This listing is for an antique setsuyoshu-style illustrated handbook.

A fascinating look at everyday learning in historical Japan, this vintage setsuyoshu illustrated handbook combines traditional ink drawings with Japanese text. Books like this served as practical learning guides to teach reading, vocabulary, and cultural knowledge. The pages features scenes of daily life, historical figures, and symbolic diagrams.

The first page offers some interesting insights about this particular handbook. It references "Garon Shoyo" meaning Summary of Painting Theory, indicating the book relates to artistic instruction or the study of illustration. The book also bears a "Nakajima Library" ownership mark, and a later Paris stamp dated January 26, 1959, showing it once passed through a European collection. 

The cover is soft paper with a stitched binding, reflecting the style of earlier Japanese printed books. There are signs of age with lots of character of a well-used study book. Based on the woodblock printing style, stitched binding, paper material and calligraphy style we estimate this book was created in the mid-19th century.

9" x 6"