Hi no Kiku Shirube Kagami (簸の菊標鏡)
Three Volumes Bound in One – Edo Period Illustrated Fiction
An exquisite Edo-period color-illustrated woodblock-printed book, uniting three volumes into a single bound edition. This work, Hi no Kiku Shirube Kagami — literally “Mirror Guide of the Chrysanthemum of Hi” — belongs to the refined tradition of Edo gesaku (playful literature), combining storytelling, poetry, and ukiyo-e style illustration.
Printed in multi-tone woodblock ink with hand-applied colors, it captures the humor and elegance of everyday life: bijin (beautiful women) at leisure, samurai domestic scenes, and poetic reflections of urban Edo culture. The illustrations, executed with fine linework and vibrant pigments, reveal the charm of late-Edo book design and the fusion of literature with visual art.
This edition includes the contents of three original volumes, unified in a single stitched binding — a rare survival that preserves the full narrative cycle.
Title: 簸の菊標鏡 (Hi no Kiku Shirube Kagami)
Translation: Mirror Guide of the Chrysanthemum of Hi
Volumes: Combined edition (3 volumes in one)
Period: Late Edo Period (mid–19th century)
Artist / Author: 武媛 青蛾亭秀祥 (Buken Seigatei Shushō)
Technique: Woodblock printing with hand-coloring
Binding: Fukuro-toji (pouch-bound)
Paper: Handmade washi
Content: Illustrated Edo fiction and poetry; domestic scenes, bijin, humor, and dialogue
This multi-volume compilation embodies the refined and playful spirit of late-Edo literature, when woodblock-printed books reached their artistic peak. The elegant use of color, pattern, and calligraphy makes it both a visual artwork and historical document of Edo’s cultural sophistication.
A rare find for collectors of ukiyo-e books, Edo fiction, and Japanese visual culture.
