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[EHON] Kameda BO^SAI, artist : KYO^CHU^ZAN

[EHON] Kameda BOSAI, artist. KYOCHUZAN. Vertically striated covers with horizontal figures, green on creme printed paper title label. String-bound Japanese-style, fukuro toji. The collation follows example "A" at Mitchell 383-4, save for the following: 27.9 x 18.3 cm; the pages are all un-numbered; the seals are printed in red, there is a colophon on the inside of the back cover citing 6 publishers in Edo, Osaka & Kyoto and the publication date as the ninth month of Bunka 13 [1816]. Thus, another variant is added to the long list surrounding this wonderful work. Though many articles have been written and differences between variants catalogued, there is surely more that needs to be said on the subject. Besides the bibliographic niceties involved, this copy captures perfectly the artistry and fun of the "MOUNTAINS OF THE HEART", perhaps the most famous of all Nanga school ehon. A very nice printing with lovely colors on the creamy paper of the better editions. The very first image has a bit of mottling, perhaps a bit of a chemical reaction between the paper and the pigment or perhaps even a desired "effect" as I have seen it in several copies.

[EHON] Kameda BO^SAI, artist : KYO^CHU^ZAN

[EHON] Kameda BOSAI, artist. KYOCHUZAN. Toto, 26.6 x 18.1 cm. Blue-green karazuri figured covers and printed paper label. String-bound Japanese- style, fukuro toji. The collation follows example "A" at Mitchell 383-4, save for the following: all sheets are unnumbered; there is a colophon on the inside of the back cover citing Suharaya Shimbei of Edo as the publisher and the publication date as the fifth month of Bunka 6 [1809], though all other internal evidence, i.e. prefaces, closing notes, etc., are dated by the zodiacal date corresponding to 1816. Resembles copy II of the three copies noted by Dr. Pulverer in his article on the bibliography of the book in ANDON magazine #50. As he mentioned, the paper and printing are quite good, though not quite up to the standard of the version I, though much better than his copy III (Mitchell's "C" - which is an obvious small format recut on relatively poor paper.) He describes the book as a "second edition". It is by far the most common version found in the marketplace and most dealers and collectors have thought it a version from relatively early on after the first. The final complication is that this copy is the first I have seen of this version where the inner backing to the title page is a layer of late Edo/early Meiji typeset printing! So, is this copy unique, bound up from earlier sheets with (perhaps) that early spurious 1809 colophon pasted to the inner rear cover sometime between 1850 and 1875? Or are all the versions which resemble Pulverer's II version done at that late date, though probably with sheets from a much earlier printing? I am simply not sure. What is sure is that this is a very nice printing in very good condition with lovely colors and creamy paper and that this version has always been thought to be one of the "good" ones., Good

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