生花古流百瓶 (Ikebana koryu hyakuhei - Flower Arrangement)
Tokyo: 松山堂 (Shozando), Meiji 38 (1905). First edition. Softcover. Quarto (10 1/4 x 7 1/4"). Unpaginated. [3]pp (Text), [54]pp (Plates) (Vol. 1); [46]pp (Plates), [1]pp (Text) (Vol. 2). Original string bound blue wrappers, with title label on each front cover.
Illustrated with one hundred striking woodblocks by Japanese illustrator Richo Shotosai, this two-volume set illustrates one hundred examples of Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. (matsuya ma do)
More than simply putting flowers in a vase, Ikebana is a disciplined art form in which the arrangement is a living thing where nature and man's creativity are brought together. It is an art, in the same sense that painting and sculpture are arts. Ikebana has a recorded history; it is backed up by articulate theories within certain rules of construction: Its materials are living branches, leaves, grasses, and blossoms. Its core is the beauty resulting from color combinations, natural shapes, graceful lines, and the meaning underlying in the finished form of the arrangement.
Minor to moderate rubbing, creasing and slight soiling to covers. Text in Japanese. Wrappers in overall good, interior in very good condition. g to vg. Item #13633
Price: $275.00