12 - BIGOT, Georges.

BIGOT, Georges. Japanese Sketches. Tokyo, 1886. Folio, (29) leaves of plates and 3 blank leaves. Japanese-style sewn paperback (some soiling, rub marks, and water stains on the cover; a few minor marginal defects, but the interior remains in good condition). A fine copy. The illustrations consist of 29 etchings, printed in black on Japanese laid paper, with full margins. Titled *Album* on the first plate. The front and back covers are adorned with a very large title engraving featuring a female figure on the front and a Japanese theater scene on the back. Some are signed and bear a title engraved within the image. Georges Bigot (1860–1927), a draftsman and engraver who lived in Japan from 1882 to 1899. Fascinated by Meiji-era society, he depicted daily life, trades, costumes, and social changes through numerous drawings, etchings, and watercolors, while also producing numerous caricatures and satirical scenes. His long stay marked the most significant period of his career, but his publications were banned by the nationalist Japanese government, which expelled him in 1900.