Cover


Wrap-Around Case

 
Condition. The book is in Very Good condition with moderate foxing to edges (see here). The title label on the wrap-around case is missing and the case is heavily sun toned (faded).

 
Unso-do Co., Ltd (Publisher)
Ando Hiroshige (art reproduced):
The Tokaido Fifty Three Stations by Hiroshige, Kyoto, small 12mo (7 x 4 3/4 in - 17.7 x 12 cm), not dated but believed to be ca 1960, cloth covered boards with edges beveled, paste on title on front board, English and Japanese text and captions, accordion fold-out style booklet, 53 + 2 color woodblock reproductions of Hiroshige's famous series. The book is composed of continuous sheets which are folded to create the book format. Each print is tipped to the sheet at the top of the print. The woodblock prints measure 5 3/8 x 3 1/2 in (13.8 x 9 cm). The page facing a woodblock print is always blank. The captions (number in the series & brief description) are printed on the sheet below the print.

The book is composed of two basic parts.

Part 1. Front to back (continuous sheet). Introduction (attached to inside the front cover), list of plates (two facing pages), black page followed by a woodblock print (sequence continues from print 1 through print 27). The last print (27) is attached to the outside edge of the back cover.

Part 2. Back to front (continuous sheet). The inside back cover and adjacent page are blank and on calendered paper which is different from the paper in the remainder of the book. The continuous sheet attaches to the edge of the second blank page. The sheet is composed of a blank page with a facing woodblock print (sequence continues for print 28 through print 55). The last print (55) is attached to the outside edge of the front cover.

The two continuous sheets appear to be joined (glued) together on the inside at the point where they are folded. It is possible the continuous sheet are actually pieces that have been spliced together at the fold but is impossible to determine. It would be possible to lay each part out (unfold the sheets). If this were done the length would be approximately 400 inches (33 ft) for each side

The book does not have a colophon and the publisher is not stated within the book. However, the wrap-around case has the following label:

Introductory Page


List of Plates



Plates























































  --- End of Front to Back - Beginning of Back to Front ---

 
Books/Folios With Actual Color Woodblock Prints Illustrating the Process of Color Woodblock Printing:

• 1907, Process of Wood-Cut Printing, The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, 127 pairs of prints.
• 1907, Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained, The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo
• c1916-1938, Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained, (Two Ladies in a Boat), The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, more information here.
• c1920, Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained (Lady Fishing), The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, more information here.
• 1932, Multi-Coloured WoodBlocks (Beauty Playing with a Cat), The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, more information here (30 color blocks).
• c1938, The Process of Wood-Cut Printing, Asaksa Temple, Doi Hangaten, Tokyo, more information here.
• c1940, Process of Wood-block Printing, Nishinomiya & Hasegawa, Inc, Tokyo, more information here.
• c1950, The Process of Wood-block Color Printing (Woman in Snow with Umbrella), Takamizawa Mokubansha., Tokyo, more information here.
• c1950, The Process of Wood-block Color Printing (Young Lovers Walking Together under an Umbrella), Takamizawa Mokubansha., Tokyo, more information here.
• c1950, Japanese Woodblock Prints, Uchida Wood Block Printing Co. Ltd, Kyoto, more information here.
• c1950, The Process of Color-Block Printing (Fuji and Trees), S. Watanabe, Tokyo (Ginza), more information here.
• c1950, The Process of Color-Block Printing (Fuji and Wave), S. Watanabe, Tokyo (Ginza), more information here.
• c1953, Process of Wood-block Printing (Fuji and Wave), probably Nishinomiya/Hasegawa, Tokyo, more information here.
• c1953, Process of Wood-block Printing (Winter Scene with Temple & Lantern), probably Nishinomiya/Hasegawa, Tokyo, more information here.
• c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do Co., Kyoto, Harunobu, woman beating cloth, more information here.
• c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do Co., Kyoto, Utamaro, two women cooking from "One of Twelve Sketches of Handicraft Arts for Women," more information here.
• c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do Co., Kyoto, Utamaro, two women weaving cloth from "One of Twelve Sketches of Handicraft Arts for Women," more information here.
• c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do Co., Kyoto, Utamaro, "Waitress Okita from the Naniwaya Tearoom," more information here.
• c1956, The Japanese Wood-Print, Unso-do Co., Kyoto, pamphlet discussing history of the Japanese wood-print and the implements/methods of manufacture, more information here.
• c1963 The Process of Wood-block Color Printing, (Hiroshige's "Night Scene at Kambara"), H. Nakazawa, Tokyo, more information here.
• c1970, Process Book of Woodblock Printing (Walking in Snow), Uchida Uchida Art Co., Ltd., more information here.
• c1970, Process Book of Woodblock Printing (Two Children Playing), Uchida Uchida Art Co., Ltd., more information here.

 
Woodblock Print Books Available for Purchase (Process Books):

• 1932, Multi-Coloured WoodBlocks, (Beauty Playing with a Cat), The Shimbi Shoin, purchase here.
• 1938, Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained, (Two Ladies in a Boat), The Shimbi Shoin, purchase here.
• c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do, Kyoto, Harunobu Suzuki, woman beating cloth, purchase here.
• c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do, Kyoto, Two Women Cooking from "One of Twelve Sketches of Handicraft Arts for Women," purchase here.
• c1970, Process Book of Woodblock Printing, Walking in the Snow, Uchida Uchida Art Co., Ltd., reddish brown boards, purchase here.

 
Miscellaneous Woodblock Print Books and Folios Available for Purchase (Other than Process Books):

• c1960, The Tokaido Fifty Three Stations by Hiroshige, Unso-do, Kyoto, purchase here.
• c1960, The Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji by Hokusai, Unso-do, Kyoto, purchase here (Fine/Fine).
• c1960, The Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji by Hokusai, Unso-do, Kyoto, purchase here (Fine/Very Good).
• c1960, Twelve Months of Kyoto, (folio of 12 woodblock prints), Uchida Wood Block Printing Co., Ltd, Kyoto, Tokuriki Tomikichiro, purchase here.
• c1960, Four Seasons of Tokyo, (folio of 4 woodblock prints with presentation folder) Uchida Wood Block Printing Co., Ltd, Kyoto, Tokuriki Tomikichiro, purchase here.
• c1960, Four Seasons of Tokyo, (folio of 4 woodblock prints without presentation folder) Uchida Wood Block Printing Co., Ltd, Kyoto, Tokuriki Tomikichiro, purchase here.