Catalogue of the Nordenskiold Collection of Japanese Books in the Royal Library [Stockholm]

Royal Library, Stockholm, first edition, 1980. Green wrappers, 8vo,. xv, 388 pp. 1,082 entries. A valuable and uncommon bibliographical catalogue. Nordenskiold, the Swedish explorer, assembled this collection of Japanese illustrated books in 1879 after leading his famous expedition on the Veda through the "North-East Passage", from Sweden to Japan via the Bering Strait. During his subsequent stay in Japan Nordenskiold saw that the turmoil of the times gave him an unrepeatable book-buying opportunity : valuable older works were being completely disregarded. Seizing his chance, he commissioned a young Japanese assistant to scour the country and quickly built up this splendid collection of mainly pre-1869 works, the great majority of which are illustrated with woodcuts. There are works in most fields but the coverage is particularly strong in history, Buddhism and poetry. Edgren gives each of the 1,082 items in the catalogue a full bibliographic description, giving author and title details in both Japanese and English, with all other details (date, original price, size, provenance etc) in English. Many entries are briefly annotated. Classified arrangement, the main divisions being: General; Shintoism; Buddhism; Language; Literature; Music & Drama; History; Geography; Government, Law & Economics; Education; Physical Sciences; Medicine; Industries; Fine Arts; Amateur Arts; Military Arts; Sinology & Chinese Works. With a title index and a personal name index, and a concordance of cross-references to de Rosny's 1883 catalogue. Inscribed and signed by the author on the half-title, front wrapper a trifle creased, otherwise Near Fine.