de Florian, J.-P. (Jean Pierre) Claris
Ka-no Tomo-nobou (illustrator)
Kadji-ta Han-ko (illustrator):
Fables Choisies de Florian. De J.-P. Claris, De Florian, Illustree Par Des Artistes Japonais Sous La Direction De P. Barboutau, Tokio, Volume 1, Paris, Librairie Marpon & Flammarion, E. Flammarion Succ., "Imprime par la compagnie de Shueisha a Tokio," Meiji 28 (1895), small 8vo (6 x 8 in - 15 x 20.1 cm), crepe paper (Ho-sho) folded sheets, spine covered, silk string ties, text in French, 56 pages total including the covers (28 folded pages). There are 24 numbered pages but the numbers do not include the fourteen two page plates (28 pp) and the front and back covers (4 pages). The book is richly illustrated with 14 color woodblocks that span two pages. The cover is a single page color woodblock. The cover woodblock print and the 14 internal double page woodblock prints all have the artist's seal (han). Several of the plates depict animals dressed as humans or interacting with humans as if they were humans. An image on the cover and one in an internal woodblock plates shows a monkey operating a projector(majic lantern show). There are 18 small text type black and white woodcut illustrations of birds, animals and plants interspersed throughout the book. The front cover is nicely illustrated in color. The back cover has two small decorative illustrations (crests) and these are also found on the first page of the preface. While the front and back covers are folded pages, they are affixed over a stiff but pliable inner piece. This makes the front and back folded pages (covers) much firmer than the internal folded pages which are not reinforced.

The following is found on the inside of the front cover:

Exemplaires De Luxe - Il a ete fait de cet ouvrage un tirage deluxe de deux cents exemplaires numerotes (Nos 1 a 200) sur le papier Japonais Ho-sho. Tous Droits Reserves.

This is the first volume of a two volume set. However, it does not indicate it is the first volume. The second volume is designated "Deuxieme Serie." and in French referred to as "2ème série." These books are quite often found bound into one book.

This book set was issued in a plain paper version:

Fables Choisies de Florian. De J.-P. Claris, De Florian, Illustree Par Des Artistes Japonais Sous La Direction De P. Barboutau, Tokio, Volumes 1 & 2, Paris, Librairie Marpon & Flammarion, E. Flammarion Succ., "Imprime par la compagnie de Shueisha a Tokio," 2 volumes (tomes) generally found bound together into one book, western style (horizontal format, no string ties), plain paper (Tori-noko), Meiji 28 (1895), 8vo (24 x 33.5 cm), hard boards with decorative covering and paste on label, text in French, 30 full page color wood block prints, 72 pages. This version has a limitation statement of 190 copies. The fables and illustrations are different from those found in the crepe paper version.

 
The fourteen chapters of this crepe paper (Ho-sho paper) volume are:

I.    L'aveugle et le paralytique. Illustree par Ka-no Tomo-nobou. 
II.   La coquette et l'abeille. Illustree par Kadji-ta Han-ko. 
III.  Le chat et le miroir. Illustree par Kadji-ta Han-ko. 
IV.   La carpe et les carpillons. Illustree par Kadji-ta Han-ko. 
V.    Le Grillon. Illustree par Kadji-ta Han-ko. 
VI.   Le Phenix. Illustree par Ka-no Tomo-nobou. 
VII.  Le Singe qui montre la lanterne magique. Illustree par Kadji-ta Han-ko. 
VIII. La taupe et les lapins. Illustree par Kadji-ta Han-ko.1 
IX.   Le rossignol et le prince. Illustree par Ka-no Tomo-nobou. 
X.    Le milan et le pigeon. Illustree par Ka-no Tomo-nobou. 
XI.   Le sanglier et les rossignols. Illustree par Kadji-ta Han-ko. 
XII.  Le dervis la corneille et le faucon. Illustree par Ka-no Tomo-nobou. 
XIII. Les deux chats. Illustree par Kadji-ta Han-ko. 
XIV.  Le jeune homme et le vieillard. Illustree par Ka-no Tomo-nobou.

 
Seals:

Kadji-ta Han-ko

Ka-no Tomo-Nobou

 
Pictures of Title Page, Preface, All Double Page
Woodblocks and the First Page of Each Chapter.

Preface

Colophon (inside front cover)

Printed: Meiji 28 (1895).7.8
Distributed/Published: Meiji 28 (1895).7.11

 
The second volume ("Deuxieme Serie") in this set also contains a color woodblock on the front cover and 14 double page woodblock plates internally. For more information on that volume, click here.