Night Blooming Plums.; Haiku by Yosa Buson selected and translated by Kenneth L. Richard.
1988. Octavo, 20 x 14 cm. In five-hole Japanese stab binding (a variation of the traditional Yotsume toj), with stencil pattern chiyogami paper covers, sewn with maroon thread, printed title label to the upper cover, and maroon Azuki washi endpapers. Unpaginated [20 double leaves (or 40 pp.), with four bound-in single leaves of various papers to mark the section breaks.]. A fine copy. Set Menhart Roman type and printed on Mogami paper. Brilliantly designed and arranged, with the original Japanese text appearing with the English translation on each page, but with the translation appearing in italic, and printed in colours corresponding with the mood of the season: spring appears in green, summer in blue, autumn in gold, and winter in pewter. Each cycle of poems is divided by a leaf of paper, corresponding in colour to the season and the colour in which the text is printed. The ‘seasonal interlude’ papers are green Chigiri gami for Spring, blue Ai for Summer, gold Unryu for Autumn, and white Tairei for Winter. Calligraphy by Fumiko Nikaid , reproduced as a line-cut, used for the title. One of 70 copies, of which this is number 15. Item #116
Price: $225.00