Marrin's Bookshop

Synopsis

Selections from the manga. fifth printing.

Item Description

Large 8vo. 10.5 x 6.75 inches. 286 pp. Bound in original two tone cloth, gilt. in pictorial dust wrapper which has edge chips and small missing sections at head and tail of spine; otherwise a very good copy. Some Japanese text and decoration extending on to fore edge. All double pages uncut. Illustrated by 187 full text plates in black and white and colour. Decorated by text figures and vignettes. The book is a rich store of information concerning Japanese history, customs, superstitions, psychology, life, and pleasures. Botany, zoology, architecture, agriculture, astronomy; all these and other subjects are touched upon, to create a veritable encyclopaedia of Japan. The great Japanese artist, Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) of the Edo period, started to produce his Manga (meaning random drawings) woodblock series in 1811 and these were published in fifteen volumes between 1814 and 78. Edited by James A. Michener (1907-97), prolific US author of both non-fiction and long works of fiction, strong on geographical and historical detail, several of which were adapted for the movie or TV screen. Reprint of title first published 1958.