Enroku [Tobacco Record].

OTSUKI (Gentaku) & ISHIKAWA (Tairo), illus.

Enroku [Tobacco Record].

An illustrated study of imported tobacco and crafted tobacco objects

First edition. 3 vols. Numerous woodblock illustrations in each volume, but mostly in vol.2. Large 8vo., measuring 265 by 182mm. Fukuro-toji binding, original blue paper wrappers and printed title slips, housed in a (later) blue cloth covered chitsu folding case, rubbing and worming to wrappers, some small marginal worming to vol.3, overall very crisp internally with some neat annotations, a good set. [3],3, 5, 24; 36; 29, [1], 15, [colophon]ff. Edo, Shirando, Bunka 6 [i.e, 1809.

£3,500.00

OTSUKI (Gentaku) & ISHIKAWA (Tairo), illus.

Enroku [Tobacco Record].

A well-known, illustrated book on the subject of tobacco.

Enroku literally translates to ‘Record of Scented Grass’ and was written by Otsuki Gentaku (1757-1827), a physician and rangaku (‘Dutch learning’) scholar of the Edo period. The present set is a first edition, based upon two manuscripts penned by Otsuki from around 1780 to 1800. It was privately published by Shirando, which was rangaku school that Otsuki had founded in 1798. Among his many accomplishments, Otsuki edited the Jutei Kaitai Shinsho, a revised and expanded edition of what is widely acknowledged as the first book on Western medicine in Japan.

The same level of rigour and research has been applied to the present set. Otsuki details the history of tobacco and smoking culture, where/how tobacco plants are grown, medicinal uses of tobacco (and their side effects…), types of smoking apparatus – beautifully illustrated in the second volume – as well as Japanese and Chinese poetic odes to tobacco.

Widely held institutionally, but rare in commerce.

Stock No.

261359

Enquire

Enroku [Tobacco Record].

Mailing List