First edition. 2vols. 150 paper samples tipped into first volume, second volume illustrated with numerous photographs. 370 by 255mm. Vol.1 bound fukuro-toji with original red paper wrappers and printed title slip, vol.2 bound in original yellow ochre paper covered boards and title slip, faint foxing to edges of vol.1 and off-setting to p.140, original blue cloth chitsu folding case with slightly foxed title slip, original cardboard box with printed title, overall a very good set. [15], 16-167, [colophon], [2]pp. Tokyo, Mainichi Newspaper Company, Showa 51 [i.e. 1976].
[With:] MAINICHI NEWSPAPER COMPANY. Supplementary printed map of Japan with sites of paper-making; list of paper-makers and related people with Living National Treasure status; and additional paper and raw paper-making fibre samples. All encased in folded washi paper. Foxing to Living National Treasures list. Tokyo, Mainichi Newspaper Comapny, Showa 51 [i.e, 1976.
A decadent production promoting the beauty of Japanese handmade papers.
The first volume includes 150 beautiful original samples, each with a supporting paragraph to explain how they were made and their history. The second volumed takes a deeper dive into paper-making history. In the 1970s there appeared to have been a trend to boost the paper-making industry in Japan. Around this time, the Kurodani Washi Association produced a number of books to promote Kurodani paper-making in Kyoto, as there was fear that the craft would die out. Much is written in essays accompanying books like the present set to explain the long history of washi and its importance in Japanese culture. Many artists such as Goto Seikichiro and Okamura Kichiemon also began to make books that expressed the romance of paper-making villages across Japan. As one of the biggest news companies in Japan, it is likely that the Mainichi Newspaper Company produced these books as part of their cultural sponsorships – historically, they have also provided funding for art exhibitions and sporting events.
