Hokusai

1845 · 186060 — Edo: Yamashiroya Sahee and 4 others 1845. An ancient Chinese war for early modern Japanese readers First complete edition. This historical novel is a semi-fictional retelling of the Chu-Han Contention with depictions of peasant massacres put alongside fantastical scenarios of heroes fighting giant snakes and dragons. Hokusai illustrated this work in the final years of his life displaying the full range of the expressive skills he had honed for decades. After the fall of the Qin dynasty in 206 BC the empire split into 18 kingdoms the most powerful of which were the Western Chu led by Xiang Yu and the Han led by Liu Bang. The two rivals fought over four years culminating in a last stand at the Battle of Gaixia where the Chu leader committed suicide after a total Han victory. These legendary warriors and their battles were immortalized through literature including the Chinese work Xihan tongsu yanyi. This present work is Tamenaga Shunsui's 1790-1844 translation of that novel for the Japanese market with Hokusai's illustrations "providing an appealing vision of a foreign country unknown to readers" Marks p. 195. It is a blend of history and fiction where the real figures of Xiang Yu and Liu Bang perform semi-mythical acts of bravery and strength. One notably gory scene shows Xiang Yu's men killing 5000 peasants loyal to the Qin dynasty. The soldiers on the left behead two captives while their fellow soldiers shovel an overwhelming number of heads into baskets to be carried away. Part 1 the first ten volumes was initially released in 1843. It was then followed by Part 2 in a further ten volumes two years later. At this time the first part was also reissued as was likely the case with this set. It has a variant colophon with Yamashiroya listed as the most important publisher. Other copies instead rank Chojiya Heibee first. 2 parts in 20 vols octavo. Woodblock illustrations throughout; text in Japanese inner wrapper title pages of vols I and XI printed on yellow paper. Original grey-blue patterned paper wrappers renewed white thread fukuro-toji binding spine ends capped in grey silk printed paper labels on front wrappers. Housed in two 20th-century blue folding cases. Bindings weathered some small abrasions to wrappers paper label of vol. I lacking contents bright a few ink marks in vol. VII f. 15v.: a very good set folding cases repaired at joints one toggle detached. Hillier The Art of Hokusai in Book Illustration p. 256. Andreas Marks Japan's Manga Revolution: From Painted Scrolls to Comic Books 1680-1920 2025. unknown