The Illustrations Of A Thousand Shells Vols. I & II by Y. Hirase, Japan, 1915 Kyoto, Japan 1915. Vol. I & II. Softcover. A total 0f 40 (20 per volume) beautiful original folio size color woodblock prints on fine paper of shells discovered in the waters surrounding Japan and drawn by Y. Hirase.. Hirase was also involved in the preparation of the woodblocks and the printing of the plates. The plates are bound accordian style in the oriental manner with a centerfold, as issued. Printed on one side only. As stated in the preface, Hirase meant this to be both a work of art and of science. Although two plates are split at the centerfold, the rest of the plates are in very good condition. This work appears to be extremely rare. This is the only set we have found in the last 20 years. It has been part of my personal collection. A fabulous addition to anyone's collection. Each plate can be separated if the buyer so desires. Not only ideal for an art or antiquarian book collector, but also great for huge wall treatments and/or many groupings. Since we can only post 9 photos, just message us thru Chairish and request more photos. We combine shipping whenever feasible.