Comments - In 1894, the publisher T. Hasegawa of Tokyo printed the book "The Gospel of Buddha" by Paul Carus for the Open Court Publishing Co. of Chicago. In an effort to introduce and popularize Buddhism to the West, Carus assembled a group of Buddhist texts, basing his format on the Christian New Testament. The book proved hugely popular, and was released in several different editions. This terrific woodblock advertisement printed by T. Hasegawa advertises the book as available in cloth for $1 or in paper back for 35 cents. The illustration depicts Buddha surrounded by monks and followers as two deities trailing flowing sashes fly across the sky among red, blue, and green clouds. Lotus blossoms and leaves border the bottom of the scene, with some of the petals nicely embossed. We have never seen a Japanese woodblock print advertising a book in English before. A fascinating Meiji era subject and a great choice for a collector.

Artist - Meiji era artist (unsigned)

Image Size - 14 7/8" x 10" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Tear at edge, repaired. Slight toning, slight soiling and a few creases at edges. Please see photos for details. Good overall.