UJIGAWA RYOHGAN ICHIRAN: A GLANCE AT BOTH BANKS OF THE UJI RIVER.

Osaka 1863, Kawachiya. Stiff yellow wrappers,stitched spine, 12.5 x 17.8 cm.,7 double-page color woodblock illustrations, 47 pages in all, covers dusty, soiled, edges worn, contents clean, thumbed. VOLUME 1 OF 2 ONLY. RARE FIRST EDITION . *** **** *** . . ONE OF A SIMILAR SERIES OF THREE GUIDES PLANNED & . . . ILLUSTRATED IN THE SAME MANOR, EACH CONTAINS OLD POEMS, . . . AND DESCRIPTIONS ON FAMOUS PLACES WITH THEIR VIEWS . . . WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY HANZAN . * The three guides are: NANIWA NO NIGIWAI; YODOGAWA RYOHGAN ICHIRAN and the current title: UJIGAWA. . * THE ARTIST/AUTHOR MATSUKAWA Hanzan [flourished ca. 1850-1882]: . Hanzan was a grand innovator & took it upon himself to educate the average Japanese in agriculture, nature natural science, medicine and a host of other "foreign and Western technological & scientific subjects. . He wrote many illustrated books written in easy to read Japanese with Furigana sounds to help understand the difficult Kanji. His books had practical application for the betterment of the common Japanese farmer, the lowest in the feudal system. . He was a Ukiyo-e printmaker, born and worked in Osaka. He specialized in Surimono and was also a distinguished illustrator of many period woodblock printed books of the time and Edo culture exponent. . He used several "Go" [studio names" such as: Gikyo, Takaji, Chokusui, Kakyo & Suiedoh. His books are widely collected by world museums and libraries. . *** With text calligraphy by Kamada Sluio. . *** NOTE: Color scans are posted to our website. . *** REFERENCES: . MITCHELL, C.H. et al.: THE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS OF THE NANGA, MARUYAMA, SHIJO AND OTHER RELATED SCHOOLS OF JAPAN: A Bibliography, p. 544. * TODA, Kenji.: DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF JAPANESE AND CHINESE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS IN THE RYERSON LIBRARY OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, p.302. * BRITISH MUSEUM 1904: 16113.b.23 * ROBERTS, Laurance P.: A DICTIONARY OF JAPANESE ARTISTS: PAINTING, SCULPTURE, CERAMICS, PRINTS, LACQUER, p.39 for a biography of Hanzan. * NAKADA 256 * DURET 540 *** NOT IN: . KERLEN, H.: CATALOGUE OF PRE-MEIJI JAPANESE BOOKS & MAPS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS. . * .