Shaka Goichidaiki Zue (Illustrated Biography of the Buddha) - Complete set of 6 volumes

Shaka Goichidaiki Zue is a Buddhist biography published in Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka in the second year of the Koka era (1845). This item is a reprint from the 17th year of the Meiji era (1884), and is a valuable item as it still has its outer wrapping paper.

The author is Soso Yamada, and the illustrations are by Hokusai Katsushika. It consists of six volumes in total, from volumes 1 to 6, and is composed of 55 stories in total.

While general Buddhist biographies often focus on the story of the Buddha's enlightenment and achieving Buddhahood, this work is characterized by the fact that it spends more pages on the latter half of the Buddha's life after achieving Buddhahood.

Also, among the 55 stories, there are 35 illustrations drawn by Hokusai in 27 stories, and it is considered that Hokusai may have newly created 23 of those illustrations as Buddhist biography scenes.

The dynamic production with bold screen composition can be seen, and it is a charming screen that stands out among Buddhist biography paintings in Japan.

There is some color fading on the cover due to scratches, but the inside is in good condition without any stains.

There are some discoloration, wrinkles, and insect holes due to aging, but there is also the outer wrapping paper that held the six volumes together.

Please feel free to contact us for additional images or any questions.

Please consider this item, understanding that it is a home-stored item from about 140 years ago.