Oriental Impressions

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...

New edition revised by the author, illustrated with 4 copper-engraved plates by Morel after drawings by Chaudet (Cohen, col. 927). A sumptuous publication from the press of Pierre Didot l'aîné, the foremost printer of his day. This edition is distinguished from all previous ones by its entirely renewed illustration in a neoclassical spirit, in keeping with the aesthetic of the Directoire period. It is the first to have been revised by the author himself.
Contemporary binding in full red morocco, spine with five raised bands richly decorated with gilt dentelles, fillets and fleurons, boards framed with a double gilt dentelle, gilt roll on the turn-ins and headbands...

First edition, one of 1000 numbered copies on special paper called "Hôcho", the only printing along with 12 deluxe copies and 6 hors commerce copies.
Work illustrated with 14 drawings in the text by Audrey Parr engraved on wood by Bonkotsu Igami, "following the Japanese process", with a color composition by Keisen Tomita (on verso), engraved by Bonkotsu Igami, an autograph poem in facsimile, title page drawn by Noémi Pernessin.
Rare and very handsome copy without any foxing, spine of the blue percaline chemise slightly faded as usual.
Provenance: from the library of Doctor Lucien-Graux with his pasted bookplate.

First edition in French of the translation, corrections, additions and clarifications, established by Joseph Toussaint Reinaud in 1845, from the Arabic text printed in 1811 under the care of Louis Langlès.
Bradel binding in full marbled paper, original covers preserved, binding signed Thomas Boichot.
Very rare copy without foxing.

First edition of these memoirs - extract from the first issue of the Description de l'Égypte, in the section titled "Etat Moderne", 
Bound in full modern cream parchment-style boards. Black morocco title label. A wide-margined, untrimmed copy.
The city of Qoçeyr lies on the shores of the Red Sea, along the trade route between Egypt and Arabia. The author stayed there during his journey in Egypt. M. Costaz undertook a voyage and stay in Nubia in 1799, from which he brought back these invaluable observations, of a still largely unknown region.