Pan to ninfu [Pan and Nymph]

KAWAKAMI (Sumio).

The silver paper edition of this Kawakami classic

Second edition (after the printing of a single copy in 1948), 'kazobon', hors commerce signed. Colour woodblock printed on silver paper throughout. 180 by 135mm. Yamato-toji binding, quarter black calf over black card wrappers, original decorative printed cover in metallic ink, with woodblock printed motif to rear cover, original golden folded card case with printed title slip, housed in a (later) decorative cloth covered chitsu folding case with title slip in holograph, small areas of possibly worming and rubbing around gutters, a very good copy. Unpaginated, [14], [colophon] pp. Tochigi, private published, 1948 but [, 1962.

£2,250

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KAWAKAMI (Sumio).

Pan to ninfu [Pan and Nymph]

An extraordinary copy of Kawakami's celebrated book evoking the ancient Greek God Pan chasing after nymphs.

This title is known to have been printed onto black paper in an edition of 40 copies, however the present copy is labelled as a kazobon 'family copy' (i.e. outside of the edition) and has been printed entirely on silver paper. The effect is completely dazzling and the story of Pan pursuing nymphs by night is made somewhat more magical as a result. Kawakami made a small number of his books on silver paper, usually as a one-off. It is extremely special to find the silver paper copy of this title.

A note on the date: according to the bibliography, a single copy of this book was published in 1948, made especially for the 22nd Kokugakai exhibition (an annual group show of printmakers and artists). Fourteen years later, in 1962, Kawakami printed this book again, but in an edition of 40 copies. The colophon in these books states that it was made in 1948, but really this (second) edition was printed later.

Extremely rare. Only two copies of the black paper edition listed in OCLC, none with silver paper.

Stock No.

262669

Pan to ninfu [Pan and Nymph]

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