Books

Very rare first edition, an early (possibly the first) translation of the famous French romantic play Cyrano de Bergerac into Japanese. The project was prepared and released by prominent translators. Gorgeous Art Nouveau design. Text in Japanese and French. One volume complete. 18,7 x 12,4 cm. 438 pp. 6 collotype monochrome plates, including frontispiece. Foxing. The endpapers are made of Japanese Western style wallpaper. Leather spine and paperboard binding. Golden embossing. The slip case is made of hard cardboard wrapped in the same wallpapers, chipped and scratched. Few mouse bites. Original title slip on the case. Near fine condition.

Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand. Although there was a real Cyrano de Bergerac, the play is a fictionalized account of his life and incorporates larger-than-life elements. It explores themes of inner versus outer beauty, love, and heroism.