Manuscripts on paper, all concerned with equine medicine, all finely written in one hand on stiff paper

Seven vols. 8vo (218 x 160 mm.), orig. wrappers, each with an individual title label on upper cover, new stitching. [Japan: all late Edo].

A fascinating collection of texts on equine medicine, all bound in a similar fashion:

Vol. 1: Manuscript label on upper cover, entitled “Basho hijutsu den” [“Horse Book Secret Methods Passed On”]. Nine brush & ink illus. in the text. 31 folding leaves. This text is concerned with exercising horses in each season, and includes “32 Rules of Exercise.” At the end, we find a date of 1825, the name of the person who provided this information, Seizaimon Sekiguchi, and the name of the copier, Hanemon (truncated) Hasegawa.

Vol. 2: Manuscript label on upper cover, entitled “Basho yakuho den” [“Horse Book Medicine Passed On”]. 12 most unusual brush, ink & wash drawings. 23 folding leaves. Each illustration depicts an unwell horse and 12 symbols of ill health (demons, snake, ogre, monkey, female deity, Buddhist practitioner, archer, bird, etc.) relating to the horse’s disease, with recipes for medicines. These illustrations are all finely colored. The rest of the text is devoted to how to maintain a horse’s health in each of the four seasons. At the end there is the date 1596 and the information was given by Ichiraku Obata, who lives in Kyoto.

Vol. 3: Manuscript label on upper cover, entitled “Basho hiden shu” [“Collection of Horse Medicine Secrets Passed On”]. Seven brush & ink illus. in various colors. 15 folding leaves. This manuscript is concerned with methods of keeping a horse healthy while travelling. Herbal medicine recipes are given. At the end, we find the following names: Ogasawara Taizen Taifu, Ofusa Yawata, Takeyori Ason, and Kunai Taifu.

Vols. 4 & 5: Manuscript label on each upper cover, entitled “Basho ryoji den” [“Horse Book Diagnoses & Treatments Passed On”]. 18; 13 folding leaves. Vol. 4 ends with the date 1858 and the statement that “Sokyu passed on this information to Ittai Sekiguchi.” Vol. 5 ends with the same date and a note that “Aikyu who lives in Ecchu [in today’s Toyama Prefecture] gave this information to Sekiguchi.”

Vol. 6: Manuscript label on each upper cover, entitled “Basho juniyaku” [“Horse Book. 12 Medicines. A Part”]. Ten folding leaves. The text describes symptoms of various illnesses and provides 12 herbal medicine recipes. We believe the next part is contained in Vol. 7.

Vol. 7: The label is no longer present, but the beginning of the text states that there are 12 ingredients for medicines described. 17 folding leaves. The text is concerned with diseases common in each of the four seasons and the theory of the five organs and six intestines.

In fine condition. Vol. 4 and 5 each have some marginal worming. (Inventory #: 7052)