Bouquillard, Jocelyn; Katsushika HokusaiBiblio.com
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2007réf. 102208Harry N. Abrams Inc. New. Hardcover. FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request - IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT - Flawless copy brand new pristine never opened -- 120 pp. ; 52 color illustrations -- with a bonus offer--; This complete collection of Hokusai’s famous views of Mount Fuji is the only high-quality reproduction of these engravings long considered the Japanese master’s greatest works. Taken from the best engravings available and shown in splendid color this authoritative volume is the first of its kind since 1830. Hokusai’s influence extended far beyond Japan even to French Impressionists including Degas Monet and Toulouse-Lautrec. Each illustration is accopmanied by detailed notes placing the work in its cultural and historical context and exploring the symbolic themes running through Hokusai’s landscapes. . 2007. 0810993406 . Harry N. Abrams, Inc. hardcover
2011réf. 96108Prestel Publishing. New. Paperback. FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request - IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT - Flawless copy brand new pristine never opened -- 96 pp. ; 52 illus. 50 in color. -- with a bonus offer--; Now available again this delightful selection of prints depicting nineteenth century Japan's natural beauty is a colorful introduction to the country's most beloved artist. The Japanese artist Hokusai spent the second half of his life sketching and painting with tremendous energy nearly everything he saw and this book focuses on one of his most productive periods when the artist was in his seventies. This book presents fifty works of the artist's astonishing oeuvre. It includes selections from his renowned series of woodblock prints Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji including "In the Hollow of a Wave" "Shower below the Summit" and "South Wind at Clear Dawn." Also presented are images of flowers waterfalls bridges birds and fish demonstrating the uniquely precise yet passionate quality of Hokusai's art. An expert on the artist's work Matthi Forrer provides illuminating commentary on Hokusai's life and technique offering insight into his enduring popularity throughout the world. . 2011. 3791346148 . Prestel Publishing paperback
2008réf. 73367Kehrer Verlag; Et Al. New. Hardcover. FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request - IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT - Flawless copy brand new pristine never opened -- TWO 2 VOLUMES. Text in English and German. 26 x 18 cm. Vol. 1 Hokusai : 144 pp. With 121 col. Ills. Vol. 2 Nobuyoshi Araki : 144 pp. With 100 col. Ills. -- with a bonus offer-- . 2008. Kehrer Verlag; Et Al hardcover
2008réf. 73439RMN. New. Hardcover. FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request - IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT - Flawless copy brand new pristine never opened -- Text in French. 248 pp. With 238 col. Ills. 29 x 23 cm. -- with a bonus offer-- . 2008. 271185406X . RMN hardcover
2017réf. 129607PIE International. New. Paperback. FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request - IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT - BRAND NEW FLAWLESS COPY NEVER OPENED - with a bonus offer--; Japanese Edition; 8.9 X 7.2 X 0.8 inches; 240 pages . 2017. 4756248101 . PIE International paperback
1968réf. 85479Kodansha International. As New. Hardcover. FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request - IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT - AS NEW THE TEXT BLOCK IS PRISTINE CLEAN UNMARKED AND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION - - 96 pages; 81 illustrations. -- with a bonus offer-- . 1968. Kodansha International hardcover
1965réf. 85480Smithsonian Institution. As New. Paperback. FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request - IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT - AS NEW THE TEXT BLOCK IS PRISTINE CLEAN UNMARKED AND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION - - 38 pages. ; well illustrated. -- with a bonus offer-- . 1965. Smithsonian Institution paperback
2006réf. 72547Gallery; Harpercollins Distribution ; Et Al. New. Hardcover. FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request - IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT - Flawless copy brand new pristine never opened -- Text in English. 264 pp. With 224 col. Ills. 28 x 25 cm. -- with a bonus offer-- . 2006. 1588342395 . Gallery; Harpercollins (Distribution) ; Et Al hardcover
2006réf. 72548Gallery; Et Al. New. Paperback. FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request - IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT - Flawless copy brand new pristine never opened -- Text in English. -- with a bonus offer-- . 2006. 0934686025 . Gallery; Et Al paperback
1870réf. 908441870. Katsushika HOKUSAI 葛飾北斎 「æ¦è€…絵本ã€MUSHA-EHON WARRIOR BOOKS〠EHON SAKIGAKE 絵本é; EHON MUSASHI ABUMI　絵本æ¦è”µé™; EHON WAKAN NO HOMARE 絵本和漢誉. Toukyou Suzuki Tadashi 鈴木忠. n.d. c. early Meiji 1870s 23.5 Ｘ15.5 CM in three matching volumes bound in green string bound fukuro-toji with the original title labels. Suzuki Tadashi is described as the owner of the blocks. The blocks were originally cut and the first volumes issued in 1836. The third volume also appears to have been slated to appear as a trilogy at that time but its appearance was delayed until 1850. Much has been made of the fact that Egawa Tomekichi Hokusai's preferred craftsman cut the blocks for these books as well as the 100 VIEWS OF FUJI and the Hokusai contributions to the TOUSHISEN. and for good reason. His fine and detailed work is superb and still keeps much of its beauty even in these later issues from the blocks. The set is in very good condition restrung. A very worthwhile edition in original woodcut. The warrior books have become quite difficult to find in any edition - they did not receive the huge volume of reprintings that the MANGA did for example. As a set complete. unknown
1870réf. 908441870. Katsushika HOKUSAI 葛飾北斎 「æ¦è€…絵本ã€MUSHA-EHON WARRIOR BOOKS〠EHON SAKIGAKE 絵本é; EHON MUSASHI ABUMI　絵本æ¦è”µé™; EHON WAKAN NO HOMARE 絵本和漢誉. Toukyou Suzuki Tadashi 鈴木忠. n.d. c. early Meiji 1870s 23.5 Ｘ15.5 CM in three matching volumes bound in green string bound fukuro-toji with the original title labels. Suzuki Tadashi is described as the owner of the blocks. The blocks were originally cut and the first volumes issued in 1836. The third volume also appears to have been slated to appear as a trilogy at that time but its appearance was delayed until 1850. Much has been made of the fact that Egawa Tomekichi Hokusai's preferred craftsman cut the blocks for these books as well as the 100 VIEWS OF FUJI and the Hokusai contributions to the TOUSHISEN. and for good reason. His fine and detailed work is superb and still keeps much of its beauty even in these later issues from the blocks. The set is in very good condition restrung. A very worthwhile edition in original woodcut. The warrior books have become quite difficult to find in any edition - they did not receive the huge volume of reprintings that the MANGA did for example. As a set complete. unknown books
réf. 2091202133200086Izumiya Ichibei N.A. Soft Cover. Fine. Volume: 1 Izumiya Ichibei paperback
1836réf. 2080502106500818Not Available 1836. Soft Cover. Fine. Volume: 1 Not Available paperback
1883réf. 91742Paris: A. Quantin 1883. Fine. The Bible of Japonism in its original silk binding A. Quantin Paris 1883 28.8 x 36.6 cm 2 volumes en reliures de l'éditeur First edition one of 1400 numbered copies only issue. Outstanding publishers cream silk Bradel binding signed by Engel at the foot of the spine flat spine decorated with Japanese characters; upper boards in excellent condition elaborately decorated with a reproduction of Shinmans starlings against a setting sun from the Henri Cernuschi collection also illustrated pl. 26 vol. 1; corners slightly rubbed; both volumes complete with their illustrated dust jackets showing tears and some losses. Illustrated with 64 tissue-guarded plates most in colour 13 etchings 21 heliogravures 2 typographic engravings in black and gold 10 chromolithographs and 18 watercolours the majority signed by Gillot and Guérard. Numerous illustrations in black throughout. An exceptional copy of the first history of Japanese art written outside of Asia housed in its magnificent publishers silk binding signed by Jean Engel in pristine condition throughout: with its one thousand and twenty-four illustrations in black and in colour is not a conventional ornamental repertoire. It marks a clear break with traditional perception and reception of Japanese art that had prevailed in France and the West since the 1860s François Gonse Une histoire de lart japonais en 1883. Lil de Louis Gonse Histoire de lart N°40-41 1998. The author Louis Gonse was an art historian exhibition curator and director of the Gazette des beaux-arts. The celebrated Asian art dealer Tadamasa Hayashi who had come to Paris as an interpreter for the Exposition Universelle of 1878 helped him in the preparation of LArt japonais. Translated into English in 1891 and into Japanese in 1893 this seminal work proved a landmark publication. Its illustrations include works by artists much admired among French Japonistes including Hokusai and Hiroshige whom Gonse hailed as the greatest paysagist of 19th-century Japan. His views of Yedo he wrote helped us better understand the country than all of previous travelers descriptions. The discovery of this new formal repertoire was to exert a considerable influence on artists of the fin-de-siècle among them Félix Régamey and Henri Guérard who engraved some of the illustrations in this volume. A. Quantin hardcover
1811réf. 2110502150908589Hanmoto fumei 1811. Soft Cover. Fine. Number of books: 1 Hanmoto fumei paperback
1811réf. 2110502150908881Hanmoto fumei 1811. Soft Cover. Fine. Number of books: 1 Hanmoto fumei paperback
1811réf. 2110502150908882Hanmoto fumei 1811. Soft Cover. Fine. Number of books: 1 Hanmoto fumei paperback
1811réf. 2110502150908590Hanmoto fumei 1811. Soft Cover. Fine. Number of books: 1 Hanmoto fumei paperback
1962réf. 46618æ±äº¬ Tokyo: 芸艸堂 Unsodo 1962. Revised edition. Softcover. vg- to near fine. Quartos. Unpaginated. 15 string-bound volumes in blue paper wrappers. White paper labels with gilt lettering on the front covers. Housed in a large dark blue cloth-covered clamshell portfolio with a printed paper label on the front cover and bone fasteners. English label on the spine of the portfolio. Gorgeous reproduction of the classic monumental work by Hokusai 1760-1849 originally issued in 15 volumes between 1812-1878. The first 12 volumes were issued by the artist during his lifetime while volumes 13-14 were issued posthumously from previously unpublished material. The final volume includes a compilation of some previously published material and of other work not even by Hokusai and is therefore not considered authentic. The vast amount of content covered in these "sketchbooks" consists of thousands of images ranging from domestic and social scenes animals landscapes plants architecture historical scenes legends and martial arts to masks as well as household and ritual objects. Of interesting note are some detailed close up images of firearms. Finely printed to reproduce the quality and look of the original editions with images printed in b/w and hues of light pink. The set includes a 22-page informative text booklet in Japanese and English. Additionally the final section of each volume contains text in Japanese and English relating to the specific content of the volume and giving additional technical and historical context. Text in Japanese and English. Portfolio with some light foxing to the label and on the interior. A few of the wrappers with minor rubbing to corners. Foxing to the edges of book blocks. Interiors with some sporadic minor to light foxing mostly to top margins with images almost entirely unaffected. Images clean bold and bright. Portfolio in very good wrappers in very good to near fine interiors in very good- to near fine. 芸艸堂 (Unsodo) unknown
1962réf. 46618æ±äº¬ Tokyo: 芸艸堂 Unsodo 1962. Revised edition. Softcover. vg- to near fine. Quartos. Unpaginated. 15 string-bound volumes in blue paper wrappers. White paper labels with gilt lettering on the front covers. Housed in a large dark blue cloth-covered clamshell portfolio with a printed paper label on the front cover and bone fasteners. English label on the spine of the portfolio. Gorgeous reproduction of the classic monumental work by Hokusai 1760-1849 originally issued in 15 volumes between 1812-1878. The first 12 volumes were issued by the artist during his lifetime while volumes 13-14 were issued posthumously from previously unpublished material. The final volume includes a compilation of some previously published material and of other work not even by Hokusai and is therefore not considered authentic. The vast amount of content covered in these "sketchbooks" consists of thousands of images ranging from domestic and social scenes animals landscapes plants architecture historical scenes legends and martial arts to masks as well as household and ritual objects. Of interesting note are some detailed close up images of firearms. Finely printed to reproduce the quality and look of the original editions with images printed in b/w and hues of light pink. The set includes a 22-page informative text booklet in Japanese and English. Additionally the final section of each volume contains text in Japanese and English relating to the specific content of the volume and giving additional technical and historical context. Text in Japanese and English. Portfolio with some light foxing to the label and on the interior. A few of the wrappers with minor rubbing to corners. Foxing to the edges of book blocks. Interiors with some sporadic minor to light foxing mostly to top margins with images almost entirely unaffected. Images clean bold and bright. Portfolio in very good wrappers in very good to near fine interiors in very good- to near fine. 芸艸堂 (Unsodo) unknown books
réf. 44008501Tokyo 1948 Oshima. Yellow stitched stiff wrs. 3 vol. set woodblock printed on hand-made paper very goodcleanbright set contents very clean white clear impressions in tones of grey Sumi black stiff buff paper Chitsu case. R A R E . . . AN IDENTICAL TO THE FIRST EDITION 1948 REPRINT . . . FUGAKU HYAKKEI: 100 VIEWS OF MT. FUJI . . . HOKUSAI'S MOST FAMOUS BOOK ON JAPAN'S SACRED SYMBOL . . . COLOR WOODBLOCK-PRINTED ON HAND-MAID WASHI PAPER . . . HIS GREATEST CLASSIC ! . THE ARTIST: KATSUSHIKA Hokusai 1760-1849: Hokusai's most famous work in book form illustrating a profusion of views of Mt. Fuji from all perspectives. . Hokusai was Japan's most famous Edo period illustrator of Japanese genre landscape scenery and of the daily lives and occupations of the commoners. His works are full of cheerfulness humor optimism and he had a knack of capturing the true nature of his time people and life style. He was affectionately called the "MAD MAN ON DRAWING" by the Japanese. His works continue to fascinate the world over ! . This book was also the prototype for his great color woodblock print series of multiple views of Mt. Fuji. . A delightful and impressive work considered a classic for nearly 200 years. . This monograph is devoted to Japan's most sacred Mt. Fuji in all its glory portrayed in various seasons and as seen by common folk as they go about their daily lives and daily occupations and along the Tokaido highway. . THE INTRODUCTION: The introduction was written by Hokusai on the first two pages of each volume. . THE COMPLETE SET OF 3 VOLUMES: The collation is: 252525 double folded leaves or 150 pages in all with illustrations of Mt. Fuji on 144 pages 6 pages of Japanese text. . The history of the various editions and volume count are complex the work was originally issued complete in two volumes which included all pages found in the 3 volume set. The set of 3 volumes is no different than those bound in 2 volumes it is simply a matter of combining pages into two or three bindings. The binding format was a choice made by publishers & their binders. The usual format is 3 volumes numbered 1 2 & 3. There are 3 volumes bound into a single binding and other variants contents by and large is the same. . THE SUBJECT: MT. FUJI JAPAN'S MOST SACRED SYMBOL: . The work is marvelous it shows Mt. Fuji portrayed in the daily life of the common people. . In the spring time how ordinary Japanese sat outdoors and viewed the cherry blossoms with Mt. Fuji in the background. Mt. Fuji was always present in daily life as a background. . The composition artistry and skill of Hokusai is without parallel. The book illustrates his unique talent and drawing skills. His artistry pictured Mt. Fuji in myriad scenes early morning evening rain and cloudy days. The mystical quality of Mt. Fuji demonstrates the great respect Hokusai felt showing the great grandeur of the sacred mountain. . Hokusai used acute visual composition concepts insight and visionary-like "Avant-garde" talent to impress viewers to identify with the splendor of Mt. Fuji. . Hokusai is still hailed as Japan's greatest artist of the 19th century. His woodblock printed books and printed command solid prices. . THIS IS THE 1948 EXACT REPRINT OF THE 1830'S FIRST EDITION: . This is an exact reprint of the First Edition complete with matching yellow covers green printed title slips and brown thread string bindings. . What differs is that in volume 3 where the usual illustrations end begins a section of 19 double-folded leaves of text by the xxxxxxx Ohshima Torimizu and the recent colophon indicating the publishing details. . This the latest final exact reprint edition matching the First Edition in all ways. . The work was woodblock printed on Washi hand-made paper. The registry & impression are excellent. The volume size varied by a few centimeters mostly a difference of the top or bottom margins. . Color photos are posted to our website. . CONDITION: This is an excellent copy fresh no bends to the cover hinges contents pristine immaculate so near the original that without the recent colophon and Oshim's comments one less versed in these things could easily think of this set being the original edition! . The set comes in a stiff paper folding Chitsu case printed in red & black on the front cover and black titles on the spine witih a string tie. . This five-part-folding Chitsu has been restored & mended from the inside to strengthen the folding hinge areas. The paper is 'toned' as usual for n immediate post-World War Two example. . REFERENCES: . There are no references to this edition in the traditional resources below which focus on 19th century editions or machine reprints. . DICKINS TRANSLATION: TWO EDITIONS: WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATION & ILLUSTRATIONS: a. F.V. Dickins.: FUGAKU HIYAKU-KEI: sic OR A HUNDRED VIEWS OF FUJISAMA FUJI BY HOKUSAI. London in 1880. This book contained 3 original woodblock illustrated volumes of Hokusai's book FUGAKU HYAKKEI. . b. A 1960 reprint of the above photo lithographed edition. H. Kerlen: CATALOGUE OF PRE-MEIJI JAPANESE BOOKS & MAPS . for more bibliographic details item #396 pp.163-166. BROWN Louise N.: BLOCK PRINTING AND BOOK ILLUSTRATION IN JAPAN p.183 she cites two entries. Henry Smith II: HOKUSAI ONE HUNDRED VIEWS OF MT. FUJI pp.21-22 outline of the editions. K. Toda: THE RYERSON COLLECTION OF JAPANESE AND CHINESE . ILLUSTRATED BOOKS p.263. L. Dawes: CATALOGUE OF JAPANESE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS p.47. FORRER Matthi. comp. et al.: HOKUSAI AND HIS SCHOOL: Paintings Drawings And Illustrated Books. See item 110 and associated photos and pp.170-177. RIJKSMUSEUM: HOKUSAI AND HIS SCHOOL: Japanese Prints c. 1800-1840. see pp. 58-59 #87 & photos. Jack Hillier: no. 241 p.278. --. : HOKUSAI: no. 110 --. : THE ART OF JAPANESE BOOK ILLUSTRATION p.213-225 . plates 195-208 Kraft: VOL.3 NO. 185-=195; VOL. 4 NO.36 R. Keyes: EHON: The Artist and the Book in Japan: pp.218-223 i.e. exhibit #54 color plates: figures 54.1-54.5. KSM: Kaiga 7-18-1 . !! NOT LISTED IN: C. Mitchell: THE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS OF THE NANGA MARUYAMA SHIJO AND OTHER RELATED SCHOOLS OF JAPAN. . . unknown
réf. 85004002Edo 1836 Kozanbo. Original stitched green wrappers very good 31 woodcuts prints 15.5 x 23.5 cm. blind-stamped covers a bit scuffed contents clean no worming solid a variant with uncolored frontis. RARE FIRST EDITION . . . ONE OF HOKUSAI'S MOST FAMOUS ILLUSTRATED BOOKS . . . ON CHINESE & JAPANESE HISTORIC HEROES . . This important work shows the human body moving under the heavy armor and the flow of Hokusai's 1760-1849 skilled and fluid brush. An exciting and action-packed Samurai illustrated book. Shows a number of Japanese and Chinese heroes as they struggle to suppress evil and encounter over- whelming robust and fierce opponents. Toki Kintaro struggled with a giant bronze-casted Buddhist temple Bell; other heroes struggle and fight with Inoshishi wild boar; tiger; suppressing a great wild stallion and huge spider; a giant dragon-snake; devils; Sumo; butchering one's enemy; haunted by living Yurei ghost; ogres; Fu-dog and one blood- curdling scene of a person holding a newborn baby by the feet over a boiling cauldron while he split it's stomach shows the blood flowing into the "soup" while a colleague looks on in delight; Buddhist saints and Goddess; seeking salvation refuge and Nirvana under a freezing cold waterfall in fervent prayer; suffering a barrage of arrows and assailants. . A most dramatic and emotional work of the strongest Heroes and most powerful warriors as they wield their all-mighty Samurai swords. Executed with the greatest of skill as only Hokusai could do. Contains one double-page preface thirty double-page and two single illustrations. The entire book printed on double-folded leaves by woodblocks printed on hand-made Washi paper. . Showing Hokusai's brilliant imagination and ability to fantasize. Books of this high caliber and unique subject condition and vintage are always S C A R C E. . THE ARTIST: KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI 1760-1849: Hokusai was Japan's most famous Edo period illustrator of Japanese genre landscape scenery and of the daily lives and occupations of the commoners. His works are full of cheerfulness humor optimism and he had a knack of capturing the true nature of his time people and life style. He was affectionately called the "MAD MAN ON DRAWING" by the Japanese. His works continue to fascinate the world over ! . THE VARIANT EDITIONS: We have become aware of the fact that there is a strong possibility that each of the two variant copies may have slightly different plates. For example the current copy in hand does not have plates 212 nor 214 as cited in Hillier above. One needs to have the luxury of having both variants on their desk and compare page by page to note actual and complete differences. Our copy is consecutively numbered per Kerlen and so we know that it is complete but a variant to what Hillier saw in one of the museums cited on his "Acknowledgement" page. All other illustrations he cited are present. . Color photos are posted to our website. . BIBLIOGRAPHY: . A famous work cited in many standard references we list a few of the many works.: . J. Hillier: THE ART OF HOKUSAI IN BOOK ILLUSTRATION plates: 209 210 212 214 215; text on pp.227-231. Because Hiller understood this book to be of exceptional importance has devoted substantial space to this title which is part of a major trilogy on the subject of great Japanese and Chinese heroes. This genre was called the "Toshisen" and done in the final decade of Hokusai's artistic life 1840-1849. There are two versions of the First Edition relating to the first illustration opposite the title page: a. Sumi-zuri or black and white uncolored plate. b. Saishiki or colored version. The Saishiki type was strictly a made-to-order version for wealthy merchants; the Sumi-zuri being the more common of the two variants. H. Kerlen: CATALOGUE OF PRE-MEIJI JAPANESE BOOKS AND MAPS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS item #312 p.126-127. K. Toda: THE RYERSON COLLECTION OF JAPANESE AND CHINESE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS p.263. KSM KAIGO 1-494-2 Kraft: vol. 1 no. 125 J. Hillier: no.245 p.278 . . unknown
1808réf. 2110502150903230Soshichi Nishimura and other editions 1808. Soft Cover. Fine. Number of books: 5 Soshichi Nishimura and other editions paperback
1812réf. 2091202133201307Shuseikaku / Gungyokudo 1812. Soft Cover. Fine. Number of books: 2 books in total Shuseikaku / Gungyokudo paperback
1845réf. 60421Osaka Kawachiya 1845 fourth month KÅka 2. 4to 255 x 180 mm. 6 volumes uniformly bound in orange contemporary stitched spineless Fukuro Toji bindings with white paper title label pasted on to front wrappers. Housed in a chitsu. Severly affected by wormholes. Heavily affected by wormholes throughout otherwise clean. Chitsu-case with wear. 35; 39; 39 36 30; 28 pp. Beautiful work written by Yamada Isai with illustrations by Katsushika Hokusai consisting 55 episodes in the life of Shaka Buddah. Hokusai has made 35 illustrations for 27 episodes and 23 of those are new iconographies in Shaka’s biography inspired by various pictorial resources while other 12 scenes originate in the former or traditional ones of these subjects. With thirty-two monochrome illustrations and covers various events starting from the court of King Suddhodana the Buddha's father before his birth in the Indian kingdom of Kapilavastu and ending with the distribution of the Buddha's relics after his death. Throughout Asia depictions of the Buddha's life have followed common narrative structures and artistic conventions for centuries. There is no single authoritative textual source for the Buddha's life story so visual narratives have relied on well-known episodes such as his birth as Prince Siddhartha his renunciation of worldly life his ascetic practice attainment of enlightenment and eventual death. These narratives have been adapted creatively to specific contexts sometimes incorporating new episodes or extending the story beyond the Buddha's death. The Illustrated Record of the Life of Sukyamuni by Yamada Isai and Katsushika Hokusai can be compared to historical fiction rather than a strict historical account. Hokusai's illustrations in particular prioritize creative additions to the story over adhering strictly to canonical episodes. For example the book does not depict the Buddha's death but focuses on other aspects such as familial conflicts supernatural encounters and scenes of hell. The included double-page illustration portrays a dramatic episode that concludes volume 1. The right-hand illustration shows the canonical episode of the Buddha's conception where his mother lady Maya receives a dream indicating her pregnancy. However the left-hand illustration deviates from the conventional depiction of Maya's sister Gotami as a benevolent aunt to the Buddha. Instead she is portrayed as a jealous character transformed into a giant snake due to her envy. This aspect of the narrative draws inspiration not from the Buddha's life stories but from the tale of Lady Xi 468-499 a would-be empress during the Chinese Liang dynasty. For more information see The Arthur Tress Collection of Japanese illustrated books Kislak Center University of Pennsylvania Libraries. unknown
