Collection "Contes du vieux Japon".

20 vols, 12mo (15,5 x 10,5 cm), in folded sheets (some corners folded).

Traditional Japanese binding, spines covered with silk type fabric, silk stab ties (some covers sl. soiled or folded).

Very rare set of the complete collection designed for the western market by Hasegawa, printed on crepe-paper and richly illustrated by Japanese artists but mainly Kobayashi Eitaku. First edition of the French translations by Joseph Dautremer (1860-1946), except n. 16 by Jules Adam. Although some vol. of the series have been translated into Danish, Dutch, German, Portuguese, Spanish, etc., only the French and the English versions are identified by G.C. Baxley with 20 vol. for the the English series but 21 for the French one (without further explanation). The so-called 21th vol. -titled "Trois réflexions"- is unnumbered, seems to be rare and to have been added to the serie. Some titles : "Momotaro", "Le Moineau qui a la langue coupée" (The Tongue-Cut sparrow), "La bataille du singe et du crabe" (Battle of the Monkey and the Crab), "Le vieillard qui fait fleurir les arbres morts" (The Old Man who made the dead trees blossom), "Le mont Katsi-Katsi", "Le mariage de la souris" (The Mouse's wedding), etc. Colophons are printed in Japanese, plus sometimes partly in French or in both languages. Ref. http://www.baxleystamps.com/litho/hasegawa/ft_fr.shtml (very complete article). - https://www.edition-originale.com/fr/litterature/livres-illustres/hasegawa-les-contes-du-vieux-japon-1889-52745. Joined: 2 specimens of n. 7, in French ("Le vieillard et les démons") and English ("The old man & the devils") with differences in the preliminary lvs and colophons. (Tog. 22 vol.)