A rare surviving volume of 『繪本櫻姫譚草紙』(Ehon Sakura-hime Densōshi), an illustrated Edo-period woodblock-printed storybook blending romance, tragedy, and supernatural folklore. This is Volume 4, part of a multi-volume literary series that became popular in the late Edo period and influenced later kabuki and picture-book adaptations.
This antique Japanese book features beautiful hand-carved woodblock illustrations and flowing kanazukai-style Edo handwriting, capturing the drama of Sakura-hime, a noblewoman drawn into a world of spirits, fate, and heroic conflict. Scenes include emotional dialogues, mystical landscapes, storms, and dramatic confrontations — all rendered in classic ukiyo-e-inspired linework.
Surviving examples of this work are becoming increasingly scarce. Most sets have been separated across time, making individual Edo volumes like this one highly collectible for specialists of Japanese literature, ukiyo-e, and Edo-period printing.
Printed on traditional washi paper, sewn in original blue Edo-style binding, and rich with text and illustrations, this volume is an authentic artifact of Japan’s pre-modern storytelling tradition.
