『Collection of Artisan Urban Associations of the East and West』
This is a high-quality book produced by the Japanese paper company Takeo to commemorate its 90th anniversary. As the title suggests, it depicts craftsmen from both the East and the West.
This set is a reprint of the Japanese "Illustrated Collection of Japanese Occupations" (和国諸職絵つくし, 1685), which illustrates Eastern occupations, and Jost Amman's woodcut illustration book "STANDEBUCH" (1568), which explains Western occupations. The cursive Japanese and Latin texts are translated into modern Japanese separately and included in the set. The binding methods of both sets are identical, reflecting both Eastern and Western styles, and their appearances alone reveal the contrasting flavors of the East and the West.
No one would buy this book to learn about ancient occupations in the East and West. I didn't. It's a luxurious read, a book that will surely pique the interest of any book lover, and above all... it's beautiful.
