~~ Book 1896130220 ~~

Illustrations of Japanese Life

Photographs by K. Ogawa, Descriptions by S. Takashima
Deluxe Edition, 1896, 100 Color Collotype Plates, Plain Paper

 

 
Condition. The book is in Very Good condition. The boards have light soiling. The binding is solid. There is splitting at the head and foot of the spine covering. The front cover woodblock has a piece missing (1 x 1 cm) at the right edge at the mid-point. A few pages (less than 5) have minor edge tears but no tear is greater than 2 cm or extends into the text or image area. The collotype plates are clean, bright and free of foxing or staining. The 45th plate ("Senju Kannon") was misprinted. The letter press title and descriptive paragraph are misprinted at the top of the page facing up. They do not, however, intrude into the image area of the collotype print. A picture of this plate is here.

 
Ogawa, K.
Takashima, S. (Suteta) (descriptions):
Illustrations of Japanese Life, a deluxe edition, K. Ogawa (Tokyo), Sole Agents, Kelly and Walsh (Yokohama, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore), descriptions by S. Takashima, 4to (10 1/2 x 14 1/2 in- 27 x 36.5 cm - occasionally described as "Folio" size), brocade silk boards with recessed panels front and back containing tipped in color woodblock prints on silk, board edges beveled, patterned end papers, all page edges gilt, purple silk tassel ties, vertical format, plain paper, 100 hand colored collotype plates with descriptive captions and commentary printed below the image. Each plate is numbered immediately below the commentary. This book has a slip inserted at the rear which is a Japanese language colophon. It shows a printing and publication date of June, 1895.

This is the only plain paper edition of this title of which I am aware.

The book is variously reported with between 95 and 100 plates. I do not know if they were actually published with the lesser number of plates or if plates were removed. In this book each plate is numbered (1 to 100) so it is simple to determine if a plate is missing. I have reviewed one book with less than 100 plates. This book had 95 plates. The title page was undated whereas it is dated 1896 in this book of 100 plates. In addition, the plates were not numbered.

While not designated as a "Deluxe Edition" this clearly is the top of the line edition of this book. Other editions were printed on crepe paper. Most of those contained 12 images each. However, two volume crepe paper editions were also published containing approximately 50 plates per volume.

The title page carries the date of 1896. This conflicts slightly with the Japanese language colophon which shows Meiji 28 (1895).

In the preface dated May 28, 1896, Ogawa states:

I have to acknowledge my indebtedness to Messrs. Tamamura and S. Kajima, as well as Prof Burton, for several of the plates in this volume.

The following three relevant entries are found in the Wenckstern bibliography.

Illustrations of Japanese life, 100 collotype plates with short description in English by S. Takashima, folio, 1896 (yen 20.--).
-- Another edition in 2 vols. on crepe paper, large 8vo., 1898 (yen 7.--).
-- A third edition in one volume, no date (yen 1.20).

Wenckstern, Bibliography of the Japanese Empire - 1894-1906

 
For information on Kazumasa Ogawa, click here.

 

List of all 100 plates
  1. The "Geisha" (Singing Girl)
  2. The Cherry
  3. Japanese Babies
  4. Buddhist Priests Conspicuous
  5. Venturing Out in the Rain
  6. Letter Writing
  7. Morning Toilet
  8. An Accident
  9. Shinto Priest at Prayer
  10. "Sayonara!" (Good Bye)
  11. Backyard of a Tea House
  12. The "Shiohi" (Fishing on the Dry Bed)
  13. The "Amma" (Shampooer)
  14. The "Kamishimo" (The Ancient Ceremonial Dress)
  15. A Damsel
  16. The Geishas Holding a Letter
  17. Mamma!
  18. The "Jinrikisha"
  19. A Sleep
  20. Buddhist Priest at Prayer
  21. The "Amma" (Taffy Puller)
  22. Greeting
  23. Scene on the "Sumida" River
  24. Maple Garden at Takinogawa
  25. Marriage Ceremony
  26. Orchestra - Kioto, Violin, Samisen
  27. Basket Peddler
  28. Wrestling Match
  29. "Hanami" (Flower Pic Nic)
  30. The "Shiohi" (Fishing on the Dry Bed) different from #12, above
  31. Silk Worms on a Card
  32. Silk Worm Raising
  33. 2 Reeling the Silk from the Cocoons
  34. Reeling Threads
  35. The Cotton Spinning Wheel
  36. Examining Warps
  37. Loom
  38. Picking Tea
  39. Farmers Starting for the Field
  40. Farmers in the Rice Swamp
  41. Rice Planting
  42. Farmers in a Yard
  43. A Walk on a Snowy Day
  44. A Courtesan in Full Costume
  45. "Senju Kannon" (A Thousand Handed Goddess of Mercy) Title and info misprinted at top
  46. Japanese Maiden
  47. The "Dai Kagura"
  48. A Blind Street Musician
  49. Maidens
  50. The "Go Inkyo" (Retired Gentleman)
  51. "The Ainu Couple
  52. Hair Dressing
  53. The "Suwari-Odori" (A Dancing)
  54. The "Miko" (Vestal Virgin)
  55. A Carrier
  56. Lady Tying the "Obi" (Girdle)
  57. The "Kago" (The Palanquin)
  58. An Afternoon Company
  59. The "Komamonoya" (Fancy Goods Dealer)
  60. Sewing
  61. A Florist
  62. The Art of Floral Arrangement
  63. "Odori" (Dancing)
  64. A Play
  65. The Game of "Go"
  66. The Japanese Culinary Art
  67. The "Hatsuni" (The First Stock of New Year)
  68. The "Ken" Game
  69. Fencing
  70. An Ox Cart
  71. The Ainus at Dinner
  72. The "Chanoyu" Ceremony
  73. A Cup of Tea for the Company
  74. Family at Dinner
  75. Dancing
  76. The Orchestra
  77. Carpenters at Work
  78. Cloth Dealers Shop
  79. Porcelain Ware Shop
  80. "Hakimono" (Clogs)
  81. Vegetable Dealer's Shop
  82. A Vegetable Dealer
  83. Green Grocer's Shop
  84. The "Kakubeshishi"
  85. Courtesans
  86. The "Koto" Playing
  87. The "Samisen" (Banjo)
  88. Working Men's Holiday
  89. Vestal Virgins at the Kasuga Temple, Nara
  90. A Curio Dealer's Shop
  91. The "Jinrikisha" Riding on a Rainy Day
  92. Wrestling Match
  93. A Miniature Garden of a Tea House
  94. A Well
  95. Medicant Friers
  96. Entertaining a Guest
  97. Summer Evening on the Shijo River
  98. A "Matsuri" (Temple Festival)
  99. Children at Meal
  100. Mother and Her Baby
Colophon (inserted at rear)

Printed: Meiji 28 (1895).6.21 (far left column)
Published: Meiji 28 (1895).6.25 (second column from left)
Title Page states 1896

 
List of Plates (without pics as shown above)

  1. The "Geisha" (Singing Girl)
  2. The Cherry
  3. Japanese Babies
  4. Buddhist Priests Conspicuous
  5. Venturing Out in the Rain
  6. Letter Writing
  7. Morning Toilet
  8. An Accident
  9. Shinto Priest at Prayer
  10. "Sayonara!" (Good Bye)
  11. Backyard of a Tea House
  12. The "Shiohi" (Fishing on the Dry Bed)
  13. The "Amma" (Shampooer)
  14. The "Kamishimo" (The Ancient Ceremonial Dress)
  15. A Damsel
  16. The Geishas Holding a Letter
  17. Mamma!
  18. The "Jinrikisha"
  19. A Sleep
  20. Buddhist Priest at Prayer
  21. The "Amma" (Taffy Puller)
  22. Greeting
  23. Scene on the "Sumida" River
  24. Maple Garden at Takinogawa
  25. Marriage Ceremony
  26. Orchestra - Kioto, Violin, Samisen
  27. Basket Peddler
  28. Wrestling Match
  29. "Hanami" (Flower Pic Nic)
  30. The "Shiohi" (Fishing on the Dry Bed) different from 12, above
  31. Silk Worms on a Card
  32. Silk Worm Raising
  33. 2 Reeling the Silk from the Cocoons
  34. Reeling Threads
  35. The Cotton Spinning Wheel
  36. Examining Warps
  37. The Loom
  38. Picking Tea
  39. Farmers Starting for the Field
  40. Farmers in the Rice Swamp
  41. Rice Planting
  42. Farmers in a Yard
  43. A Walk on a Snowy Day
  44. A Courtesan in Full Costume
  45. "Senju Kannon" (A Thousand Handed Goddess of Mercy) Title and info misprinted at top
  46. Japanese Maiden
  47. The "Dai Kagura"
  48. A Blind Street Musician
  49. Maidens
  50. The "Go Inkyo" (Retired Gentleman)
  51. "The Ainu Couple
  52. Hair Dressing
  53. The "Suwari-Odori" (A Dancing)
  54. The "Miko" (Vestal Virgin)
  55. A Carrier
  56. Lady Tying the "Obi" (Girdle)
  57. The "Kago" (The Palanquin)
  58. An Afternoon Company
  59. The "Komamonoya" (Fancy Goods Dealer)
  60. Sewing
  61. A Florist
  62. The Art of Floral Arrangement
  63. "Odori" (Dancing)
  64. A Play
  65. The Game of "Go"
  66. The Japanese Culinary Art
  67. The "Hatsuni" (The First Stock of New Year)
  68. The "Ken" Game
  69. Fencing
  70. An Ox Cart
  71. The Ainus at Dinner
  72. The "Chanoyu" Ceremony
  73. A Cup of Tea for the Company
  74. Family at Dinner
  75. Dancing
  76. The Orchestra
  77. Carpenters at Work
  78. Cloth Dealers Shop
  79. Porcelain Ware Shop
  80. "Hakimono" (Clogs)
  81. Vegetable Dealer's Shop
  82. A Vegetable Dealer
  83. Green Grocer's Shop
  84. The "Kakubeshishi"
  85. Courtesans
  86. The "Koto" Playing
  87. The "Samisen" (Banjo)
  88. Working Men's Holiday
  89. Vestal Virgins at the Kasuga Temple, Nara
  90. A Curio Dealer's Shop
  91. The "Jinrikisha" Riding on a Rainy Day
  92. Wrestling Match
  93. A Miniature Garden of a Tea House
  94. A Well
  95. Medicant Friers
  96. Entertaining a Guest
  97. Summer Evening on the Shijo River
  98. A "Matsuri" (Temple Festival)
  99. Children at Meal
  100. Mother and Her Baby


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