Lafcadio HEARN Japanese Fairy Tale 5 vol. [1920s?]

November 23, 2021

Rare Books, Documents, Photos, and Artwork

Lot 78

Lafcadio HEARN Japanese Fairy Tale 5 vol. [1920s?]

Estimate: $800 - $1,200

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About this Lot

Description

Lafcadio HEARN [Complete Set of five] Japanese Fairy Tale.

Offered for sale by Adam Langlands of 'Shadowrock Rare Books' - for more information please contact him via email at adamlanglands@gmail.com

Patrick Lafcadio HEARN (or Koizumi Yakumo, 1850-1904). Japanese Fairy Tale [sic.] The Boy Who Drew Cats. [… [2.]The Old Woman Who Lost Her Dumpling; …[3.]Chin Chin Kobakama; … [4.]The Goblin Spider; …[5.]The Fountain of Youth]. Rendered into English by Lafcadio Hearn. Tokyo: T. Hasegawa, [publications dates uncertain, ?1920s]. 5 volumes, small quarto (7 5/8 x 5 1/2in; 194 x 138mm). Printed on Mulberry fiber paper, colored woodblock illustrations throughout by Suzuki Kason or Arai Yoshimune, the pages with the ‘crepe’ finish added by hand after the printing of the illustrations (Some additional ‘waviness’ to blank margins of the fourth title). Stitched within pictorial wrappers using silk ties, in the Japanese fashion. Upper and lower cover only of the indigo-blue cloth ‘Chitsu’ or slipcase with two bone clasps, paper label on upper cover (issue with no mention of the US distribution company).

An excellent complete set of these charming works – bibliographically complicated, particularly if (as is the case here) the cataloguer is unable to read the Japanese publication details (see images). Translated from well-known Japanese folk-tales or "Ototogi Banashi" by Hearn. Almost all of the woodblocks for this series were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

Hearn “in his forties found a literal and spiritual home in Japan. His writings offered unprecedented insight into Japanese culture, especially his collections of legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. Before moving to Japan and becoming a Japanese citizen, he worked as a journalist in the United States, primarily in Cincinnati and New Orleans. His writings about New Orleans, based on his decade-long stay there, are also well-known.” (wikipedia).

See P.D. Perkins. Lafcadio Hearn A bibliography of his writings.

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