Otsuki Gentaku 大槻玄沢

FIRST EDITION, first issue, 2 volumes (225 x 157mm.), Japanese text, xylographic printing on mulberry paper, original covers and title-slips, preserved in a modern folding cloth case, stitching renewed, slight wear and stains to covers

H. Kerlen, Catalogue of the Pre-Meiji Japanese Books and Maps in Public Collections in the Netherlands, Amsterdam, 1996, n.1311 (one copy located in European public collections); A. Horiuchi, L'apprentissage du hollandais au Japon (Education au Japon et en Chine, Paris, 2006, pp.77-97)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A RARE COPY OF THE FIRST DUTCH GRAMMAR IN JAPANESE. THE FIRST JAPANESE PRINTED BOOK TO INCLUDE WESTERN CHARACTERS. Only one copy is recorded in a European public library.

Otsuki Gentaku (1757-1827) was a highly celebrated physician and the first Japanese scholar to have an outstanding reading knowledge of the Dutch language, who studied Dutch medicine under Sugita Genpaku and learned the Dutch language from Ryotaku Maeno. Otsuki opened the Shirando Academy in 1787 to teach and propagate Dutch language, culture, and medicine. He is considered a major pioneer, leading to the opening and modernization of Japan after about 250 years of self-imposed seclusion. A friend and admirer of Siebold (1796-1866), Otsuki Gentaku introduced several new terms into Japanese medicine, still in use today.