Miburi Iroha ["The Iroha in Gestures" / Japanese alphabet, in people], Circa late Edo period (after 1829)

Miburi Iroha ["The Iroha in Gestures"] Tōzaian, Nanboku [preface and text by]; Shōchōrō [Utagawa], Kunimaro, Kitao, Shigemasa [II] [illustrated by]. [Edo]: Yamaguchi, [ca. late Edo period (after 1829)]. An inventive gōkan also known under the title Miburi Iroha-gei, featuring illustrations of people twisted into the shapes of the characters of the Japanese hiragana syllabary. The text accompanying each illustration relates through direct quotations how the figures came to be in the odd positions they are depicted in. The colour woodblock-printed upper wrapper features an illustration by Utagawa Kunimaro (active ca. 1830–1870s), while the internal illustrations are by Kitao Shigemasa II (1793-?). This copy contains two parts bound in one volume, as published. One copy at Waseda University and two at Senshu University do not include a colophon or the page depicting the character 二 ("two") which introduces the二編 ("second part") of the book, as is the case with this copy, suggesting that only the earlier Bunka 8 (1811) and Bunsei 12 (1829) editions had the "二" page and colophon. A scarce, humorous example of the use of moji-e ("character-pictures") in gōkan, with all Iroha characters present. Two parts in one four-hole-bound (yotsumetoji) volume, complete, on double leaves, traditional East Asian binding style (fukurotoji). Original upper wrapper, non-original lower. Wear, soiling, and small wormholes to wrappers. Ex-ownership inscriptions to first bound leaf, lower wrapper, and lower wrapper verso. Light stains, thumbing, occasional marks, and a few wormholes internally. Small occasional losses to leaf extremities. Ink stains to two leaves. Leaf 1 bound out of order. 14, [2-15] leaves. 17.7 x 11.8 cm.