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Two fine & luxuriously painted scrolls (260 x 4900 mm.; 260 x 4930 mm.) on mica paper, gold-flaked on verso, with gold endpapers at each end of both scrolls, endpapers backed with orig. silk brocade at beginning of each scroll by RICE CULTIVATION THROUGH THE FOUR SEASONS: Two Scrolls

7 to 14 days for delivery

Standard Shipping: $20.00

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$35,000.00

( US$)

Seller: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc.

Title: Two fine & luxuriously painted scrolls (260 x 4900 mm.; 260 x 4930 mm.) on mica paper, gold-flaked on verso, with gold endpapers at each end of both scrolls, endpapers backed with orig. silk brocade at beginning of each scroll
Author: RICE CULTIVATION THROUGH THE FOUR SEASONS: Two Scrolls
Seller: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. (United States)
Description: [Japan: early mid-Edo]. The theme of the four seasons of rice cultivation has had an extensive presence within Japanese art and literature. These two luxury festive scrolls beautifully depict the year-long cycle of rice growing in Japan, along with the ancillary activities that took place during the year in the countryside, including falconry, growing vegetables and fruits, seasonal festivals, ways of relaxation, and the annual tribute of rice to the fiefdom lord. The activities shown on these scrolls have much in common with Brueghel paintings, and vividly depict country life. We learn from the labels and handwriting on the original box protecting these two scrolls that they were once owned by two prominent women, members of the famous Nabeshima family. The first owner was Teiju in (1699-1752), wife of Muneshige Nabeshima (1687-1755), fifth lord of the Hizen Kashima han (Hizen Kashima fiefdom). The later owner was Tokusei in (or Kashioka, 1798-1877), widow of Naonori Nabeshima (1793-1826), ninth lord of the same fiefdom. Tokusei in was particularly interested in the development of agriculture of the fiefdom and invented the form of brocading known as Saga nishiki. An educated woman, she was also a book collector, and her library is now kept intact in the Yutoku Inari Shrine in Kashima City in Saga Prefecture. Written on one of the old labels on the box is: “Shiki no kosaku” (“Rice Cultivation through the Four Seasons”). This type of scroll was oftentimes produced as part of a wealthy bride’s dowery as a symbol of a good harvest and therefore good fortune to the new couple. Another label on the original box states (in trans.): “scroll of images of our territory.” The scrolls are very richly painted with copious clouds of gold flakes at top and bottom throughout. On both scrolls, the actual images of the ground and background have gold-heightened effects (kinsunago or “golden sand”) or have been painted with gold. The folds and borders of the figures’ clothes are heightened with gold and silver, giving extra nuance. The coloring and detail of each person’s face and clothing is quite refined and subtle, with very delicate and highly detailed tiny brush strokes. We also note that the crowns of the trees have been carefully painted to depict every individual leaf. Clearly, the artist was highly accomplished and went to great lengths to create these scrolls. SCROLL ONE: The first scroll covers all aspects of spring and summer activities. The first scene is clearly early spring, with the plum trees in blossom. The farmers are preparing the unhulled grains of “seed rice” from last year’s harvest to germinate in preparation for planting this year’s crop. Everyone, from the very young to old, is participating. Many animals, including horses and cows, are in evidence. The next scene shows farmers “waking up” the dry paddies by tilling the soil. The following scene, later in the spring, with cherry blossoms in full bloom, shows the farmers removing the weeds from the dry field and, in an adjacent flooded paddy, planting the rice seeds in the now-prepared seed beds. In the magnificent landscape shown behind, we see a waterfall, demonstrating the freshness of the water soon to flood the fields. Next, we see the farmers planting the seedlings in another paddy, now flooded. The farmers are supported by a band of musicians, who are standing in the adjacent paddy, celebrating the all-important transplantation ritual. During the summer, water must be continually added to the fields. In the next, extended scene, we see a farmer using a hand-cranked hydraulic device to lift water to the paddies and other farmers tending and weeding the fields during a wind-driven rainstorm. The way the artist subtly depicts the rain reveals his great skills. The following scene shows a number of farmers and locals celebrating the summer growing period by dancing and playing musical instruments in front of a shrine. They have offered mochi to the shrine, praying for rain and hoping for a good harvest. The next several scenes show the farmers growing and harvesting vegetables and beans, and picking fruit from large orchards. We see a samurai passing through with his entourage, en route to visit the fiefdom lords. SCROLL TWO: The second scroll begins by showing more of country life. Farmers are shown delivering vegetables, and a group of samurai are engaged in falconry, accompanied by a considerable entourage. Geese, attracted by the now harvested fields, fly by, clearly intended as the prey of the falcons. There are several farmers fishing by the river, and another group is resting after the day’s work, drinking water. We can sense they are all waiting for the crucial rice harvest. Now the autumnal harvest season arrives, with a wonderful and complex scene of farmers cutting the rice stalks in the drained fields with sickles. The gathered stalks are bundled into tight sheaves and hung upside-down to dry. Now we see the dried sheaves loaded onto boats for transport. The now-empty paddies are filled with birds picking at the remaining rice kernels. We also see two fishermen catching fish in the river. In the next scene, the sheaves are stacked before being transported by horse, human, and oxen to another area where the sheaves are further dried. In the following scene, quite complex, we see the rice stalks being processed to separate the rice grains from the shells and then dehusked. The next scene shows the grains of rice laid out on mats to dry. Samurai and farmers are having their own separate picnics, celebrating the harvest. We also see a blind musician being escorted by two friends, a fish monger, and a firewood merchant going to the celebration shown next. The next scene depicts an elaborate harvest festival, with farmers proceeding to a shrine to give thanks. They are observed by many spectators. The maple trees have turned color to brilliant reds and oranges. Finally, we see farmers carrying their share of taxable rice to the warehouse, where they will present the rice to the heads of the village, who are recording the farmers’ annual tributes in a ledger book. Many rice bales are in evidence. In fine and fresh condition. There is a minor loss of image at the end of the second scroll where two sheets of paper are joined. Occasional minor worming and discoloration.

Staff Rooms, Ultima Arabia (S.F. for Taos) by ARMLEDER, John M.

7 to 14 days for delivery

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$225.00

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Seller: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc.

Title: Staff Rooms, Ultima Arabia (S.F. for Taos)
Author: ARMLEDER, John M.
Seller: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. (United States)
Description: Black & white illus. [16] pp. 12mo, printed wrappers, staple-bound. Reykjavik & Geneva: 1982-3. Rare artists’ book made by John M. Armleder with Steingrimur Eyfjord Kristmundsson and Dieter Schwarz, one of 175 numbered copies. In excellent condition.

Autograph Letter Signed of Franklin Pierce, Possibly as President, Relating to Two Men He Would Appoint to High Office by Franklin Pierce

3 to 5 days for delivery

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$2,500.00

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Seller: The Raab Collection

Title: Autograph Letter Signed of Franklin Pierce, Possibly as President, Relating to Two Men He Would Appoint to High Office
Author: Franklin Pierce
Seller: The Raab Collection (United States)
Description: 01/04/1853. Autograph Letter Signed, Saturday morning, no date, to George Saunders residing at the National Hotel in Washington. “My dear Sir: Will you call on me with Curry at 2 o’clock this afternoon. Yr. friend, Fr. Pierce. Come to the library, If not at 2 as early as possible after.” That Pierce was in Washington is obvious if Saunders was, too, but whether it was while Pierce was in Congress or as President is not clear.However, these facts make it likely that the letter was as president. Sanders was a supporter of President James K. Polk and was later awarded the position of Consul in London during the administration of Franklin Pierce. George Curry served as the Secretary of the Oregon Territory from 1853 to 1854. President Pierce then named him governor of the territory. Perhaps this meeting was as president, and called to offer the men those positions.

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Adams, Douglas

7 to 14 days for delivery

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$1,500.00

( US$)

Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA

Title: The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Author: Adams, Douglas
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA (United States)
Condition: Very Good+
Description: London: Arthur Barker Limited, 1979. First Hardcover Edition. Very Good+/Very Good+. First hardcover edition, first printing. [v], 159 pp. Bound in publisher's dark blue cloth-affect boards with spine lettered in gilt. Very Good+ with lean to binding, light foxing to textblock edges and endsheets. In a Very Good+ dust jacket with plain blue rear panel, of the two dust jacket states this is the presumed second state; with light sunning to spine panel, trivial edge wear and heavy foxing to flaps and blindside. A nice copy of this beloved sci-fi classic.

Is There Something We Can Do by Zopp, Dudley

7 to 14 days for delivery

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$585.00

( US$)

Seller: The Kelmscott Bookshop

Title: Is There Something We Can Do
Author: Zopp, Dudley
Seller: The Kelmscott Bookshop (United States)
Condition: Fine
Description: Lincolnville, ME: Dudley Zopp, 2017. Hardcover. Fine. Hardcover. Number 10 of 25 standard copies, issued with an archival pigment print in a slipcase. There is also a deluxe edition of 25 copies. Signed and numbered by the book artist. This book considers our relationship to the Earth in a sequence of annotated watercolors. It was originally presented digitally for a 2014 exhibition "Turning in Your Hand: The Blue Marble Project," at Waterfall Arts in Maine. Twenty artists were given a blue marble and asked to respond to the pale blue dot we call home. Dudley's images and notations provide a unique look into the oldest of concerns: our place in this world (artist's statement). The illustrations began with a month-long daily ritual of erasing an earlier charcoal drawing and, using watercolor and ink, creating a new drawing in its place. As part of this Dudley noted the weather and the color of the ocean as seen from her studio. She also added a few lines adapted from ancient Buddhist texts that relate to human interactions with the earth. A few examples include: "As a mother watches over her child, so with a boundless heart should one cherish all living beings, suffusing the whole world with loving kindness", "All beings tremble before violence", and "You too shall pass away." The resulting 31 watercolors were collected in a mystical and magical book that beautifully captures Dudley's artistic consideration of our place in the world. In her foreword, Dudley states: "Current science tells us that our planet is a speck that travels in one of many universes. It would be foolish to say that we humans can get our heads around this fact. In spite of that, or in the face of it, a good course of action is to live mindfully, with compassion and consideration for our fellow beings." Design, typography, and assembly of books and cases are by Richard Reitz Smith. Text and images are printed as offset lithography by Penmore Lithographers. Typeset inFutura on Cougar Opaque Smooth paper. Covers are blue Dover book cloth.The book is presented in an accordion format and can be read in the round or displayed as sculpture. The book is housed in a dark blue cloth slipcase with an archival pigment print of the drawing for Day Sixteen. Book measures 5 x 7 inches. 82 pages. In fine condition. Ms. Zopp graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.A. and M.A. and completed postgraduate studies in Drawing and Painting at the Hite Art Institute, University of Louisville. She now lives in Lincolnville, Maine. Zopp finds inspiration in geological processes and cultural histories of place. Her engagement with restoring habitat where she lives feeds directly into her work, which ranges from site specific installations to paintings, woodcuts and limited edition books. She has completed residencies at geologically significant sites in Newfoundland, Spain and Italy. She has exhibited widely at galleries, universities and museums in New England and the Midwest. Her work is included in university and museum collections nationally. (#31483) ARTISTSB/110717.

De L'Arsenic, suivi d'une Instruction propre a Servir de Guide aux Experts dans les Cas D'Empoisonnement - OFFERED WITH - Seance Extraordinaire de L'Académie Royale de Médicine, du 14 Aout by Danger, [E P] & Flandin, [C F] - POISON - CRIME

7 to 9 days for delivery

Standard Shipping: $45.00

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$325.00

( US$)

Seller: Palinurus Antiquarian Books

Title: De L'Arsenic, suivi d'une Instruction propre a Servir de Guide aux Experts dans les Cas D'Empoisonnement - OFFERED WITH - Seance Extraordinaire de L'Académie Royale de Médicine, du 14 Aout
Author: Danger, [E P] & Flandin, [C F] - POISON - CRIME
Seller: Palinurus Antiquarian Books (United States)
Condition: Very good; some dustiness; plate (on a different paper stock) is toned.
Description: Paris: Bachelier ...., 1841. First Edition. Original publisher's printed blue paper wrappers.. Very good; some dustiness; plate (on a different paper stock) is toned.. 8vo, xvi, [1] - 301 pp. + folding plate. The Seance .... is an OFFPRINT (stitched as issued) of 22 pp. paginated 293 - 315. The sensational Madame La Farge murder trial of 1840 that had drawn the noted toxicologist and physician Mathieu Orfila into its vortex no doubt prompted this encylcopaedic work on arsenic and arsenic poisoning. The La Farge trial hinged on the discovery of arsenic in the victim's tissues. Both the text and the offprint bring up the case and the validity of the tests for the poison. A key work in forensic science and discovery.

The progress of dulness. Or The rare adventures of Tom Brainless by Trumbull, John

7 to 14 days for delivery

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$125.00

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Seller: De Wolfe and Wood

Title: The progress of dulness. Or The rare adventures of Tom Brainless
Author: Trumbull, John
Seller: De Wolfe and Wood (United States)
Description: Wrentham, Massachusetts: Nathaniel Heaton and Sold by David Heaton. Providence, RI, 1801. 72 pp. Bound in a very good scaleboard binding. Hinges starting but firmly attached. paper covering worn and chipped. Stoddard 704. Poetic advice on educating children.

saigon cemetery by Berry, D.C. (David Chapman Berry)

4 to 14 days for delivery

Standard Shipping: $7.50

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$22.00

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Seller: Bolerium Books Inc., ABAA/ILAB

Title: saigon cemetery
Author: Berry, D.C. (David Chapman Berry)
Seller: Bolerium Books Inc., ABAA/ILAB (United States)
ISBN: 9780820302744
Description: Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1972. Hardcover. ix, 50p., hardcover, 5.75x7.5 inches, very good. Collection of poetry from a Vietnam War Vet who served as a medical officer.

Ghetto: from the first five; sixty-four poems, six drawings by Smith, Winthrop; illustrated by Patrick Angus

4 to 14 days for delivery

Standard Shipping: $0.50

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$20.00

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Seller: Bolerium Books Inc., ABAA/ILAB

Title: Ghetto: from the first five; sixty-four poems, six drawings
Author: Smith, Winthrop; illustrated by Patrick Angus
Seller: Bolerium Books Inc., ABAA/ILAB (United States)
Description: Liberty, TN: RFD Press, 1990. 90p., illustrated with drawings, very good first edition trade paperback original in pictorial wraps. First publication of the RFD Press, a new venture for RFD Quarterly, the "country journal for gay men everywhere.

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