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Ohara Todo 小原桃洞(1746-1825), author - Todo Ihitsu 桃洞遺筆

Title: Todo Ihitsu 桃洞遺筆
Description: 1850. Ohara Todo 小原桃洞(1746-1825), author. TODO IHITSU 桃洞遺筆. Wakayama, Osaka, Kyoto, Edo. 6 volumes. complete. Todo was a samurai scholar from the Kii peninsula, who had studied with Ono Ranzan. As the title would indicate, these are posthumous records of his extensive research in botany and natural history. It would appear that there was an intention to produce a set of 10 volumes in the series. In the event, only the first series (1833) and second series (1850) appeared. We have all six volumes of the two series. Comparing our copy of the first series of three volumes to the copy owned by Waseda University which is illustrated online, ours is in identical covers with original printed title labels, BUT, it is missing the inner pastedown pages that were the title page in volume one and the colophon in volume three. The second series has both title page and colophon. One can only hypothesize. Comparing block wear, our first series appears to be an early impression, especially as it has the distinctive yellow printed covers of the first appearance. The second series from 1850 uses a different cover. My guess would be the first series dates to the 1830s or 40s and the second series close to its colophon date of 1850. The TODO IHITSU is an important book, cited in such botanical bibliographies as Bartlett and Shiohara as significant... for those who read Japanese, there is an excellent precis at https://blog.goo.ne.jp/inorimusigha/e/884f76005115e9e2de119588ba13482a I must say that the images in the set are truly lovely, interesting and very well printed. There are not many of them, a total of some 46 pages - some single page, some double page, and two integrated into the text. They have become quite famous images, as a glance at a few will illustrate. The printing and colors are excellent. There is a bit of worming to volume six, but overall a very nice copy of this classic. Enclosed in a vintage clasped chitsu case. Complete. .

Keywords: Japan and East Asia

Price: US$ 4750.00 Seller: Boston Book Company
- Book number: 91090

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