Ch`un Meng So Yen - Trifling Tale of a Spring Dream. A Ming erotic story, published on the basis of a manuscript preserved in Japan and introduced by R. H. van Gulik. [Chinese very accurately disguised pirate-edition, ca. 2020].

Gulik, R.H. van (ed.).

About this Item

Tokyo, (Yin-yüeh-an), 1950, (4),6,19 (numb. in Chinese),(1 blank),(1) pag., text in Chinese with an introduction in English, the introduction signed with the seal stamp (tjap) of R.H. van Gulik and the colophon also signed with a greater seal-stamp of R.H. van Gulik (both in red ink), privately printed in a limited edition of two hundred copies. sewn and threadbound as a Chinese blockbook in black paper wrappers (22 x 13,8 cm.) with mounted paper title-label in Chinese characters on frontwrapper, as issued in original black cloth folded three-panel portfolio, cloth ties and bone (plastic?) clasps, 22,3 x 14,7 x 2,3 cm. = Very accurate re-edition of an extremely hard to find bibliophile publication by Robert Hans van Gulik, orginally privately published by him in Tokyo in 1950. Van Gulik discovered the manuscript dating from ca.1800 in the collection of a Japanese collector; the preface was dated 1639, the end of the Chinese Ming period. In his preface, van Gulik summarizes the plot as follows: "The plot of this story is simple, and a familiar one in Chinese literature. A distinguished young scholar roams alone in the mountains enjoying the scenery. Suddenly he comes upon a secluded abode, where two beautiful damsels, Miss Li and Miss T'ang, live in a luxurious mansion attended upon a bevy of maids. The girls entertain him at dinner, during which they exchange poems and songs. He stays there overnight and the three of them engage in amorous dalliance, which is described in detail. When dawn is near the cry of a cuckoo is heard over the roof. The young man wakes up and finds himself resting on a stone in the open air., between a plum tree and a crab-apple tree that are in full bloom; the girls and their abode have disappeared completely. Then the young man realizes that it was nothing but a dream, and that his beautiful companions had been elves, the spirits of the plum (li) and the crab-apple (t'ang) tree. The morning breeze showers him with their red and white blossoms as he goes his way, reflecting on the transitoriness of all earthly pleasure." This first reprinting resembles the true first edition so much that we could only unmask it as a reprint by having an original 1950 copy at hand to compare. The thin wove paper covered wrappers have been treated to look old (actually look more 1950 than the original 1950 wrappers), with a few small small holes and light wrinkles - they are made of thin black paper (1950: verged thin black paper) and mounted to a divisional title at the hinge (there is no divisional title - a blank leaf only - in the 1950 edition and wrappers not mounted; the paper looks newer with no age-spotting at all, only threadbound); the spine-ends or outer sections (or compartments) of the side-stitched bound book are covered in white silk in the 1950 edition - not in this reprint; the numbering in this reprint is done somewhat clumsily: the print-run consists of 200 numbered copies - our copy numbered "341" (perhaps was meant "143" from right to left?) and done in blue ink (original ed. in red ink). The cloth covered board slipcase however looks a bit too bright and new and lacks a mounted title label as the 1950 editon has. Title-page and first Chinese text-leaf with owner's Japanese 2 character stamp "Yamada" in blue.

Seller Inventory # #10954

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Ch`un Meng So Yen - Trifling Tale of a Spring Dream. A Ming erotic story, published on the basis of a manuscript preserved in Japan and introduced by R. H. van Gulik. [Chinese very accurately disguised pirate-edition, ca. 2020].
• Binding: Soft cover