7068

Circa 1829 or 1832

RARE JAPANESE TWO-VOLUME WHALING ACCOUNT "ISANATORI EKOTOBA"

A phenomenal and comprehensive overview of late Edo Period whaling practices of the fishery company Masutomi on Ikitsuki Island. The first volume, lacking cover title sheet, with 20 illustrations and detailed text on each step of the process, from outlining the island's geography, preparing to go out to sea, capturing the whale with nets and processing the whale once back at the shore. The second volume with 20 highly detailed illustrations and text on types of whales, their anatomy, and the implements and tools used at sea and on land to catch, kill and process whales. Also includes a three-spread afterword written by Japanese scholar Tomokiyo Oyamada. Incredibly legible writing; many kanji also include helpful furigana. Includes case.
Folded woodblocks on paper, dai-oban yoko-e, each spread 13.25" x 17.25". Case 13.75" x 9.25".
Condition: Even toning. Some fading to ink. Old silverfish damage to edges of both volumes that minimally obscures the image or text. Binding between spreads loose on a few sheets. First volume with a folding issue around illustration nine, but there is no creasing to any woodblocks. * Case is not available for international delivery *

The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact Eldred's before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction. 

  • Provenance:
    Sotheby's, New York, Lot #29 (sale date unknown).
    The Edward McManus Collection of Marine Art.

    Notes:
    Ikitsuki Island is located northwest of Kyushu Island and is a part of modern-day Hirado City in Nagasaki prefecture. Its close proximity to China and the Korean peninsula made it an important trading port.

    The company Masutomi began whaling in 1725 and became Japan's largest whaling group in the early 19th Century, when it managed around 3,000 people across five groups. In 1733, they began using large nets to capture whales, a technique that continued until the widespread adoption of the whaling gun in Japan around 1882.

    The Japanese originally hunted whales to use their oil for lighting, but beginning in the 18th Century oil was also used to exterminate pests on rice paddies, further increasing demand. They used all the parts of the whale, including the baleen for handiwork and crushed bones for fertilizer. As a final token of gratitude, they also held memorial services for the whales.

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November 20, 2024 9:30 AM EST
East Dennis, MA, US

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