Edo Meisho Zue (Famous Sights in and about Tokyo)
Tokyo: Suwaraya Ihachi, Tenpo 5- Tenpo 7, [1834 & 1836].
First edition. 14 of 20 volumes; lacking vols. 11,12, 14, 16, 17 and 20. Original publisher's blue wrappers with blind stamped pine branch decorations and paper title labels, later hand numbered in pencil in Arabic numerals. Printed from woodblocks on Japanese paper. With hundreds of lovely black and white woodcut illustrations, mostly double-page. About Very Good with wear and slight soiling to wraps, chipping to labels, string binding mostly intact, occasionally a little slack. German bookseller's description pasted onto verso of first volume; their stamp on rear wrap of that volume as well. Contents generally near fine, albeit a bit toned with age, with no dog-ears, writing, or tears.
An important tourist's guide to the landmarks, neighborhoods, and history of the city of Tokyo, then known as Edo, that greatly advanced the genre of Meisho-zue (famous site guides). It took three generations of poets in the Saito family to complete the text. It was the magnum opus of artist Hasegawa Settan (1778-1843); his illustrations alone are prolific within and truly striking, summoning up a vanished world of early 19th century Japan.
Price: $12,000.00