A fabulously rare paper sample book, being one of only 24 copies.
The present book of samples was produced by the museum arm of the Oji Paper Company, who have manufactured paper since 1875 (i.e. 8th year of Meiji). The company continues today under Oji Holdings, with global forestry and paper-making operations. The company originally had an in-house archive, which, after the Second World War, formed the foundations of the Paper Making Memorial Museum. This opened in 1950 with a view to sharing the history and process of paper-making with the public.
The first director of the museum was Narita Kiyofusa (1884-1979), the author of the present title. Narita had spent time in the US, returning to Japan to join the Oji Paper Company. Here, he made use of his English language skill in the purchasing department and helped import foreign products. Around 19 years into his time at the firm, Narita published his first book, General Survey of the Japanese Paper Making Industry (1937) and continued to work closely with the company archives to develop his research and writing.
The present book shortly precedes the founding of the Paper Making Museum. On the front end paper Narita has written a poetic inscription, which loosely translates to: 'The most enduring monuments are those made of paper'. What follows is a series of short essays on different types of paper as well as 70 generous samples. They are varied, ranging from the Edo period (the oldest attributed to the Tempo period, 1830-1845) to the Meiji period. What is especially lovely about this book is the samples are bound in rather than mounted; lots of the samples overlap, which helps to compare and contrast they wide range of paper types. It is a beautiful production with a more handmade feel to some later sample books, which usually have smaller samples that have been cut down and mounted.
Rare. There is only one copy recorded in a Japanese institution (Tenri University) and none elsewhere.
