Title: Nanso Satomi Hakkenden, 1826. Part 6, 6 Volumes
Author: Takizawa Bakin
Artist: Yanagawa Shigenobu; Keisai Eisen
Condition: Fair
An Edo Era and early 19th century edition of the 6th part of Bakin’s Nanso Satomi Hakkenden, otherwise known as The Eight Dog Chronicles. The sixth part is complete in 6 volumes.
Bakin’s weaves a tale of eight young warriors, bound by a connection to another world between the Princess Fuse, of the Satomi clan in Awa, and the dog of kami Yatsufusa. The tale itself is set in the Muromachi period, several hundred years before the author’s birth. Though each of the brothers are born in a different province of the Kanto region, their bonds deepen between each other through their various experiences and struggles, and they gather under the banner of the Satomi clan, with the tale cumulating in tremendous battles against enemy lords. Loyalty, bushido, Confucianism, and Buddhist philosophy serve as core components to the tale.
The complete chronicles themselves are a 106-volume masterpiece, taking a 28-year period to complete from 1814 to 1842, and is considered one of the great classics of Japanese novels.
The 6th part is also present in the original presentation cover.
There are 12, 6, 6, 6, 4, and 6 pages of woodblock print illustrations.
Six volumes in octavo, 30, 27, 25, 26, 18, 32 leaves
On note of condition, these volumes are in fair shape, with rubbing and wear to the bindings. The pages are all worn and delicate, with some staining throughout, sporadic worming to the upper margins, and fading to several pages. Several washi pages have split. The presentation cover is also heavily worn and has a long tear to the front right side.