A sturdy illustrated woodblock 160 x 585 x 17 mm. used to print leaves 1-4 of Tesō Palm Reading , an Edo-period work on chiromancy

by Japanese Woodblock

$750 · Offered by Jonathan A. Hill Bookseller

Japan: late-Edo . Nice example of a Japanese printing woodblock from the Edo period, useful for teaching collections on the global history of the printed book. This block bears nine carved images of hands depicting the major lines used in palmistry. The text appears to be a rare one, we find no trace of it in WorldCat. We have deduced the title from the two central hashira pillar , which may be a shortened version of the work’s full

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.