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The Ogres of Oyeyama. Japanese Fairy Tale Series No. 19.
Author

T(homas) H. (Kate) James (translator)
PublisherTokyo (17 Kami Negishi): Takejiro Hasegawa, ca 1922
Edition
Weight70 gram
CF
Keywords sprookjes, Japan, fairy tales, Märchen, contes, ogres, Japanese Fairy Tale Series, Takejiro Hasegawa , Kate James, oger, sagen, mythologie, Shutendoji
Booknumber 21432
Category's Literature (English)
Literature (Translated)
Child & Youthbooks (Fairytails)
Culture History (Folklore)
Child & Youthbooks (English)
Culture History (Mythology)
Old & Rare (20th Century)
Child & Youthbooks (20th Century)
Literature (Illustrated)
Culture History (Asia)
Literature (Asia)
Literature (Fine Print & Modern Illustrated Books)

16 Folded crêpe paper sheets, including the covers (10,4 x 15,5 cm). Sheets with coloured woodblocks and english texts, bound/sewed with silk threads, spine covered with silk type fabric.

The “Japanese Fairy Tales Series” books were published between 1885 and 1930. They were published as children’s books (creped paper was thought to better withstand the children’s wear) or as souvenirs for foreigners, However, they were also intended for markets outside of Japan and distributed by a.o. Maruzen (Tokyo), Brentano's (New York), Shepherds (London), Ernst Bojesens (Copenhague) and H. Honig (Netherlands). Apart from the books in English, there were also versions in other languages, a.o. in German, French, Spanish, Swedish and Dutch languages. It is estimated that more than 250 different books were produced, usually no more than 400 to 500 copies per title. The first series (Nos 1 – 25) were originally published between 1885 and 1903. The “Ogres of Oyeyama”, No 19 of that first series, was originally published in 1891/2 and our copy is probably a reprint from ca 1922. The editor of these books, Takejiro Hasegawa (1853-1938) had already a long association with Westerners in Tokyo and that association induced him to print these Ehon books with texts in Western languages. He commissioned a number of (often very prominent) foreigners the translation of these works, a.o. Lafcadio Hearn, Basil Hall Chamberlain, James Curtis Hepburn, Paul Carus and Mrs. Thomas H. (Kate) James. Most of the woodblock printing for these books was executed by the Komiya family. These books are so-called Ehon books (Japanese picture book), bound in the traditional fukuro-toji (pouch binding) style. The sheets of crêpe (chirimen) paper, bound together, made up a chirimen-bon. The washi (paper) that was used, was usually made from mulberry wood. These sheets are in the usual way printed one side only (text and coloured woodblocks). They were first completed in plain paper format, then the paper was creped and only then the sheets were bound together. This binding was executed in the yamato-toji style by means of small ribbon ties through four small holes (sometimes two, but in our copy four). The binding ties are crossed in an x-pattern on the front and back and the spine is (as usual with these four-holes binding ) covered with very thin paper. The format of our copy is somewhat larger than the so-called small size books of the Fairy Tales Series - the standard size of those books seems to be 10,3 x 15,2 cm. Because of the creping process, formats may sometimes be slightly different. In all, there seem to exist 6 really different formats for these books. The colophon is printed in Japanese on the rear side of the front cover and states a.o. publisher, date, author and woodblock printer, with an additional “All Rights reserved” or “Copyright reserved” (in English). Initially these books were published under the "Kobunsha" imprint around 1890 the imprint wass changed to T. Hasegawa. Our copy has the Takejiro Hasegawa’s imprint (most external line of the colophon). As later reprints usually contained the same colophon as the first edition, it is difficult to put a date on a book or to single out a first edition (anyhow, crêpe paper copies after 1893 are no first editions as these are all plain paper productions). On these series of publications see: Frederic Sharf: Takejiro Hasegawa, Meiji Japan's Preeminent Publisher of Wood-Block-Illustrated Crepe-Paper Books, Salem, Peabody Essex Museum Collections, 1994, and Michael S. Hollander, Antiquarian Book Monthly Review (ABMR) , Vol IX, No. 9, Issue 101, 1982, pp. 331~364. The chief character of our fairy tale, the most famous tale about the ogres, is Minamoto-no-Raiko. Ogres are large, cruel monsters, in fairy tales often appearing as feeding on humans and usually depicted with a large head, abundant hair, a beard and a strong body – e.g. the giant in Perrault’s “Little Thumbling”. Minamoto-no-Raiko is ordered to rescue village people who have been captured by the ogres, under the command of Shutendoji, on Oyeyama Hill. With his five comrades he sets out for the Hill, disguised as Yamabushi (mountain hermits). When they are in the ogres’ castle they have them drink a grog with a sleeping drug. The ogres fall asleep, are slain, the captives are freed and the castle is burnt. It is presumed that the Hill is the one with the same name that is located in the Kyoto district. A few (water)stains, but otherwise a very nice copy of this exquisite publication with bright woodblocks. Rare.

Prijs € 275.00
    






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