Hokusai: One Hundred Poets. By Peter Morse. Illustrated by Hokusai. First Edition, First Printing. George Braziller, Inc. New York, 1989.

Hokusai was one of the greatest Japanese ukiyo-e artists ever. He lived and worked in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During his lifetime, his acclaim in Japan was unmatched. For 70 years, he dedicated himself to producing woodblock prints and paintings, influencing his contemporaries and expanding his artforms. In the late nineteenth century, his influence broadened as European artists grew to admire his work. Hokusai has subsequently been credited for influencing the Art Nouveau Movement, the Expressionist Movement, and many others. In this volume, author Peter Morse presents some of Hokusai’s greatest works: the prints of the One Hundred Poems series. This series was left incomplete in Hokusai’s lifetime. Yet scholars have enlivened interest over the past century, ranking it among his best. For each of Hokusai’s illustrations, Morse describes the poet, the poem, and the print in concise, informative detail. The work contains 111 illustrations (41 color plates, 70 black and white). It is a spectacular large format edition showcasing Hokusai’s genius.

This first edition, first printing is in near-fine condition. In the original red cloth, near-fine with only soiling to edges. Text block fine. In the original dust jacket, near-fine with only rubbing and chipping to corners.

A near-fine first edition of Hokusai: One Hundred Poets.