Shinjin Chōshishō Gafu 清人張子祥画譜 Qingren Zhang Zixiang Huapu [Painting album of Zhang Zixiang of China]

18. Shinjin Chōshishō Gafu 清人張子祥画譜 Qingren Zhang Zixiang Huapu [Painting album of Zhang Zixiang of China]
Zhang Zixiang 張子祥, artist and Ōta Tokujirō, editor 太田徳次郎 編輯
Meiji period
Tokyo

2 volumes 15.8 x 11.4cm bound Japanese style fukuro-toji. Vol 1 is 18 cho (no cho numbered 16) and Vol 2 is 17 cho with printed book slips on front wrappers. Each volume has 16 polychrome double-page original woodblock prints with calligraphy. 2 volumes (jyo 上 upper/former and 下 ge lower/latter). Colophon is at the end of Vol 2.

A peek inside the fukuro "bags" reveal an inner layer of bookprint or newspaper. A few pages of Vol 1 appear (truncated) to be printed on a darker paper. Among the lovely botanical woodcuts are black and gray-blue, vibrant purple, green or red and highlighted with light yellow or deeper hues. A bug or two are hidden within the branches and a fish swims through plants.

Compared with an online NDL first edition, released in March of 1881, our Vol 1 has 1 fewer cho and 2 fewer woodcuts. (No earlier editions available for comparison.) Priced accordingly.

Joshua Fogel writes about this work in his book "The Role of Japan in Modern Chinese Art."
"In this period, a large number of albums of Chinese calligraphers and painters were edited and published in Japan... the Qingren Zhang Zixiang Huapu by Ōta Tokujirō in Tokyo in March 1881.... These all testify both to the demand in Japanese society of the time for works by Chinese painters and calligraphers and to the demand for published albums of their works." (See p. 37-38 chapter 1 and footnote 41)

Soiling of wrappers and writing in marker with crossing out on rear wrappers. Damage to front wrapper, rip to rear inner wrapper and tear to thread on rear of Vol 2. Damp stain or stain to a few woodcuts. Toning to and soiling of some pages. Forecorner cloth is chipped on both. Small pencilled in numbers on the top of 7 cho in Vol 2. An important work in terms of both Japanese and Chinese art history. (Inventory #: 90647)