Bojutsu Yumemonogatari (Dream Story of 1838)

US$1,860.00

ENQUIRE

BUY

Bojutsu Yumemonogatari ["Dream Story of 1838"]

Takano, Chōei [work by]; [Takizawa (copied by)?].

[Japan, ca. late Edo period (1840-60s?)].

In Tenpō 8 (1837), the American trading ship the Morrison, captained by Charles King, was met with cannon fire upon its arrival in Japan. Japan was still officially closed to other countries in the 1830s, so this was not a particularly unexpected line of action. However, as one of the ship's missions was to return several Japanese castaways (including Otokichi (John Matthew Ottoson)) to Japan, the incident inspired several literary works that criticised the Edo government's trigger-happy response. Amongst those works was Bojutsu Yumemonogatari by rangaku (Dutch studies) scholar Takano Chōei (1804-1850), who was jailed and eventually (after escaping prison and spending several years on the run) killed for producing the work. Chōei, who, along with the rest of Japan at the time, mistook the Morrison for a British ship, warned in Yumemonogatari (as the title is often shortened) of the dangers of expelling it, stressing that the British had considerable naval power. This manuscript copy of Chōei's seems to have been made by a "Mr. Takizawa" around the late Edo period. For more on Chōei's work, see Gützlaffs Japanreise 1837 und das Bojutsu yumemonogatari: Zur japanischen. Fremdenpolitik am Vorabend der Öffnung in "Karl Gützlaff (1803-1851) und das Christentum in Ostasien" (2005). A scarce record of pre-Meiji US-Japan interactions.

One four-hole-bound (yotsumetoji) volume, complete, on double leaves, traditional East Asian binding style (fukurotoji). Original inner paper wrappers bound in later wrappers. Title and author's name to upper wrapper in brush and ink. Light stains and wear to volume, mainly contained to original upper wrapper. Upper margin trimmed. [9] leaves. 23 x 16.1 cm.

Bojutsu Yumemonogatari (Dream Story of 1838)
Price: $1,860.00 (USD)