2023-08 Raynors HCA Live
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/27/2023
An extremely rare Japanese children's book, circa 1871, containing what is believed to be the earliest printed depiction or mention of baseball in Japan. The seventy-eight-cloth pages with soft-cover book, features numerous woodblock illustrations picturing a diverse array of youthful activities and pastimes, all in Japanese language. Historically, the most important scene depicts five young boys playing an early bat-and-ball game. Three of the boys are holding bats or sticks in their hand while another is seen tossing the ball to a striker or batter, with a second ball seen lying on the ground. The book (6 x 9 inches) displays heavy wear along both covers but remains tightly bound. The interior pages remain clean and free of any significant flaws. The history of baseball in Japan dates back to sometime between 1867 and 1873 in the early [[Meiji Era]] when the game was introduced by Horace Wilson - a professor at Kaisei Gakko (now Tokyo University).
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