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Moustiers faience plate: tin-glazed earthenware plate with a scalloped rim, with green monochrome grotesque decoration of a whimsical creature and a female archer, surrounded by flowering vegetation and insects. Marked "X" on the bottom. "Joseph Fouque/Jean-Francois Pelloquin, started in 1749, used an"X" in its pottery mark". Diameter: 31 cm; Height: 4 cm. -
Vol. 1 : Title : LES | RUES DE PARIS | PARIS ANCIEN ET MODERNE | ORIGINES, HISTOIRE | MONUMENTS, COSTUMES, MŒURS, CHRONIQUES ET TRADITIONS | OUVRAGE | RÉDIGÉ PAR L’ÉLITE DE LA LITTÉRATURE CONTEMPORAINE | SOUS LA DIRECTION DE | LOUIS LURINE | et illustré de 300 dessins exécutés par les artistes les plus distingués | TOME PREMIER | { publisher’s device «G.K.» in vignette} | PARIS | G. KUGELMANN, ÉDITEUR, 25 RUE JACOB | 1844 || Pagination: [4] [1] 2-396 [4], total number of pages 404, plus 21 wood-engraved plates, incl. frontispiece, extraneous to collation. Collation: 4to; π2 [1]4 2-504, total number of leaves 202, plus 21 leaves of plates. Vol. 2: Title: Same, “TOME SECOND”. Pagination: [4] [1] 2-411 [412] [4], total number of pages 420, plus 22 wood engraved plates, incl. frontispiece, extraneous to collation. Collation: 4to; π2, 1-524, total number of leaves 210, plus 22 leaves of plates. Binding: 27 x 17 cm, two volumes uniformly bound by the publisher in brown cloth, blind-stamped frame and gilt design (corners, coat of arms of Paris, lettering) to boards and spine, yellow endpapers. CONTRIBUTORS: Printer: Alfred Wittersheim (French, 1825 – 1881) Publisher: Georges Kugelmann (French, 1809 – 1882) Editor/Compiler: Louis Lurine (French, 1816 – 1860) Texts by: Briffault, Eugène (French, 1799 – 1854); Janin, Jules Gabriel (French, 1804 – 1874); Huart, Louis Adrien (French, 1813 – 1865); Burette, Théodose (French, 1804 – 1847); Beauvoir, Roger de (French, 1806 – 1866); Brot, Charles Alphonse (French, 1807 – 1895); Le Roux de Lincy, Antoine (French, 1806 – 1869); Achard, Louis Amédée Eugène (French, 1814 – 1875). Illustrated book, profusely illustrated with over 300 woodcuts by: Artists: Daumier, Honoré (French, 1808 – 1879); Gavarni , Paul [Chevalier, Hippolyte Guillaume Sulpice] (French, 1804 – 1866); Nanteuil, Célestin François (French, 1813 – 1873); Baron, Henri (French, 1816 – 1885); Beaumont, Édouard de (French, 1821 – 1888); David, Jules (French, 1808 – 1892); Marckl, Louis (French, b. 1807); Schlesinger, Heinrich [Henri-Guillaume] (German-French, 1814 – 1893); Collignon, François Jules (French, d. 1850); Godefroy, Félix (French, 1765 – 1848); Lemercier, Charles Nicolas (French, 1797 – 1859); Loutrel, Victor Jean-Baptiste (French, 1821 – 1908); May, Edouard (French, c. 1807 – 1881); Moraine, Louis-Pierre René de (French, 1816 – 1864); Moynet, Jean Pierre (French, 1819 – 1876); Rossigneux, Charles (French, 1818 – 1907). Engravers: Bara, J. (French, b. c. 1812); Brugnot (French, fl.c. 1834 – 1873); Castan, André (French, 19th century); Budziłowicz, Ignacy (Polish-French, 1805 – 1863); Chevauchet (French, fl. 1837 – 1850); Pégard (French, 19th century); Czechowicz, A. (Polish-French, fl. 1840 – 1850); Debraine, T. Etienne (French, 19th century); Deschamps, M. (French, 19th century); Fauchery, Jean-Claude Auguste (French, 1798 – 1843); Ghouy, de (French, fl. mid-19th century); Montigneul, Émile (French, fl. 1840 – 1850); Joret, J. (French, 19th century); Fity, A. (French, 19th century); Guillaumot, Eugène (French, 1813 – 1869); Halley-Hiback (French, 19th century); Lacoste père et fils (French, fl. 1830s – 1860s); Lenepveu (French, 19th century); Lesestre, Jean Théophile Gustave (French, 1815 – 1873); Pannemaker, Adolphe François (Belgian-French, 1822 – 1900); Piaud, Antoine Alphée (French, 1813 – 1867); Pisan, Héliodore Joseph (French, 1822 – 1890); Pollet A. (French, 1840 – 1860); Pouget, Jean-Achille (French, fl. 1844 – 1877); Porret, Henri Désiré (French, 1800 – 1867); Pontenier, Auguste [Etienne, François] (French, 1820 – 1888); Rose, Alphonse Antoine (French, fl. 1840 – 1860); Timms, J. (English-French, fl. c. 1839 – 1865); Verdeil, Pierre (French, 1812 – 1874); Vien, Alphonse Jean-Baptiste (French, b. 1814). -
Vol. 1: Front cover and title page: LES CONTES | DE BOCCACE | ☙ DECAMERON ❧ | TRADUIT DE L'ITALIEN | PAR | ANTOINE LE MAÇON | LES CINQ | PREMIÈRES JOURNÉES | ILLUSTRATIONS DE | BRUNELLESCHI | {vignette} | GIBERT JEUNE | LIBRAIRIE D'AMATEURS | 61, BOULEVARD SAINT-MICHEL, 61 | PARIS || Pagination: [6] 1-342 [343-4] [10], 16 colour plates and 70 b/w head- and tailpieces after Umberto Brunelleschi. Vol. 2: Front cover and title page: LES CONTES | DE BOCCACE | ☙ DECAMERON ❧ | TRADUIT DE L'ITALIEN | PAR | ANTOINE LE MAÇON | LES CINQ | DERNIÈRES JOURNÉES | ILLUSTRATIONS DE | BRUNELLESCHI | {vignette} | GIBERT JEUNE | LIBRAIRIE D'AMATEURS | 61, BOULEVARD SAINT-MICHEL, 61 | PARIS || Pagination: [6] 1-281 [282] [10], 16 colour plates and 68 b/w head- and tailpieces after Umberto Brunelleschi. Edition: Limited to 2,500 copies, of which this is № 1. Edition supplemented with two full extra sets of plates, 32 in black and white, and 32 in colour. Printed on June 25, 1934. Binding: 26.5 x 20.5 cm; cream flapped wrappers (French softcover) with green and black lettering and vignettes to front cover and spine, publisher’s device on the back; uncut copy. Paper: Vélin de Navarre (wove paper), size: 260 x 200 mm. Contributors: Giovanni Boccaccio (Italian, 1313 – 1375) – author. Antoine Le Maçon (French, c. 1500 – 1559) – translator. Umberto Brunelleschi (Italian, 1879 – 1949) – artist. Malexis, Louis (French, 20 century) – mise en page. Coulouma, Robert (French, 1887 – 1976), Imprimerie Coulouma (Argenteuil) – printer, H. Barthélemy – director. Dantan, A. – engraver (probably from the family of Edouard Joseph Dantan (French, 1848 – 1897) Charpentier, E. – colour au pochoir. Compare this copy with a small one-volume reprint of 1941: [LIB-2773.2021]. Description of the stensil (au pochoir) technique. -
Collation: Prelims (pp.1-6): Blank leaf, front wrapper (ornamental, gilt and colour): LA NUIT VENITIENNE | FANTASIO | LES CAPRICES DE | MARIANNE | ALFRED DE MUSSET ||, blank leaf, [2] – h.t.: LA | NUIT VENITIENNE ||, [2] – t.p. (ornamental frame, marigold and reseda green): ALFRED DE MUSSET | LA NUIT | VENITIENNE | FANTASIA | LES CAPRICES | DE MARIANNE | ILLUSTRATIONS | DE | U. BRUNELLESCHI | L’EDITION D’ART H.PIAZZA | PARIS ||, [2] – ornamental divisional title: LA NUIT VENITIENNE ||, 7-138 [139/40] – contents / list of ills., [141-2] – limitation / colophon, blank leaf, back wrapper, blank leaf; plus 20 stencil-coloured (au pochoir) plates after gouaches by Umberto Brunelleschi, incl. frontispiece with red-lettered tissue guards; two more divisional titles, three headpieces in black; text printed on heavy wove paper, in an ornamental frame. Edition: 1st; limited to 500 copies on laid paper (papier du Japon) signed by the artist; this copy on wove paper without signatures, without limitation. Printed in Paris on the 10th of November 1913. Binding: 30 x 24 cm, owner’s green bead-grain buckram with a gilt-lettered black label to spine LA NUIT | VENITIENNE, publisher’s wrappers bound in, green and gilt endpapers. Alfred de Musset (French, 1810 – 1857) – author. Umberto Brunelleschi (Italian, 1879 – 1949) – artist. L’Edition d’art H. Piazza; Henri Jules Piazza (Italian, 1861 – 1929) – publisher, printer. -
Title-page (red and black): RESTIF DE LA BRETONNE | LES | FAIBLESSES | D'UNE | JOLIE FEMME | ILLUSTRATIONS EN COULEURS | DE | RAOUL SERRES | {VIGNETTE} | EDMOND VAIREL, ÉDITEUR | PARIS || Description: 25.8 x 17 cm, French flapped wrappers lettered in red and black “LES | FAIBLESSES | D'UNE | JOLIE FEMME” in a 26 x 18 cm tan cloth double slipcase, [1-14] 15-175 [176] [8], collated in-8vo, with 25 colour in-text woodcut vignettes and two tailpieces at the end of each chapter, by Gérard Angiolini after watercolours by Raoul Serres. Published: April 18, 1951, in Paris. Edition: 1st thus, limited edition of 1,025 copies, of which this is № 904 of a common print run on Vélin de Rives paper (numbered 101-1,000). Contributors: Nicolas Restif de la Bretonne [Nicolas-Edme Rétif] (French, 1734 – 1806) – author. Raoul Serres [Schem] (French, 1881 – 1971) – artist. Gérard Angiolini (French, fl. 1946 – 1957) – engraver. Imprimerie Coulouma (Argenteuil), Robert Coulouma (French, 1887-1976) – printer. Edmond Vairel (French, 18… – 19...) – publisher, colourist. -
Title-page: LA | CORRECTIONNELLE | PETITES CAUSES CÉLÈBRES | ÉTUDES DE MŒURS POPULAIRES | Au Dix-Neuvième Siècle | ACCOMPAGNÉES DE CENT DESSINS | PAR GAVARNI | {woodcut vignette} | PARIS | Chez Martinon, rue du Coq-Saint-Honoré, 4 | 1840 || Collation: 2o, π3 (t.p. (wrapper?), h.t., t.p.), 1-1012; 205 leaves total, of them 100 plates, lithographs by Gavarni. Pagination: [6] [1] 2-403 [404], 410 pages total, incl. ils. (BnF calls for 426 pages total). Note: plate № 8 is numbered 9, plate № 9 numbered 8; p. 266 numbered 264, p. 268 numbered 266, p. 362 numbered 374, p. 364 numbered 376 (as called for by Carteret). Binding: “Romantique” publisher's quarter calf with gilt lettering and design elements over red paper boards, marbled endpapers. Complete 100 issues of the 4-page “La Correctionnelle” with a woodcut vignette after Gavarni on the 1st page of each issue, published between December 1839 and December 1840, and collected under one cover in 1840 by Martinon. Catalogue raisonné: Carteret (Le trésor, 1927): pp. 177-8; Brivois (1883): p.112. Both authors marked the edition as «rare in good condition". Gavarni [Sulpice Guillaume Chevalier] (French, 1804 – 1866) – artist. Amedée Gratiot et Cie. – printer, text. Coulon et Cie.– printer, lithographs. Coulon, Barthélémy Henry (French, fl. 1839 – ?) -
One of 64 wood engravings by Robert Dill after Joseph Kuhn-Régnier (French, 1873 – 1940), stencil-coloured (au pochoir technique) by Ateliers Jacomet in Paris for the 4-volume edition of Littré’s “Œuvres complètes d'Hippocrate” by Javal & Bourdeaux in 1932-34. The edition was limited to 2,335 numbered copies, 2,000 of them on Vélin teinté du Marais paper., numbered from 336 to 2,335. Contributors: Joseph Kuhn-Régnier (French, 1873 – 1940) – artist. Robert Dill – engraver. Atelier Jacomet (Paris); Daniel Jacomet (French, 1894 – 1966) – printer. Les éditions Javal & Bourdeaux (Paris) – publisher. Émile Littré (French, 1801 – 1881) – translator/ editor. Hippocrates (Greek, c. 460 – c. 370 BC) – author. -
Description: 12mo, full calf, 12.9 x 7.4 cm, boards chain-bordered in gilt, front board gilt-lettered with the name of the owner “T. D. TOWNSEND”, flat spine, adorned in gilt, black label with gilt lettering, red endpapers, bookstore ticket to front pastedown: SOLD BY | ASH & MASON, | 139 Chesnut st.; ink ms inscription to ffep: Presented to | T. D. Townsend by | Mrs. Rebecca Cole of Burlington, N. Y. | Septr 29th 1827. Note: Ash & Mason bookstore and printing house in Philadelphia, PA. Engraved title-page: THE | LIFE & ADVENTURES | OF | Robinson Crusoe | Written | BY HIMSELF. | {vignette by C. Warren after T. Uwins, inscribed “Robinson on his periagua, making the circuit of his island”} | LONDON. | J. Walker & the other Proprietors | 1818. || Frontispiece: seated portrait of Robinson Crusoe in his bungalow with a dog and a cat by C. Warren after T. Uwins, inscribed below: ROBINSON CRUSOE | surrounded by his domestics || under the frame: T. Uwins del — C. Warren sculp.; beneath: London. Pub. by Walker & the other Proprietors || Title-page: THE | LIFE & ADVENTURES | OF | ROBINSON CRUSOE; | WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. | — | LONDON: | Printed for J. Walker; | 8 lines of names… and B. Reynolds. | 1818. || Collation: A6 (A1 torn out, A2 blank), B-Z12, 2A-2D12, 2E10 (2E8-10 blank); total 328 leaves plus two plates (engraved frontispiece and engraved title). Pagination: [2 torn out] [2 blank], [i-iii] iv-vi [2 blank] [1] 2-638 [6 blank]; total 656 pages, ill. Contributors: Daniel Defoe [Daniel De Foe] (British, 1660 – 1731) – author. Thomas Uwins (British, 1782 – 1857) – artist. Charles Warren (British, 1762 – 1823) – engraver. J Walker & Co. [Walker & Edwards] (London) – publisher. Ellerton and Henderson, Printers (London) – printer. -
Artist: Utagawa Yoshikazu [歌川芳員] (Japanese, fl. c. 1850 – 1870). Publisher: Wakasaya Yoichi [若狭屋与市] (Japanese, fl. 1794 – 1897). Combined date seal and kiwame censor seal: 1861 (Man'en 2 / Bunkyū 1, from 19/02). -
Description: Softcover volume in publisher’s pictorial wrappers, with a b/w medallion portrait and lettering in a frame over geometrical pattern in blue to front; 23 x 16.3 cm, collated 8vo. Title-page: РУССКАЯ ЖЕНЩИНА | ВЪ | ГРАВЮРАХЪ И ЛИТОГРАФIЯХЪ | – | ВЫСТАВКА ПОРТРЕТОВЪ | – | КРУЖОКЪ ЛЮБИТЕЛЕЙ | РУССКИХЪ ИЗЯЩНЫХЪ ИЗДАНIЙ | 1911 || Collation: 1-48, last blank, total 32 leaves plus 15 plates (collotype reproductions) with tissue guards, incl. frontispiece, and a few headpieces; catalogue with 180 entries. Pagination: [1-6] 7-63 [64] [2], total 64 pages, ils. Incl. article "Русская женщина в искусстве" барона Н. Н. Врангеля. Барон Николай Николаевич Врангель (Russian, 1880 – 1915) -
Okon's Lover Fukuoka Mitsugi, from the series Mirror of Virtuous Women (Teijo misao kagami)「てい女 美作保鏡 おこん 福岡貢」. Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi [歌川 國芳] (Japanese, 1798 – 1861). Publisher: Kojimaya Jūbei [小嶋屋重兵衛] (Japanese, fl. c. 1797 – 1869). Year: 1843–47 (Tenpô 14–Kôka 4). Signed: 一勇斎国芳画 – Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga. Censor's seal: Watari. Size: Vertical ôban; 36.8 x 25.6 cm Ref.: MFA № 11.16085. -
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Kunisada ga [国貞画] in a red double-gourd cartouche. Publisher: Iseya Sōemon [伊勢屋惣右衛門] (Japanese, c. 1776 – 1862). Date seal and kiwame censor seal: 1840 (Tenpō 11). Media: Untrimmed fan print (uchiwa-e), 227 x 293 mm. Title: Benzaiten Shrine at Honjō Block One [ひとつ目乃弁天] (Hitotsume no Benten). Provenance: The Collection of Paul F. Walter, Christie's, New York, 2017, lot 341; sold together with 5 other fan prints for $25,000. Before: Christie's, New York, 1997, lot 93 ($5,520). Ref: [LIB-1693.2018] The Collection of Paul Walter. — NY: Christie's, 2017, p. 363. Ref: Israel Goldman, Catalogue 2018, № 31: "Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) A Woman Reading a Letter by the Light of a Lantern. Hitotsume no Benten (One-eyed Benten). 1840. Fan print. Provenance: Japanese Prints, Paintings and Screens, Christie's, New York, 1997, lot 93 ($5,520), The Collection of Paul F. Walter, Christie's, New York, 2017, lot 341. Fine impression and colour. Expertly restored wormholes in the lower margin." Markus Sesko comment regarding the series title: "Some time between in the latter half of the 17th century, blind acupuncturist Sugiyama Waichi (1614–1694) cured a neurotic disease afflicting Shōgun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. Tsunayoshi asked Sugiyama what he would like as a reward, he answered that all that he would really desire was just one functioning eye. Now here we arrive at a wordplay. “One eye,” as you know, is Hitotsu-me in Japanese. As Tsunayoshi obviously could not reward Sugiyama with an eye, he gave him the entire first block of the Honjō neighbourhood in Edo, measuring about 1.2 ha. So, Honjō Block One is Honjō Hitotsu-me in Japanese as me not only means “eye,” but also “number.” Sugiyama moved there, but as he was praying to Benzaiten enshrined in the Enoshima-jinja southwest of Kamakura, Tsunayoshi gave Sugiyama permission to erect a small shrine on his new premises that was then dedicated to Benzaiten as well. To spare the old blind man the long trip so to speak. This shrine was named Honjō Hitotsu-me Benzaiten Shrine, short Hitotsu-me Benten, meaning the “Benzaiten Shrine at Honjō Block One.” That is, the label in the print refers to this context, i.e., location, not to a one-eyed Benzaiten. Sugiyama also had some rock formations of the “original” Benzaiten Shrine at Enoshima copied at his place, which was named Iwaya (い王や) (see picture attached). The lantern the woman is holding in the print is inscribed “Imuya” (い無や). Usually, the character mu (無) is not read wa in replacing a syllable, so maybe Imuya can be attributed to artistic freedom on part of Utagawa Kunisada, referring to the local Iwaya garden?" -
Softcover, pictorial wrappers, square 21 x 21 cm, 46 leaves, unpaginated, with illustrations in colour, 88 entries, with price list laid in. Contributor: Israel Goldman In this collection:
SVJP-0349.2021: Utagawa Kunisada. Kabuki actor Nakamura Shikan II as Gotobei / Fan print, 1830.
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Description: Two parts in one volume, collated 4to, 26.3 x 18 cm, bound in quarter green pebbled morocco over green percaline panelled boards, spine with raised bands, gilt in compartments, lettered in gilt, signed in the bottom “L. Curmer”; marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Part 1 is illustrated with a hand-coloured wood-engraved title-page by Porret and Blanadet and 28 hand-coloured steel engravings by Charles Geoffroy after J.-J. Grandville; part 2 is illustrated with a hand-coloured wood-engraved title-page by Quichon and 22 steel engravings by Charles Geoffroy after J.-J. Grandville, and two uncoloured botanical plates, unsigned. Title-page: LES | FLEURS ANIMÉES | PAR | J.-J. GRANDVILLE | INTRODUCTIONS | Par ALPH. KARR | TEXTE | Par TAXILE DELORD | — | PREMIÈRE (DEUXIÈME) PARTIE | — | PARIS | GABRIEL DE GONET, ÉDITEUR | 6, RUE DES BEAUX-ARTS, 6 || Collation: part 1: blank, [1] h.t./imprint (PARIS WALDER), hand-coloured engraved t.p., [1] t.p./blank, 1-324, [1] contents/blank, 28 hand-coloured plates; part 2: [1] h.t./imprint (PARIS WALDER), hand-coloured engraved t.p., [1] t.p./blank, [2] intro., [1]-294, 302, blank, 22 hand-coloured plates and 2 uncoloured plates. Pagination: part 1: [1-5] 6-260 [2] (total 262 pages), ils; part 2: [4] [i] ii-iv [1] 2-102, [2] [i] ii-iv, [105] 106-234 [2] (total 248 pages), ils. Coloured steel-engraved plates: Part 1: Bleuet et Coquelicot. Lis. Pensée. Tabac. Tulipe. Rose. Narcisse. Violette. Nenuphar. Laurier. Myrte. Marguerite. Camelia. Immortelle. Chèvre-feuille. Belle-de-nuit. Oeillet. Ciguë. Soleil. Fleur de grenadier. Lin. Eglantine. Pavot. Chardon. Fleur d'oranger. Capucine. Guimauve. Primevère – Perce-neige. Part 2: Pois de senteur. Cactus. Dahlia. Sensitive. Fleur de pêcher. Aubépine. Vigne. Myosotis. Jasmin. Scabieuse & Souci. Traite des fleurs. Flèche-d'eau. Hortensia, couronne impériale. Verveine. Giroflée. Thé et Café. Lilas. Tubéreuse Jonquille. Bal. Retour des fleurs. Erratum. Pervenche desséchée. Plates signed "Grandville del. – Ch. Geoffroy sc. – G. de Gonet, editeur" but some signed "Imp. Delamain et Sarazin rue Git le Cœur 8 Paris." Plates accompanied by tissue guards. Gordon N. Ray: "Most of the plates show an elegant lady in a garden, her dress covered with an extraordinary pattern of flowers. She is sometimes accompanied by respectful creatures, animals and insects, even fish and reptiles". Edition: 2nd edition of 1847, each part has separate pagination; imprint: "Paris. — Typographie Walder, rue Bonaparte, 44". Second "tirage", the volumes being paged separately; the first "tirage", issued also in 1847, is paged continuously. Point of issue: Table des Matières has "Imprimerte Walder." Originally appeared in 83 separate parts in pictorial yellow wrappers. Contributors: J.-J. Grandville [Gèrard, Isidore-Adolphe] (French, 1803 – 1847) – artist. Taxile Delord (French, 1815 – 1877) – author. Comte Foelix [Louis-François Raban] (French, 1795 – 1870) – author. Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (French, 1808 – 1890) – author. Charles Michel Geoffroy (French, 1819 – 1882) – engraver (on steel). Gabriel de Gonet (French, fl. 1847 – 1862) – publisher. Typographie Walder (Paris) – printer. Plon Freres (Paris) – printer. Delamain et Sarrazin (Paris) – printer. Henri Désiré Porret (French, 1800 – 1867) – engraver (on wood). Jules Blanadet (French, 1824 – ?) – engraver (on wood). Quichon (French, fl. c. 1850s) – engraver (on wood). Catalogue raisonné: L. Carteret (Le trésor): p. 286; Ray (French): 198, pp. 278-9; Vicaire (Manuel): D III, p. 133-4; Brivois (Guide): pp. 147-150. In collections: MET 1970.565.423.1–.2; Vanderbilt University; V&A L.755-1943. Provenance: Léon Curmer (French, ). -
Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige II (二代目 歌川広重] (Japanese, 1826 – 1869). Signed: Hiroshige ga. Publisher: Iseya Sōemon [伊勢屋惣右衛門] (Japanese, c. 1776 – 1862); seal: Hanmoto, Ue [板元 上] (Marks 19-047 | 156d). Combined date seal and kiwame censor seal: Bunkyū 2 (1862) Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), 230 x 296 mm. -
Softcover, 21.5 x 17 cm, glossy pictorial wrappers, pp.: [2] 3-[52] [53-88] 89-90 [2]; total 92 pages, incl. 18 leaves of plates within collation, not paginated. -
Album in-folio of 13 lithographs by Marcel Vertès, incl. title-page, each in a passe-partout 41.5 x 31.7 cm with 33.0 x 23.0 cm window, printed on wove paper sheets 38.0 x 28.0 cm and crayon-coloured by the artist; graphite pencil drawings by Marcel Vertès on the lower-right corner of each passe-partout; all in a buckram-backed flapped folder, signed ‘AT BOICHOT’, with an uncoloured title-page lithograph on front cover. Edition limited to 100 copies on Chine (№№ 1-100) and 900 on Vélin (№№ 1 to 900); this is a copy № 22 (Vélin), unique as enhanced by the artist. Double-folio leaf 41 x 31 cm with text by Pierre Mac-Orlan. These lithographs, uncoloured, were used in Pierre Mac-Orlan. Les jeux du demi-jour / avec douze lithographies de Vertès. — Paris: Les arts et le livre, 1926 [LIB-2893.2021]. Lithographed title-page: MAISONS.... | {vignette} | DOUZE LITHOGRAPHIES ORIGINALES | PAR | VERTÈS | ÉDITIONS PELLET ~ PARIS || Catalogue raisonné: Vokaer: № 5, p. 7; Nordmann (1): 423, p. 267. Contributors: Pierre Mac-Orlan (French, 1882 – 1970) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist. Gustave Pellet (1859 – 1919) – publisher. Thomas Boichot – bookbinder. Description by J.-P. Dutel: MAC ORLAN Pierre. VERTES Marcel. MAISONS... Douze lithographies originales. Paris, Editions Pellet, [1925]. In-folio (410 x 310 mm) de [4] ff. et 13 lithographies sous passe-partout dont un titre. Chemise en demi-soienoire, premier plat illustré de la même lithographie que celle utilisée pour le titre (AT Boichot). TIRAGE : 100 albums sur chine avant la signature gravée, chaque planche signée. 900 albums sur vélin. :Un des 900 albums sur vélin (n° 22). EXEMPLAIRE UNIQUE DANS LEQUEL LES 13 LITHOGRAPHIES ONT ÉTÉCOLORIÉES AUX CRAYONS DE COULEURS PAR VERTÈS. DE PLUS, CHAQUE PASSE-PARTOUT COMPORTE EN BAS À DROITE UN CROQUIS ORIGINAL À LA MINE DE PLOMB CORRESPONDANT À UNE VERSION PLUS LIBRE DELA LITHO. -
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Artist signature: By the brush of the 79-year-old Toyokuni [七十九歳豊國画] (Nanajūkyū-sai Toyokuni ga). Publisher: Ebiya Rinnosuke [海老屋林之助] (Japanese, fl. c. 1832 – 1895); seal: ト/ 海老林 (to, Ebirin). Block carver: Matsushima Masakichi [松島政吉]; seal: carved by Masa [彫政] (Hori Masa). Combined date seal and kiwame censor seal: [子極] 1864 (Bunkyū 4/Genji 1). Media: Untrimmed fan print (uchiwa-e), 223 x 297 mm. Inscription in the cartouches: (R) Wakana-hime [若菜姫], Sawamura Tanosuke III [沢村田之助]; (L) Ashikaga Sanshichirō [足利三七郎], Sawamura Tosshō II [沢村訥升]. Play: Kinoene Soga Daikoku-bashira [甲子曽我大国柱], performed at the Morita theatre [森田座・守田座] (Morita-za) in 1864 (Bunkyū 4/Genji 1), 2nd month (see playbill at MFA-Boston Collection). Playwright: Muraoka Kōji II [村岡幸治]. Actors and Characters: Sawamura Tanosuke III [三代目沢村田之助] (Japanese, 1859 – 1878); other names: Shozan [曙山] (poetry name), Sawamura Yoshijirō I [初代沢村由次郎], here in the role of Princess Wakana [若菜姫] (Wakana-hime) (R). The story about Princess Wakana, Shiranui Monogatari, was written by Ryukatei Tanekazu [柳下亭種員] (Japanese, 1807 – 1858) and published as a 90-volume book of comics between 1849 and 1855. ...The tale revolves around the clash between the Kikuchi and Ōtomo clans. Princess Wakana’s father Ōtomo Sōrin [大友 宗麟] (1530 – 1587) was killed in a battle, and his spirit demanded revenge. To appease her late father's spirit, Princes Wakana acquired the power of the Earth Spider. She often appears in prints with a magic scroll, which helps her fight various enemies. Sawamura Tosshō II [二代目沢村訥升] (Japanese, 1854 – 1879); other names: Kōga [高賀] (poetry name), Sawamura Genpei II [二代目沢村源平], Sawamura Sōjūrō [澤村宗十郎], Suketakaya Takasuke IV [四代目助高屋高助], Sawamura Tosshi VI [六代目澤村訥子] (poetry name), here in the role of Ashikaga Sanshichirō [足利三七郎] (L) with a horse. According to Markus Sesko, the scene comes from the kabuki play Umakiri (馬斬り) by Tatsuoka Mansaku [辰岡万作] (17432 – 1809), which premiered in 1794. It was later assimilated into the Kabuki play Kozotte Mimasu Kuruwa no Datezome [襷廓三升伊達染], which was staged in the 1st lunar month of 1853 at the Nakamura-za. Umakiri is based on a Kyōgen play featured in Hideyoshi’s biography Taikōki [太閤記]. Its plot is that Ashikaga Sanchichirō Yoshitaka [足利三七郎義孝・義高], who is supposed to allude to Nobunaga’s son Oda Sanshichirō Nobutaka [織田三七郎信孝], attacks and kills a horse that is carrying 3,000 ryō (金三千両), money Mashiba Hisayoshi [真柴久吉] (an allusion to Hashiba Hideyoshi [羽柴秀吉]) had sent to be donated to a shrine on Mt. Kōya. The surrounding people try to catch him, but when they hear it is Yoshitaka who killed the horse, they fall to the ground and prostrate, and Yoshitaka leisurely leaves with the money. The plot is very simple, but Yoshitaka’s dashing appearance makes it very pleasing to watch. There are also prints that quote the main protagonist as Ashikaga Sanshichirō Harutaka [足利三七郎春高], and there is another title for the play, Sanzen-Ryō Kogane no Kurairi [三千両黄金蔵入] (Pocketing 3,000 ryō of gold). For reference, see also the BLOG. What these two characters are doing in one play remains a riddle. As Mr Graebner comments: "Most kabuki plays were only performed for one season (two months), and the books were lost. The playwrights have repeatedly used parts of plots from other plays, they have adopted characters, sometimes with the same or similar names. What can be found is the Kabuki Playbill (Tsuji banzuke) with cast and roles; the content is lost".Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Horst Graebner of the Kunisada Project and to Markus Sesko of The Metropolitan Museum, NY, for the analysis of the image and their invaluable contribution. For reference, see also:
MBA-Boston Accession number 11.28192
