Reports on the Production of Tea in Japan--Illustrated with Copies of Drawings by a Native Artist

Item Details

1873

Reports on the Production of Tea in Japan--Illustrated with Copies of Drawings by a Native Artist Presented to Both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty, London 1873, Printed by Harrison and Sons, 13 x 8 5/8 inches, 21pp with 9 Double Folding Chromolithographs.

Bound in modern half leather folio with gilt title on spine. Binding in fine condition. 1873 text has light toning to first leaf. One chromolithograph possibly misfolded but not damaged. A second plate has a wrinkle within plate but mostly outside of artwork. Edges are speckled. Small stamp of Museum of Science and Art, Edinburgh, on top of title page and on verso of each plate. Light musty odor.  Good condition. 

Responses to a consular circular dispatch requesting information on all aspects of Japanese tea production with remarkable color illustrations for presentation to parliament.  The 'responses' come in the form of three letters dated 1872 and 1873 from a Mr. Watson to Earl Granville.  Report includes charts on the amount of tea produced in various parts of Japan. 

The nine beautiful plates measure 12 x 19.5 inches and represent various stages in the cultivation of tea.

Very uncommon in the trade. The last auction record we could find was from Goodspeed in 1906. At least 18 institutions (six in the United States) hold physical copies with many digital copies noted in OCLC.