[Rarebooks] OFFER: JAPANESE PASSTIMES AND THEATRE.

[Laderman]

1.	Original uncut sheets of HYAKUNIN ISSHU [COLLECTION OF SINGLE POEMS BY 
100 POETS].  "UTA- KARUTA" Card game. 2 Oban sheets. [15 x 10 inches (38 x 
25.5 cm.)]  An anthology of waka poetry compiled by Fujiwara no teika (Also 
known as sadaie, 1162-1241) between 1235-41. Because he reportedly copied 
out the poems on the sliding doors (*fusuma ?) at his kyoto home near 
*ogurayama the anthology also was alternately titled ogura hyakunin isshu. 
The poems are in rough chronological order beginning in the era of emperor 
tenji (626-71) and ending in the era of emperor juntoku (1197-1242). The 
compilation reflects Teika's taste in its preponderance of autumn and love 
poems. The 100 poets and their poems have been familiar to most literate 
japanese, ever since then. Hyakunin isshu was the basis for a popular card 
game called uta karuta played at new year since the early edo period [late 
17th century]. At first the cards were hand painted. This is an Uki'yo'e 
print version of the cards from ca. 1860. Two oban size prints show the 
fronts of 25 cards, and the backs of the cards, each card with a portrait 
of a different poet, some of whom are women. The versos of the cards show 
an identifying line. For daily use, they would have been glued to the front 
and back of cards. Please  look here for examples of such 
use:  http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~sg2h-ymst/yamatouta/sennin/100i_a.html 
Our cards are not identical with any set shown here but are closest to the 
second group. The prints are nearly Fine with just a little diagonal 
worming on both sheets in the last file, which were stored together 
affecting the image slightly in one of the cards. A very rare and unusual 
survival of Japanese ceremonial playing cards. I can send jpegs of these 
for your viewing. $750.00

2.	SUGOROKU AFTER KABUKI ACTORS IN CHARACTER. Oban sheet [15 x 10 inches 
(38 x 25.5 cm.)] showing 4 rows of bust portraits very much like those in 
actor portrait books. Each actor is completely made up for his role, either 
as a hero or villain, or the femal roles, played by men impersonating 
women. The print is unsigned by it is clearly an example of the Utagawa 
school and seems closest to Kunisada [Toyokuni III]. Excellent natural 
color [no aniline dyes] probably before 1850. There is some over all 
rubbing to the surafce, so Very Good rather than Fine condition. $850.00

3.	KUNISADA, YOSHIIKU AND OTHER UTAGAWA ARTISTS SIGN EACH FAN : HATSU HARU 
KAKUZIME SUGOROKU [Sugoroku taken from plays shown and activities during 
the New Year Season.] Edo, after 1865 [Kunisada signs Toyokuni] 61.5 x 73.5 
cm. Folded into boards,Japanese style. One of the most sought after 
Sugoroku. Twenty two separate fans are part of the larger print, eighteen 
of these with portraits of an actor in character, a nineteenth shows three 
actors in a scene. The rest are landscapes. A short text eulogizes each. 
The overall design is striking and one of the largest theatrical Ukiyoye 
prints. Fine color and printing, no soiling or staining. $4500.00

4.	SADANOBU, SADAHIRO, YOSHINOBU, YOSHITAKA :: OSALA'E : FOLDING ALBUM 
[gahon] OF CHUBAN PRINTS, ACTOR PORTRAITS IN CHARACTER, DIPTYCHSAND 
TRIPTYCHS. Ca 1860. Osaka, several publishers. Osaka prints are famous for 
the complex and sophisticated printing and coloring techniques used. Many 
with gold and silver ink [a.], gauffrage [b.] and black lacquer coloring 
[c].Mica in black or other color[d.]1. Sadahiro-actor in costume, drawn 
sword triumphing over red skinned villain.[b.c.]2. Triptych denouement in a 
drama Sadahiro at night. 3. Sadahiro, Actor portrait in costume, 4. 
Sadahiro, Actor portrait in costume. [a.]4. Sadahiro, Diptych, two samurai 
in confrontation on a beach. 5. Sadahiro, Diptych, Samurai and dragon king 
drawn swords in action.[a.,c.]; 6.Yoshitaku, Confrontation between samurai 
and woman at night [onnagata] [a., c,] 7.Yoshinobu, Mitate portraits of 
Male and Female characters.[a., b.] 8. Yoshinobu character Portrait, at 
night in field.[c.] 9. Sadanobu , Samurai portrait, sword at ready, indoors 
[a., c,] 10. Sadanobu, Samurai portrait, with cord in hands. [[a., c.] 101. 
Sadanobu, two figures, woman and ninja[b., c.] 12. Sadanobu Woman reading 
scroll [c.]. 13. Sadanobu Actor diptych [a., b.] 14. Sadanobu, Actor 
portrait in character, looking at a single sheet Oban actor in character 
print. [a.]. 15. Sadanobu, Actor portrait in character, Samurai with sword 
at the ready. [a.]. 16.Yoshitaka, Samurai and woman in landscape, holding 
rain hats, attendants behind, with waterfall. [c.]17.Yoshinobu, four panel 
poyptych denouement of Kabuki play 4 characters. [a., c.]. 18. Yoshinobu 
Diptych of Samurai horsemen, one in water, the other on the beach.[a., c.]. 
19,. Sadanobu, warriors at night, one with spear, the other over prostrate 
foe, shadow figures in distance.[A., C.] 20.Yoshinobu, Diptych. Scene at 
night, boatman under bridge, female ghost floating over him. [a., d.] 
21.Yoshinobu Diptych .Very bloody villain 3 triumphing samurai out of 
doors. [a., d.].22. Yoshinobu triptych. Denouement. Three samurai, swords 
ready. [a., b., c.] 23. Yoshinobu Diptych. Samurai with woman, who wields 
umbrella as weapon, at night. [c., d.] 24. Yoshinobu Triptych. [a.,c.,d.]. 
25.Yoshinobu, Samurai and woman in the falling snow.[a., c.] A total of 48 
chuban sheets. The artists were active from the 1840s through the 1870s; 
i.e., See Richard Lane Images from the Floating world, Frank A.Turk,Prints 
of Japan for specific artist references. Color and condition is splendid, 
fresh to mint. Only one flaw can be found. In some of the diptychs with use 
of metallic ink and mica, the print facing the inks has received small 
light stains from contact over the years. These diptychs are, however some 
of the standout prints for both drama and sophisticated and decorative 
technique of printing, in the series. Original silk patterned cloth covers, 
now worn, especially at extremities. $12,250.00

5.	TOYOKUNI, UTAGAWA III [KUNISADA] :HIGASHIRA SANJIN author : SENGETSU 
YAKUSHA HYOBANKI. (Guide to the Actors [of Kabuki]). [1847]. 18 sheets, one 
used for an introductory text, 17 [34 Pp.] used for color prints of actor 
portraits in character including Onnagata [female impersonators.], 17.5 x 
11.8 cm. The text on the pages with each portrait are short biographies of 
each actor including the parts they played and their annual salaries. With 
the title page printed black on blue and white showing the title against 
three "Mon." The work looks very much like those by Toyokuni the First of 
1820. According to Kokusho Bunka, there is one other known copy, at Waseda 
University, which is lacking the title page, present here. Waseda is known 
to possess the finest collection of woodcut illustrated books in the world. 
Outer boards very rubbed, lacks printed title slip, lower corner rubbed, 
where the pages were turned soiling most pages a little at that spot but 
with very minimal loss of surface on one page, only. This copy lacks the 
colophon. $15,000.00


ZITA BOOKS / NEW YORK, N.Y. / G. LADERMAN
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telephone: 212-866-4715  email:zita at speakeasy.net

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