A group of illustrated books on Japanese Fairy Tales

Property from the Japan Society Library, London

A group of illustrated books on Japanese Fairy Tales

Meiji period, late 19^th century

each encased in 20^th century fitted blue linen board case with impressed gold leaf Japan Society Imperial chrysanthemum crest, and comprising:

A set of Kobunsha’s Japanese Fairy Tale Series (Nihon mukashibanashi), 20 vols. and supplement

woodblock-printed illustrated book (ehon) on Japanese crepe paper (chirimen), 20 volumes (first series, complete), and supplement, variously dated: Meiji 19 - 25 (1886-1892), publisher: Hasegawa Takejiro, Tokyo, binding: musubi toji (knot binding)

The series comprising:

1. Momotaro, or Little Peachling (Meiji 19)

2. The Tongue Cut Sparrow (Meiji 19)

3. The Battle of the Monkey and the Crab (Meiji 19)

4. The Old Man who made the Dead Trees Blossom (Meiji 21)

5. Kachi-Kachi Mountain (Meiji 21)

6. The Mouses’ Wedding (Meiji 21)

7. The Old Man and the Devils (Meiji 20)

8. Urashima, the Fisher-boy (Meiji 19)

9. The Eight-Headed Serpent (Meiji 19)

10. The Matsuyama Mirror. (Meiji 19)

11. The Hair of Inaba (Meiji 19)

12. The Cub’s Triumph (Meiji 20)

13. The Silly Jelly-Fish, translated by B. H. Chamberlain (Meiji 20)

14. The Princes Fire-Flash and Fire-Fade (Meiji 20), translated by B. H. Chamberlain

15. My Lord Rag-o’-Rice (Meiji 20), translated by B. H. Chamberlain

16. The Wonderful Tea-Kettle, (Meiji 20) translated by Mrs. T. H. James

17. Schippeitaro, Mrs. T. H. James (Meiji 21), translated by Mrs. T. H. James

18. The Ogre’s Arm, (Meiji 22), translated by Mrs. T. H. James, artist Kobayashi Eitaku

19. The Ogres of Oyeyama (Meiji 24)

20. The Enchanted Waterfall (Meiji 25), translated by Mrs. T. H. James

21. Japanese Fairy Tale Series, Extra No., Japanese Fairy Tale: Princess Splendor, The Wood-cutter’s Daughter (Meiji 22), translated by E. Rothesay Miller

A set of Kobunsha’s Japanese Fairy Tale Series (Nihon mukashibanashi), 14 vols.

woodblock-printed illustrated book (ehon), 14 volumes, variously dated: Meiji 18 - 21 (1885-1888), publisher: Hasegawa Takejiro, Tokyo, binding: musubi toji (knot binding), the volumes comprising:

1. Momotaro, or Little Peachling (Meiji 18)

2. The Tongue Cut Sparrow (Meiji 19), second edition

3. The Battle of the Monkey and the Crab (Meiji 19), second edition

4. The Old Man who made the Dead Trees Blossom (Meiji 18)

5. Kachi-Kachi Mountain (Meiji 18)

6. The Mouses’ Wedding (Meiji 18)

7. The Old Man and the Devils (Meiji 19)

8. Urashima, the Fisher-boy (Meiji 19)

9. The Eight-Headed Serpent (Meiji 19)

10. The Matsuyama Mirror. (Meiji 19)

11. The Hair of Inaba (Meiji 19)

12. The Cub’s Triumph (Meiji 19)

13. The Silly Jelly-Fish (Meiji 21)

14.. My Lord Rag-o’-Rice (Meiji 20)

Three volumes from Kobunsha’s Japanese Fairy Tales

woodblock-printed illustrated book, 3 volumes, dated: Meiji 18 (1885), publisher: Hasegawa Takejiro, Tokyo, binding: fukurotoji (pouch binding), brown paper covers, paper title slips with Japanese title and Roman script transliteration, the volumes comprising:

1. Momotaro

2. Saru Kani Kassen

3. Hanasaka Jiji.

Basil Hall Chamberlain (1850-1935) (author)

The Hunter in Fairly Land

woodblock printed illustrated book (ehon), 1 volume, Meiji 20 (1887), publisher: Kobunsha, Tokyo, binding: musubitoji (knot binding)

Chirimen-bon: each approx. 19 x 13 cm., 7½ x 5⅛ in. (the first)

Each approx. 18.2 x 12.5 cm., 7⅛ x 4⅞ in. (the second)

18.8 x 13.1 cm., 7⅝ x 5⅛ in. (the third)