Rare books from Ebattt-books

An album leaf with 18 carte de visite albumen photographs. 9 mounted on each side. The photos were mounted directly on the album leaf. They were not mounted on cardboard before.
All photos, I was unable to find to be reproduced anywhere. Therefore, it is impossible to identify the photographer. Style of photos allows a dating to the middle of the 19th century (1860 – 1870 ?).
Size of Photos: Circa 8.5 x 5.5 cm; most of the photos have still good contrast and show no or only little browning tone. Very few with stains.

Kôrin ehon michi shirube, 3 volumes bound together, Kyoho 20 (1735); Japanese stab binding; 16, 16, 15 double sheets; 2 page of text, 92 pages of woodblock prints; covers and title slip, a little worn; inside in fine condition, only very few stains, 4 sheets of vol 2 (10 – 13) with a little worming at lower margin; otherwise almost mint.The first publication of drawings by Korin. Browns mentions that this book is very rare !!!Reference: KSM 26620; Brown, page 59; for comparison, see Mfa, Boston, Accession Number 2008.1594
Ogata Kōrin (1658 –1716) was a Japanesepainter, lacquerer and designer of the Rinpa school. Kōrin is best known for his byōbu folding screens, such as Irises
and Red and White Plum Blossoms (both registered National Treasures), and his paintings on ceramics and lacquerware produced by his brother Kenzan
(1663–1743). Also a prolific designer, he worked with a variety of decorative and practical objects, such as round fans, makie
writing boxes or inrō medicine cases. He is… Read More

Kazan gafu, Unsodo, Tokyo 1911. Original covers with original title slips; 25 double sheets; 3 pages of woodblock printed text and 24 double sheet woodblock prints. Folding album. Two volumes. Woodblock-printed.Covers show some wear; woodblocks in excellent impressions with nice contrasts, colors fresh and brilliant. Three prints were "repaired" with adhesive tape some time ago, resulting in brown stains (see last three pictures); the rest is in fine state.

EHON JITSUGOKYO DOHSHIKYO YOSHI , 17.5 x 11.5 cm; Japanese binding, blue covers, not title slip; 120p. 12 double illustrations. The moral tales for children. In this book are the first illustration, which 15 years old Yoshitoshi he drew under the name Yoshitoshi Yoshioka.Very rare !!!!!Covers worn, title with a water stain (see photo) inside is in general clean. For a children`s book in very good condition.
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839 – 1892) was a Japanese printmaker. Yoshitoshi has widely been recognized as the last great master of the ukiyo-e genre of woodblock printing and painting. He is also regarded as one of the form's greatest innovators. His career spanned two eras – the last years of Edo period Japan, and the first years of modern Japan following the Meiji Restoration. Like many Japanese, Yoshitoshi was interested in new things from the rest of the world, but over time he became increasingly concerned with the loss of many aspects of traditional Japanese culture, among them traditional… Read More

Wood block printed book. 26.3 x 18.5cm, Japanese stab binding; title slip (half missing) on front cover; covers worn; wood block printed book; 25 x 18.5cm, 10 double sheets 1 n.n. 20 – 28; 20 half page woodblock prints by Moronobu. Little fingering; a few folds, a few stains in the margins and small defects; overall, considering age and rarity a very nice specimen.One of the earliest books that were illustrated by Moronobu.Extremely scarce: WorldCat knows only 3 copies worldwide.
Jisan Kachu is a song collection, originally published in 1484 by Sogi (1421-1502), the Waka and Renga master of the Muromachi period. The edition, illustrated by Moronobu is a new, commented edition.
Hishikawa Moronobu is generally accredited as the founder of ukiyo-e. Before his time, the illustrations in printed books were subordinate to the text. He made the illustrations more important, and people bought the books for the sake of the pictures.

Japanese stab binding, (covers worn), title slip (ink written, not original) 11 double sheets, numbered 12 – 22; 1 page text, 10 double page woodblock prints. In each double sheet a strong sheet of Japanese paper was bound in between, to avoid shining through of the next page, a very effective method to optimize the visual effect of the beautiful pictures.
Old, Japanese library seal on front page; a few minor defects, 7 double pages with a small, hardly noticeable insect damage at upper margin (as an example, the worst one, see last photo).
Reference: IWANAMI, "KOKUSHO SO MOKUROKU", number 4290602. Kenji Toda [RYERSON COLLECTION]. DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF JAPANESE AND CHINESE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS IN THE RYERSON LIBRARY OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO. Chicago, 1931: "… the most famous book by Moronobu…"
Extremely rare: WorldCat knows only three specimen of this edition in public libraries.
Hishikawa Moronobu is generally accredited as the founder of ukiyo-e. Before his time, the illustrations in… Read More

An extremely rare edition of "Th Mencius". Chinese text with Korean translation in Hangul. The Mencius, Vol. 1 and 2 bound together, 39 and 48 double leaves. 10 lines, 17 characters per line. With single fishtail. Folio, ca. 33.5 x 21.8 cm. Undated. Paper and printing indicate 16th – 17th century printing. Asian stich binding (worn); inside slightly worn; few stains; no insect damage.I compared this edition with all editions listed in the National Library of Korea catalogue. It matches with UCI G701:B-00047977613. Yet, the National Library of Korea das not have this book. They only have a microfilm. There are no comments, which edition it is. In the literature on the early Korean editions of The Mencius a 1590, and two early 17th century editions are mentioned. My book is probably one of them.
The Mencius is a collection of conversations, anecdotes, and series of genuine and imagined interviews by the Confucian philosopher, Mencius.[1] The book is one of the Chinese Thirteen Classics, and explores… Read More

Kokon mei-zukushi taizen, Tokyo Genroku 15, (1702); 8 volumes (complete); 24, 28, 18, 15, 32, 20, 20, 8 double leaves; 27 x 18 cm.
Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 are text, volumes 5, 6, 7, are woodblock print pictures of sword blades and swordsmiths`signatures.
The Kokon mei-zukushi taizen ( Encyclopedia of Ancient and Modern mei inscriptions) is an important work of documentation of Japanese swords. Today it is still a valuable source of information for the connoisseur of Samurai blades

Yanagi Chikamatsu, Shōzoku zushiki, Kyoto 1688; two volumes, 32, 30 leaves; 22.5 x 16 cm. Many woodblock illustrations. Some worming (see photos); overall in good condition.
An important and highly illustrated history of the attire of the Japanese Imperial Court, with many examples of decorated kimono as well as accessories like shoes, hats, belts, swords, quivers, fans, and so on. One of the most important early books on kimono. Extensively described by Brown.
British Library has only vol. 1 of this edition in an impression from worn blocks.
A very rare book.

A large photo album of 52 leaves, with dipped in photos on each side. There is a total of ca. 394 pictures; 189 original photos (9 aerial photos), 168 official buy photos and postcards, 27 collotypes (from a paper?).
The size of the album is 32 x 41.5 cm.
The photos in this album are unique documents, showing the unvarnished truth of war. An album that should have its place in a museum.
The album was collated by a young German soldier, named Hans Hugo, who was born in Roth, a small Bavarian town near Nuremberg, Germany. Later, he opened a photo studio in Roth, that existed until the 1960ies. Hans Hugo was at war from October 1916 until the end of WWI in 1918.
The photos are from Belgium, France and the Baltics. There are some exciting, outstandingly rare, large original air reconnaissance, serial Photos. The largest of them, showing a battle field near Riga, measures 25 x 47.8 cm. These photos are original contact prints that were used in the general staff for the planning of battels. They have an… Read More

Giovanni Cinelli Calvoli, Della biblioteca volante di Gio. Cinelli Caluoli patrizio fiorentino, e forliuese Accadem. Gelato &c. Scanzia 15. Consagrata al merito singolariss. del ... Lettore F. Cammillo Landi fiorentino agostiniano ..., In Padova, M.DCCIII [1703], Eredi Frambotto. [8], 63 pages.
Contemporary binding with marbled paper covers.
Paper untrimmed; paper clean and un-toned; in very good state.
An old handwritten description of the rarity of the book on inside of front cover.
This book is one of the rarest and most curios Italian books. One of the things, that sell only once in a century.
In Calvili`s biography it is mentioned, that due to a lot of printing errors, Cinelli Calvoli gave the order to destroy all copies of the edition. Yet, a few of them had been sent to people, who had participated in the work. In the biography it is stated, that 5 copies survived. On the inside of the front cover an old hand states, that only three copies survived. I found only one further copy to exist: The… Read More

Karl Stengel, Hodoeporicum Mariano-Benedictinum, seu Historia de Imaginibus B.M.V. miraculis et peregrinationibus apud PP. Ordinis S. Benedicti, Veronica Aperger, Augsburg, 1659. [4] pp, 116 pp, [19] copper plates. Contemporary full vellum binding. Approx. 16 x 9 cm. The title page, missing as in the Bavarian State Library copy, is rebound on old paper facsimile (almost unrecognizable as such!!!). Otherwise complete.
The copper plates each show the image of grace and the pilgrimage church. Among others, Altötting, St. Blasien, Andex, Ottobeuren, Vorderegg, Vienna, Bogenberg, Valvanera, Montserrat, Zelle are described.

On the inside cover two ownership entries of the 17th - 18th century. Minor signs of use. Book block inside slightly cracked. Overall "Well Preserved."
A work of the utmost rarity that I have not found offered for decades. WorldCat knows only 6 copies.

Two volumes bound together; 12 nn, 24 numbered, 56 numbered, 1 nn pages; [Kyoto] 柳枝軒, Horeki 9 (1759). Binding is worn; some worming (see photos). Title slip is missing.
Volume 1: 和歌藻塩草 / Waka moshiogusa, 5 not numbered pages, 　12 number leaves (24 pages) with poems by Hahuin.
Volume 2: 畫讃搖艫船 / Gasan yōrosen, 1 not numbered leave (2 pages), 28 numbered leaves (56 pages) with 55 full pages woodblock illustratuin, 1 not numbered page.
This is one of the most remarkable and most rare works of Zen literature. Jack Hillier (The Art of the Japanese book) did not know this book. There exist only two more known copies of this book. One is at in the US at Stanford University Libraries and a second one is in Japan at Tohoku Universität Kano(東北大狩野).
Hakuin Ekaku (白隠 慧鶴, January 19, 1686 – January 18, 1769) was one of the most influential figures in Japanese Zen Buddhism. He is regarded as the reviver of the Rinzai school from a moribund period of stagnation,… Read More

8°, 20 x 14 cm. Mid-19th century cardboard binding.
41 nn leaves; there exist leaves aiii – a8; b1-b8; c1-c8; d1-d2; d6-d8 (?); e1-e8; f2-f7;
Missing are: a1, a2, d3 – d5 (?), f1, f7 and an unknown number of following leaves.
Numerous old ink notes; leaves are numbered recto at upper right; water stained throughout.
As the imprint is missing, an exact dating is difficult. The initials were used by Rosembach from ca. 1493. The initials were also used in the Missal of 1499 (M24774 Missale Tarraconense. 26.VI.1499.°). The woodblocks are still unworn in our Donatus melior, therefore, the impression was not made very much later.
Printed with Joan Rosembach`s types 1, 7 and 2. There are aberrant majuscules as Rosembach used in prints he made in Perpignan. The state of the type in this Donatus is the same as in the preface to Mancinelli's "Carmen de figuris" (according to Norton this is the Spica edition, p. 233a). An even better example is the "Vocabulario" of 1502.
Summary: This print has not been… Read More

Woodblock printed on gampi paper. 1010 cm x 7.3 cm; printed from 16 blocks (size of blocks: 68.3 x 6.1 cm). Backed with washi paper (19th – 20th century). Some insect damage, specifically at the end. At the beginning, there is a gilted fabric strip with a former owner`s name and his cipher: 大阿闍梨, 行遍, 法印, Daiajari, Gyohen, Hoin. Daiajari means "Great teacher", a title given to abbots of temples of the Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism.
Gyohen is the name of the owner.
Hoin is the highest Buddhist rank.
Only one Daiajari, Gyohen, Hoin can be traced: Daiajari, Gyohen, Hoin (1181-1264), who was one of the four chief priests of To-ji Temple, Kyoto. He did remarkable work during the mid-Kamakura period. He received the title Hoin in 1250. Therefore, the inscription can be dated between 1250 and 1264.
In the former archives of the To-ji Temple, called Hyakugo Archives, now located in the Kyoto Institute, Library and Archives, there is a letter by Gyohen with a very similar cipher, dated… Read More