[POETRY] — Natsu Kodachi-Shu^

1846. [POETRY]. NATSU KODACHI-SHU^. Kyo^to, Ko^ka 3 [1846], Cho^undo^, a lovely oblong string-bound album with the original blind-stamped green covers and printed paper title label, all in a clasped chitsu case. 17.1 x 23.7 cm. The title refers to a famous line from a Basho^ haiku describing a "summer's grove". There is but one delicate color-printed illustration, of a bird in flight, but many pages of white on black ishizuri style calligraphy and delicate renderings of the poems in an elegant calligraphed hand. A deluxe production emblematic of the level of sophistication achieved by the publishing industry in Japan even in late Edo. Very unusual - in none of the standard references. .