Search Results: Titles starting with K from Rare Illustrated Books

Tokyo: Kobunsha, 1885. This is the first edition, on plain paper, with only the phonetically transliterated Japanese title on the front wrapper and the English title only at the beginning of the story. The colophon states (in English) that it is No.5 of the 'Japanese Fairy Tales Series'. The series was also printed on crepe paper, in which format they are much better known, but the genuine first edition is generally considered to be the plain paper issue. 14 folded leaves (28pp.) including cover wrappers, colour woodcut illustrations, stab-bound with two blue silk knots, 183 x 127mm. A near-fine copy.

Tokyo: Seibundô, Shôwa 5, 1930. First Edition. [Shiseidô] AYAO YAMANA. Ayao Yamana (1897-1980) Japanese artist, graphic designer and illustrator largely responsible for the elegant look and style of Shiseido cosmetics. Hundreds of art deco designs for tea rooms, bars and cafes created by Yamana early in his career, prior to his appointment as the art director of Shiseido. This beautiful portfolio of Yamana's early work introduces a modified deco aesthetic. In the original printed wrappers, all enclosed in the original portfolio cover. The height of chic graphic design: remarkable, ephemeral, rare, complete. First edition, quarto, original portfolio, illustrated wrappers, 52 pages, black & white and color plates, a near fine copy of an extremely rare book.

New York: E.P. Dutton an Co., Inc, 1938. First Edition. The adventures of a young kangaroo who ventures too far away from his mother. Octavo, illustrated paper boards, 46 pages, sepia-toned illustrations throughout, a very good copy of the first edition.

New York: Maxton Inc, 1945. First Edition. Charles F. Bracker. Wonderful kangaroo-shaped book about a young kangaroo learning to hop, complete with an extra stand-up joey which fits into the mother kangaroo's pouch on the front card. This remarkable children's book, published as part of a series of "Mother and Baby Animal Books", is not recorded by Muir. Kangaroo-shape colour pictorial stiff boards, with original printed wrapper, and cut-out joey that slides into the pouch at front, 230mm x 300mm, 16 pages, illustrations on each page by Charles E. Bracker; a near fine copy.

London: A. & C. Black, 1911. Greenaway, Kate. With an introduction by M. H. Spielmann. "If ever there was a beautiful soul, it was the soul of Kate Greenaway." Large octavo, bound in decorated green boards with colour pictorial onlay, fifteen colour plates tipped-in, a nice copy of a charming little book.

Tokyo: Kokkeido, 1920. First Edition. A rare work by a celebrated female Japanese artist, Mizuno Hidekata (1875- 1944). Hidekata was one of the first popular professional female ukiyo-e artists, specialising in genre scenes and the reappraisal of Bijin (pictures of beautiful women), also working on illustrations for Sh jo Sekai, Jogaku Sekai, among other magazines. Hidekata studied under Mizuno Toshikata, whom she later married. Despite being a forerunner for professional twentieth century female artists in Japan, it is hard to find her works today. The woodcuts in this attractive album are beautiful, balanced, executed in lovely colours, several highlighted with silver. Prints depict scenes with kimono-attired women and girls in various sensitive settings titled: as, at springtime; a slight token of esteem; sudden shower; the beginning of the year; the odour of the plum blossoms; after school, with captions in Japanese and English. Worldcat offers the location of only one copy in the National… Read More

London: Lund Humphries, 2002. First Edition. The first monograph on the artist, chronology of his life by Diana Rowntree; signed by the author, and inscribed by the Rowntree's to Betty and Roy Churcher. Laid in is an autograph letter signed from Diana Rowntree to Betty Churcher, sending the book, commenting on the colour of the reproductions and noting, 'A recent history of the Royal College of Art contains the sentence, '... the painting school had students of the calibre of David Hockney, John Bratby, Peter Blake and Betty Cameron'' [later Churcher]. Quarto, 88 pages, illustrated throughout, fine in dustwrapper.

London: Daily Telegraph, 1914. First Edition. Produced for the benefit of the Daily Telegraph Belgian Fund, " A tribute of admiration to Belgium, on the heroic and ever-memorable share she has taken in the war which now convulses Europe." With contributions from Churchill, Galsworthy and Kipling, among many others. Quarto, 188pp, decorated cream cloth covers, frontispiece portrait, 16 plates tipped in, and illustrations in the text; browning to free endpapers, otherwise a very good copy.

Leipzig: Bibliographisches Institut, 1904. First edition of this famous and marvelous work by German biologist, Ernst Haeckel (1834 -1919). At the start of the twentieth century, 'Kunst-Formen der Natur' had a considerable influence on decorative design in the art nouveau period depicting fantastic, real forms and structures found in animal and plant life. Kunst-Formen der Natur" (English: "Art Forms in Nature") is a publication that showcases a collection of intricate illustrations of various organisms, primarily marine lifeforms. It is considered a landmark work in the field of biological illustration and art. The publication was created by the German biologist and artist Ernst Haeckel. Haeckel was renowned for his contributions to the fields of biology, evolutionary theory, and natural philosophy. He had a keen interest in the aesthetics of nature and believed that art and science could coexist harmoniously. "Kunst-Formen der Natur" was first published in 1899 as a portfolio of 100 lithographic… Read More