Picture Book of the Children of Edo

TOYOHIRO, Utagawa
(1773 – 1828)
Ehon azuma warawa
(‘Picture Book of the Children of Edo’)

This fine book depicts townsmen of Edo visiting the various temples in the twelve months. Jack Hillier in ‘Art of the Japanese Book’: “It is the artist’s finest book of genre”. – The original edition is so extremely rare that no copy seems to exist in Japanese collections; none of the old French auction catalogs lists the book either.

Complete in two volumes. Contains 1 single and 12 double-page illustrations; with several pages of text and colophons.
Japanese-style binding, originally published in 1804, this facsimile edition: 1917.
Fine impression, colors, and condition. Set comes in blue chitsu (cloth-covered wrappers, see illustration above right).

source: http://www.degener.com/