Color prints, Japanese--Edo period, 1600-1868
Kitagawa Utamaro's 'Studies from Nature', rarely seen and never before reproduced in facsimile, are five superbly bound and illustrated books of insects, shells and birds. The elegant depictions of nature are paired with 'kyoka'; playful, erudite and often erotic poems on the sentiments of love. Limited to just 500 hand-numbered sets, this remarkable publication includes a commentary volume with a full translation and newly commissioned essays on the poetry, the artist and the culture of the Floating World. -- Contents: Two volumes of 'The Book of Crawling Creatures', Japanese sewn binding; 'Gifts of the Ebb Tide' and two volumes of 'The Book of Myriad Birds', concertina binding; 'Translations and Commentary', hardbound volume; cloth-covered presentation box lined with paper printed to complement the bindings and tied with grosgrain ribbon; Limitation certificate.
[v.1]. The book of crawling creatures, book one = 絵本虫撰 上 -- [v.2]. The book of crawling creatures, book two = 絵本虫撰 下 -- [v.3]. The book of myriad birds, book one = 百千鳥狂歌合 前篇 -- [v.4]. The book of myriad birds, book two = 百千鳥狂歌合 後篇 -- [v.5]. Gifts of the Ebb Tide = 潮干の都登 -- [v.6]. Translations and commentary.
Facsimile volume texts in Japanese. Commentary volume includes reproductions of Japanese texts, with English translations, and transliterations of the Japanese poems. Presentation box and facsimile volumes have printed labels with titles in English and in Japanese script.