[EHON] Hokusai ??, artist — Wakan Ehon Sakigake Shohen ???????

1836. [EHON] Hokusai ??, artist. Wakan EHON SAKIGAKE Shohen ???????. {Tempo^ 7?[1836]}. Hanshihon, 22.6 cm x 15.7 cm. Unusually, tan covers, with a deeply incised blind-stamped cloud pattern on front and rear covers. The paper label is present, glued to the inside front cover. Could these be alternative original covers? A complete copy, with the title page pasted to the inner front cover, Hokusai's own two page preface dated 1836, 30 sheets of images, and 1 sheet of colophon and ads. It has the "77 year old" Hokusai with his "Gakyou Rojin" moniker, indicating the book itself was soon to appear, followed by 3 sequels.. (only two were done). It also lists the block carvers... Egawa and Sugita.. masters of the craft. Also see Hillier's ART OF THE JAPANESE BOOK for his appreciation of this work. The bookstore list often found at the end appears not to have been bound in (or was lost). Very minor soiling throughout. Very good impressions. An early printing of this important and often reprinted work. The Wakan EHON SAKIGAKE was the first volume of Hokusai's so-called "warrior trilogy". It is a visual epitome of traditional Japanese (and Chinese) historical heroes, from the legendary to the flesh and blood. It is a brilliant example of Hokusai's ability to create visual narrative by capturing the moment which evokes the character most perfectly to the viewer. In an older clasped chitsu case. .