Lot Essay
LITERATURE
K.Wada, Saga-bon ko, Tokyo, 1916; Jack Hillier, Japanese prints and drawings from the Vever collection, London, 1976, Vol. I, no. 1, p. 3; David Chibbett, The history of Japanese printings and book illustration, Tokyo, 1977, p. 75 f.; Louise Norton Brown, Block printing and book illustration in Japan, London, 1924, p. 25; Hillier/Smith, Japanese prints, 300 years of albums and books, London, 1980, no. 1, p. 43
The most famous of Saga-bon, published by Sumikura Soan in co-operation with the polymath, Hon'ami Koetsu, at Saga, west of Kyoto, occupies an important place as the first printed version of the story as well as the fact that it is the first illustrated book on a secular theme. The illustrator of this book is unknown, but some have tried to attribute it to Koetsu.
Due to its popularity, the book was reprinted eight times by 1610, both with movable type and block editions. This relatively rare first edition of 1608 can be distinguished by Nakanoin Michikatsu's brush drawn kakihan.
Another copy of this book was sold at Christie's New York, The Donald and Mary Hyde Collection, 7 October 1988, lot 78 and another at Sotheby London, Highly important Japanese prints, illustrated books and drawings from the Henri Vever Collection, Part I, 26 March 1974, lot 1
K.Wada, Saga-bon ko, Tokyo, 1916; Jack Hillier, Japanese prints and drawings from the Vever collection, London, 1976, Vol. I, no. 1, p. 3; David Chibbett, The history of Japanese printings and book illustration, Tokyo, 1977, p. 75 f.; Louise Norton Brown, Block printing and book illustration in Japan, London, 1924, p. 25; Hillier/Smith, Japanese prints, 300 years of albums and books, London, 1980, no. 1, p. 43
The most famous of Saga-bon, published by Sumikura Soan in co-operation with the polymath, Hon'ami Koetsu, at Saga, west of Kyoto, occupies an important place as the first printed version of the story as well as the fact that it is the first illustrated book on a secular theme. The illustrator of this book is unknown, but some have tried to attribute it to Koetsu.
Due to its popularity, the book was reprinted eight times by 1610, both with movable type and block editions. This relatively rare first edition of 1608 can be distinguished by Nakanoin Michikatsu's brush drawn kakihan.
Another copy of this book was sold at Christie's New York, The Donald and Mary Hyde Collection, 7 October 1988, lot 78 and another at Sotheby London, Highly important Japanese prints, illustrated books and drawings from the Henri Vever Collection, Part I, 26 March 1974, lot 1