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"May blessings be upon the head of Cadmus, the Phoenicians, or whoever it was that invented books." -Thomas Carlyle
Welcome to my virtual book collection. Since collecting actual books is somewhat cost-prohibitive, I've begun to amass all of the books I would love to have if I had the means. Some are new, lots are old, all are unique or beautiful or unusual or in some other way have captured my fancy. Enjoy browsing!
Special Collections: Fine Bindings ~ Fairies and Fairy Tales ~ Terror and Madness ~ Poetry ~ Food, Drink and Apothecary ~ Science Fiction ~ Illuminations, Lettering and Hand-Coloring ~ Magic ~ Supernatural and Occult ~ Alchemy ~ Science and Technical ~ Maritime ~ Costumes ~ Humor ~ Children's books ~ Legend of King Arthur ~ Americana ~ 18th Century ~ 19th Century Authors and illustrators: Edgar Allan Poe ~ Jules Verne ~ Edmund Dulac ~ Kay Nielsen ~ Arthur Rackham ~ Edward Gorey ~ Charles Dickens ~ H.P. Lovecraft ~ William Hope Hodgson ~ Mark Twain ~ Lewis Carroll ~ Salvador Dali ~ George Cruikshank ~ Emily Dickinson ~ Geoffrey Chaucer ~ H.G. Wells
Japanese Illustrated Children’s Books
This lot includes the pair of Japanese illustrated children’s books shown in the corresponding image(s). The books measure approximately 9 1/4” x 12 1/2”. These volumes were published c1940, and are filled with brightly colored illustrations of children, animal and Japanese families in various settings.
1 year ago on June 05, 2011 at 10:54am
MAFFEI (GIOVANNI PIETRO, editor and translator)
Rerum a Societate Jesu in Oriente gestarum, fourth expanded edition, woodcut vignette on title, several large historiated woodcut initials, 5-pages of woodcut Japanese characters.
One of the most important compilations of letters relating to the early Jesuit mission in the Far East between 1548 and 1571, including 43 relating to Japan written by St. Francis Xavier (2, one of which dated November 1549 from Kagoshima on his arrival in Japan), Frois, Almeida, Vilela and others which provide invaluable details on Japanese culture and customs. The Specimen quoddam litterarum vocumque Japonicarum is illustrated with woodcut Japanese calligraphy.
via
bonhams.com
2 years ago on March 20, 2011 at 11:54am
Japanese Fragments, With Facsimiles of Illustrations by Artists of Yedo
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1861. Small 8vo, 190x140mm. xii + 139pp. First edition. Bound in the original purple cloth, decorated in blind and gilt. All edges gilt. With several black & white illustrations, as well as 5 (of 6) beautiful hand-colored plates.
The cover image - “Boys Feeding Storks” - is delightful.
3 years ago on January 26, 2010 at 12:39pm
