Studies from Nature
Essays by John T. Carpenter, Alfred Haft and Alex Kerr
Over 350 sold
Five hand-crafted books of exquisite Japanese art and poetry in facsimile for the first time
UTM
Nominated in both the Best British Book and the Limited Edition and Fine Binding categories of the British Book Production and Design Awards
Kitagawa Utamaro’s Studies from Nature, rarely seen and never before reproduced in facsimile, are five superbly bound and illustrated books of insects, shells and birds. The elegant depictions of nature are paired with kyōka; playful, erudite and often erotic poems on the sentiments of love. Limited to just 500 hand-numbered sets, this remarkable publication includes a commentary volume with a full translation and newly commissioned essays on the poetry, the artist and the culture of the Floating World.
Production Details
Facsimiles
Two volumes of The Book of Crawling Creatures Japanese sewn binding
Gifts of the Ebb Tide and two volumes of The Book of Myriad Birds concertina binding
All volumes bound in Twist paper printed with original designs redrawn by Neil Gower
Printed paper labels with titles in English and in Japanese script
Illustrations and poems printed on Papermilk paper
100 pages in total
10¾˝ x 8¼˝
Limitation certificate wrapped in Watermark Unryu White Japanese paper
Commentary
Bound in Twist paper blocked in gold
160 pages printed on Abbey Pure paper
Presentation box
Cloth-covered presentation box lined with paper printed to complement the bindings and tied with grosgrain ribbon
Paper label with title in English and in Japanese script