[Rarebooks] OFFER:; RAREST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL WORLD'S COLUMBIAN FAIR BOOK.

[Laderman]

BEISEN, KUBOTA: BIJUTSU HIN GAFU [Album of Art Objects1st, 2nd & 4th 
Series]. Tokyo, Meiji 26, 27, 28. III volumes 24.4 cm. Each having 17 
sheets with 15 openings showing color wood block prints. The 16th has 
the colophon and an ad. All pages are printed by woodblock in color. 
Verso of the front cover is part of a double page spread showing the 
Japanese pavilion at the World's Columbian Fair in Chicago with other 
nearby pavilions and many Victorian American fair goers. Two of these 
are in chairs pushed by employees and one more in the equivalent of a 
Japanese Kago, with bearers in Turkish looking costumes. Each of the 
volumes has a different view pf the Japanese pavilion over the same 
pages.  The front cover is identical with that shown in Mitchell [for 
that volume, the other covers show other volume numbers ]. The rear 
cover shows flying cranes above a banner in English saying "World's 
Columbian Exposition"  In each volume. There is a white star behind 
the banner bearing the name, which is itself behind a somewhat furled 
Japanese flag. The contents show exhibits at the fair, including 
Japanese and other objects, many Victorian ones, and compositions 
drawn from life. One of these shows the meeting of a cat and two dogs 
inside a Victorian house. Another shows a gold miner [probably after 
an exhibit using real people]; another shows a farm scene with cows, 
cowboys and a milk maid. The humor of all the exhibits is fully 
appreciated. This is a fine Shijo style series by a wonderful 
Japanese painter who is discussed at length in Mitchell.  The titles 
are, however extremely rare, as is the setting of all of them in 
Chicago. This is the rarest of all works connected with the world's 
Columbian Exhinbition, and perhaps, the most beautiful. Mitchell 
P.223 notes only the Second series, finding one copy in Richard 
Lane's collection in Kyoto Otherwise unnoted in any Western location. 
Not in RLIN/OCLC, however the Japanese Diet Library does have a 
complete set in 4 volumes. Mitchell spent his life in Japan 
collecting these books. The catalog is called "The Illustrated books 
of the Nanga, Shijo Maruyama and Other Related Schools. A 
Bibliography." It was purchased by the New York Public Library and is 
just now ready for visitors A very few of the books are illustrated . 
Ours can be found on P. 582, showing the cover, colophon and double 
page of the Japanese pavilion. Fine printing and state with some 
worming, entirely in the blank border and also on the rear board, of 
volume 2. Two wrappers are dusty, OW Fine. $4,500.00

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

http://www.antiqbook.com/zitabooks/

Carriage billed at cost. Payment in US dollar check or bank transfer required.
Credit cards accepted for payment through paypal. Institutions 
billed, and items
shipped, invoiced. The usual trade discounts offered.  Prices here quoted take
precedence over any earlier listing.