TACHIBANA MINKO (fl. 1764-1772), illustrator: Saiga shokunin burui 'Various classes of craftsmen', colophon dated Meiwa 7 (1770) 11th month, signed Gyokujuken Tachibana Minko, sealed Tachibana Masatoshi, engraved by Okamoto Shogyo, sealed kai-in, published (Edo) Uemura Tosaburo and Sawa Isuke; fukurotoji-bon, 2 vols. 28.2 x 19.1cm., block printed with stencilled colour, greyish blue paper covers with abstract design printed in blue, original title slip black on blue; very good impressions and colour, slight tears and soiling

Details

TACHIBANA MINKO (fl. 1764-1772), illustrator: Saiga shokunin burui 'Various classes of craftsmen', colophon dated Meiwa 7 (1770) 11th month, signed Gyokujuken Tachibana Minko, sealed Tachibana Masatoshi, engraved by Okamoto Shogyo, sealed kai-in, published (Edo) Uemura Tosaburo and Sawa Isuke; fukurotoji-bon, 2 vols. 28.2 x 19.1cm., block printed with stencilled colour, greyish blue paper covers with abstract design printed in blue, original title slip black on blue; very good impressions and colour, slight tears and soiling
Contents: Vol. I (ten), 20 leaves, unnumbered,inside front cover title page (torn in two and faded), title as above, signed Gyokujuken Tachibana Minko zu and sealed, Koto shoho Gyokushiken, Gyokurokudo and sealed, 2-leaf first preface, signed Rashakutsu Kikyu and sealed Kikyu and Rashakutsu, dated Meiwa 7, 2-leaf second preface, sealed Masatoshi no in and Minko, dated Meiwa 7, 1 p. table of contents, 15 double-page illustrations with text depicting various craftsmen; Vol. II (kai), 15 leaves, unnumbered, 1 p. table of contents, 13 double-page illustrations with text depicting craftsmen, 1-leaf postscript, signed Shunkotei Fusei and sealed Fusei and Shunkotei, dated Meiwa 7 (1770), 1 p. colophon (2)

Lot Essay

LITERATURE
Kokusho Somokuroku 'General list of Japanese books (published before 1868)', Tokyo, 1963-77, Vol. III, p.635; Louise Norton Brown, Block printing and book illustration in Japan, London 1924, p. 66; David Waterhouse, Harunobu and his age', London, 1964, no. 129; Jack Hillier, 'Japanese prints and drawings from the Vever collection, London, 1976, no. 207, p. 195; David Chibbett, The history of Japanese printing and book illustration, Tokyo, 1977, p. 176, pl. 1; Shigeo Sorimachi, Japanese illustrated books and manuscripts of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, Ireland, Tokyo 1979, no. 135; Jack Hillier and Lawrence Smith, Japanese prints, 300 years of albums and books, London, 1980, no. 42; Jack Hillier, The art of the Japanese book, London, 1987, Vol. I, p. 304 ff., pl. 32, no. 218; Lawrence Smith, Ukiyo-e, Images of unknown Japan, London, 1988, no.9, p. 160; for the second edition of 1784 see Ryerson, p. 178 and Binyon & O'Brien Sexton, p. 212

Another copy of this book was sold at Christie's New York, The Donald and Mary Hyde Collection, 7 October 1988, lot 123 and another on 17 October 1990, lot 520

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