Author: [MILITARIA - JAPAN].
Title: De soldaten-school voor de Koninklijke Nederlandsche infanterie.[copy imprint:] The Hague & Amsterdam, Gebroeders van Cleef, 1833 (last leaf: Tokyo, Juij Masuda, 1856). 8vo. Printed from woodblocks on Japanese paper in the traditional Japanese manner on the outside of double leaves with the fold at the fore-edge. With woodcut Japanese text on the half title and last leaf. With an illustrated title-page printed on paper which has been dyed red, facing the half-title, showing three soldiers. Contemporary Japanese brown paper covers, side stitched and oversewn through 4 holes (near the head and near the foot and 2 holes between them). In a modern Japanese gold brocade cloth chitsu (folding case) with 2 bone fastenings and a brown paper label.
Description: [15], 179, [6] pp.Very rare first and only Japanese edition of a Dutch military manual, being a concise guidebook for the military school, originally intended for the Royal Dutch Infantry. It discusses various topics for the beginning foot soldier, for example the order of rank within the army, the education of soldiers and higher ranks such as officers, how a soldier should stand and march and of course, how to carry, load, and fire a rifle and the many different ways to do so. It therefore presents the basics for a trainee soldier and was commonly used at the Dutch military schools.The present manual is a beautiful example of the many Dutch military science books that were imported to and distributed throughout Japan during the Bakumatsu (1853-1867), the final years of the Edo period when the Tokogawa shogunata ended and the Meiji government was restored. Earlier Dutch editions were printed in 1826, 1831 and 1833 by the brothers Van Cleef in The Hague and Amsterdam. The present edition is of great importance to illustrate the Dutch-Japanese exchange of military science, but also of the utmost rarity. WorldCat records only 1 copy of the present edition, in the library of Leiden University.Binding only very slightly worn, a few wormholes without loss of text, the last leaf with Japanese text slightly stained, red colour of the illustrated title-page a little faded, but overall still in good condition. Rare Japanese edition (in the original Dutch language) of a military manual, preserved in a Japanese gold brocade folding case.l WorldCat (1 copy); not in Alt Japan Kat.; Cordier, Nipponalia.

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