1795 Journey to the West Wu Cheng’en Monkey Ming Chinese Monk Japanese Samurai

1795 Journey to the West Wu Cheng’en Monkey Ming Chinese Monk Japanese Samurai

 

An interesting Meiji woodblock-print of the classic novel ‘Journey to the West’ 西遊記 is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng’en as one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. The novel is based on the 7th-century pilgrimage of a Buddhist monk to India in search of sacred texts, which was already part of Chinese folk and literary colloquial stories, a poetic novelette, and a six-part drama. The story is of an epic pilgrimage of a Buddhist monk and his three disciples, the legendary monkey god Sun Wukong, the greedy and mischievous Zhu Bajie and man-eating demon Sha Wujing. The story was translated into English by Arthur Waley titled ‘Monkey’ and published in 1942.

David Kherdian described it as “probably the most popular book in all of East Asia.”

 

This first edition is of special interest because it was translated into Japanese by Tachibana Nankei of the Miyagawa Clan of the Samurai family born in the Ise province. It contains 5 full page black and white illustrations one in each volume of a shrine, hunting, waterfalls, and more!

 

Item number: #12945

Price: $950

 

NANKEI, Tachibana

 

(Journey to the West) (Shokoku Kidan Saiyuki) 諸国奇談 西遊記 (しょこくきだんさいゆき)

 

Shinsaibashi-dori Azuchi-cho (Osaka): Yoshizo Zenzo, Kansei 7-10, 1795-98. First Edition

 

Details:

• Collation: Complete with all pages; 5 volumes
  • [5] plates
• Language: Japanese
• Binding: Softcover; tight & secure
• Size: ~9in X 6in (23cm x 15cm)
• Exceedingly rare and desirable

 

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12945