slips slightly warped in margins, the book that had stayed in a damp place previously, otherwise nice copy.

Rare autograph signed Kenzo Takada Gilles Brochard.

First and only edition, illustrated in the first volume with 9 folding plates and 4 large maps at the end; and in the second volume with in-text figures and 10 folding maps at the end (numbered 10–19 as a continuation of the first volume).

A few minor spots, not affecting the text; handwritten ownership inscriptions in the upper left corners of the front covers.

The work, complete in two volumes (I. With 9 plates out of text. – II. The March to Battle. The Battle. The Engagement), is regarded as the most thorough strategic and tactical study of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905.

Émilien-Victor, known as Emile Cordonnier (1858–1936), then a colonel of infantry, served...

First edition of this splendid theatre programme, with an introductory text by Raymond Blathwayt. Illustrated with six exquisite double-page colour plates by Yoshio Markino. The play was written by David Belasco.

Japanese-style accordion fold. Illustrated cover. Some foxing to the covers, otherwise a very well-preserved copy.

First edition of the French translation, illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of Iwakura Tomomi.

Contemporary binding in navy blue long-grain half morocco, flat spine decorated with gilt fillets and blind-stamped fleurons, red morocco lettering-piece running lengthwise, green cloth boards, minor fading and rubbing to covers, original blank wrappers preserved; modern binding.

Iwakura Tomomi (1825–1883) was a prominent figure of the Meiji era, whose influence played a key role in Japan's transformation.

Some handwritten annotations in ink and pencil on a pastedown, and an inscription in ink reading "Trautz (?) Kyoto. Jan 1935" on the endpaper.

Inscribed...

First edition, published in Paris in 1933 by Jules Meynial under the direction of Jacques de Brunhoff. Limited to 500 numbered copies on Arches paper. Illustrated with 48 drawings in black in the text and 32 hors-texte plates after Alexandre Iacovleff, printed in bistre and black.

Original printed wrappers with flaps. Small losses at head and foot of spine, with a restored tear at head; small tears and stains to the lower wrapper. Final endpaper lightly shadowed in places, with a few marginal spots of foxing. An attractive copy.

By the time...

New edition, the most comprehensive to date, illustrated with 300 engravings, several maps, and followed by 18 appendices (cf. Cordier, Japonica, 694).

The original edition was published in 1899.

Contemporary half havana sheep binding, corners tipped with the same, smooth spine sunned and rubbed, decorated with blind fillets and floral tools, blind-tooled garland framing the bordeaux cloth boards, black paper endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges.

Some minor foxing mainly affecting the endpapers, otherwise a clean and well-preserved copy.

Our copy lacks the atlas of 11 maps, which was not ready in time for printing, as stated on a slip mounted on the first...

Rare first edition, complete with its 17 plates, including 2 maps, 2 colored facsimiles of Japanese view and plan (view of Yedo, plan of Nagasaki), and 13 colored facsimiles of natural history drawings. (See Cordier, Japonica, 549 and Sinica, 2128. Numa Broc, Asie, 89-90.)

Some minor foxing, a faint dampstain on the final leaves, small restorations to the verso of the facsimiles.

Contemporary half green shagreen, spine slightly faded, with raised bands framed by gilt fillets, double gilt compartments with decorative tools, boards framed with a blind-stamped fillet, marbled paper boards slightly soiled, combed endpapers and pastedowns, painted edges.

A career diplomat...

First edition of the French translation, illustrated with a portrait of the author and 29 engraved plates depicting objects, ornaments, coins, plants, and animals (cf. Cordier, Bibl. Japonica, 447. Gay, 3151. Brunet, V, 850).

Contemporary full marbled calf bindings, flat spines richly decorated with gilt typographic tools, gilt roll tooling at head and tail, brown morocco title-pieces, dark green morocco volume labels, gilt roll-tooled borders on boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, gilt fillets on board edges, yellow edges.

A Swedish botanist and naturalist, Carl Peter Thunberg (1743–1828) studied medicine and natural history at Uppsala and became one of Linnaeus’s most...

New edition, intended as a supplement to the various collections of *Lettres édifiantes* (see Backer & Sommervogel II, 1075; Cordier, Japonica, 424).

Some foxing, minor scuffs, and small paper flaws on the boards.

Contemporary half grey calf bindings, flat spines decorated with blind-stamped romantic arabesques and gilt fillets, gilt decorative rolls at foot, small green vellum tips, boards covered with geometric-patterned paper, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges; romantic period bindings.

First reissue of the *Histoire de l'établissement, des progrès et de la décadence du christianisme dans l'Empire du Japon*, originally published in 1715 in three 12mo...

Rare first edition of the French translation (not recorded by Sabin or Cordier).

Contemporary half calf bindings, spines with four raised bands ruled in gilt and adorned with blind-stamped typographic ornaments and gilt fillets, gilt Greek-key rolls at foot, marbled paper boards showing some scuffing with losses to paper at a few corners, marbled edges.

Some foxing.

The Scottish naval officer Basil Hall [Edinburgh 1788 – Gosport 1844], son of geologist and antiquary Sir James Hall, undertook numerous voyages as a Royal Navy officer to the East Indies, the seas of China, Japan, and Korea, the coasts of South America, the United States, and Canada, publishing detailed and...

Work published by the Japanese Ministry of Railways, admirably illustrated with 166 illustrations. This new edition was entirely revised and the illustration is completely new. The Ministry of Railways published this collection from 1923 to 1928; from 1923 to 1925, the collection contained numerous bird's-eye view maps by Yoshida, which were replaced by photographs and now only adorn the pastedowns. This is the first collection to use photography with 126 black and white photographs and 18 hand-colored ones. 22 color prints by Hatsusaburo Yoshida. 7 folding color maps and several black and white maps in-text.
Cloth binding and cardboard slipcase. Pale green cloth covers. Smooth spine...

Accordion-fold album (orihon) containing twelve large paintings on silk, each measuring 24 x 34.5 cm, depicting couples entwined in carnal intimacy. Each scene is skilfully framed by elements of domestic architecture - screens, sliding partitions, windows - which make the interior itself the theatre of the gaze, in a staging of voyeuristic revelation characteristic of Japanese erotic art. The silks are loosely mounted within movable paper frames.

Boards covered in patterned green silk; label on the upper board no longer present. Fabric faded, a few perforations, traces of dampstaining to the lower part of the upper board, small losses at the edges, splitting at the joint...

Two parts in one volume, printed on hōsho paper and folded in the Japanese style

Two colour-illustrated covers, and 28 superb Japanese colour prints by Kano Motonobu, Kadjita Hanko. All text pages are illustrated with drawings in black.

A very fine artistic publication printed on pure Japanese rag paper with special Japanese folding. The Tokyo publisher is Kané-Mitsou Masao, the printer Shueisha, under the direction of Yamamoto Yeijiro.

Original publisher's binding in half black embossed leather with japanese motifs, illustrated boards depicting figures and animals in colours, long-grain red morocco lettering-piece on the upper board...

First edition, one of 1,400 numbered copies, only issue.

Outstanding publisher’s cream silk Bradel binding signed by Engel at the foot of the spine, flat spine decorated with Japanese characters; upper boards in excellent condition, elaborately decorated with a reproduction of Shinman’s starlings against a setting sun from the Henri Cernuschi collection (also illustrated pl. 26, vol. 1); corners slightly rubbed; both volumes complete with their illustrated dust jackets, showing tears and some losses.

Rare first edition of the French translation by Judith Gautier, printed on japon-style paper.
Slight restoration work to spine and a corner of the lower cover, wrappers slightly and marginally soiled as usual.
Illustrated throughout with full-page colour woodcuts by Yamamoto.

First edition, one of 25 numbered copies on bouffant vellum paper from the Salzer mills, ours being No. 1, the only deluxe paper issue.
Handsome copy of this work awarded the Grand Prix du Roman of the Académie française. 
 

Japan, circa 1900. Erotic emakimono composed of twelve original paintings on silk, mounted continuously in a scroll covered with silk patterned with gilt brocade and bordered with gilt edging. The outer margins are of printed silk, while the paintings are laid onto a paler silk ground decorated with cloud motifs, the whole mounted on paper. A few small spots and light stains to the silk. Each painting measures 18 x 23.5 cm; complete scroll: 24.5 x 380 cm. In very good overall condition.

The series comprises twelve scenes, a number traditionally associated with painted shunga scrolls. Here...

Painted handscroll, or makimono, comprising twelve paintings on silk with a transparent ground, mounted end to end to form a long continuous strip measuring 840 cm - that is, twelve panels of 70 x 14 cm - laid down on paper and edged with gold along its slips. When fully unrolled, the supporting paper strip measures 869 cm. Scroll mounted on a wooden rod and preserved in its original green silk wrapper. Some foxing and localised staining affect certain panels, without impairing the harmony of the whole, which remains in satisfactory condition.

Unsigned, this scroll is stylistically related to the circle of Miyagawa Shuntei (1873-1914), a painter and illustrator trained...

A group of seven original erotic paintings on silk, four attributed to Tomioka Eisen (1864 - 1905) and three to his pupil Miyagawa Shuntei (1873 - 1914), executed during the closing years of the Meiji era, probably between 1895 and 1905.

The four compositions attributed to Eisen are laid down on their original mica-flecked paper boards; the three paintings attributed to Shuntei, executed on a lighter, undyed silk, remain unmounted.

Unique album comprising ten original polychrome paintings on beige silk, laid down on gilt paper, with gilt and embossed floral endpapers. The final painting bears two red seals. Albums of this nature are almost invariably anonymous, making the presence of such seals - possibly identifying either the artist or the workshop - particularly unusual. Each composition occupies a square of silk measuring 16.8 × 16.8 cm. With the exception of three scenes incorporating a hanging curtain or folding screen, the compositions are devoid of background, focusing entirely on the figures, rendered with refined, highly stylised...

First edition complete with its 72 pages of Japanese texts in colors bound at rear.
Contemporary binding in half blue shagreen, spine with five raised bands richly decorated with grotesque compartments, double gilt fillet on marbled paper boards, top edge gilt retaining deckled edges. Corners bumped (one slightly cracked) and surface wear.
Rare.

China, probably 19th century, undated. An album of twelve erotic paintings in ink and colour on paper, each mounted on silk and depicting a couple in an amorous scene, either in a domestic interior or in a garden or outdoor setting. Each painting measures 16 x 19.2 cm.

Accordion-fold album, 19 x 25.4 cm, the boards covered in green silk patterned with polychrome crosses over a diamond lattice, the endpapers in figured cream silk. Small losses of fabric along the edges of the boards, two further small losses to the rear board, and one fold of the accordion partly split. The twelve paintings retain a remarkable freshness of colour.

An album containing 14 gouaches on silk, including 12 erotic paintings. The first painting on each side of the folding shows a bird and on the other side maple leaves, thus masking on each of the first pages the erotic aspect of the collection. Shunga is the generic Japanese term that designates erotic art, it literally means Spring Image, spring being a euphemism and figure of style expressing sexuality. The term Shunga having been reserved for a long time for prints, collections or albums have often been designated by the appellation Pillow Books, or notes for the pillow, etc. (Utamaro: The Song of the Pillow, 1788).
Japanese accordion album covered with damask silk with flowers and...

Rare suite of woodcuts by Itchô Hanabusa (英一蝶) on Japanese folk tales, printed in black ink. Only one volume of a three-volume set, possible 19th-century reprint.

Bound in Japanese style, pages bound by a seam, blue soft cover with title label, folds, small stains and lacks of blue paper to corners, ink stain in title piece not affecting the text.

Itchô Hanabusa was part of the Kanō school and studied under Kanō Yasunobu, however he rejected this training to become a renowned painter and calligrapher.

Illustrations of Japanese legends with genre scenes, animals and flowers. The technique of Ukiyo-e, or Japanese printmaking, is very close...

First edition.
Publisher's binding in full boards, smooth spine, front cover illustrated with a reproduction of a gouache by Joan Miro.
Texts by Alain Jouffroy, Robert Lebel, Jacques Dupin...
Work illustrated with numerous color and black illustrations as well as 1 original color lithograph specially executed for the XXe Siècle magazine by Joan Miro.
Handsome copy despite a stain at the foot of the spine.
Publisher's wraparound band included.