70th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibit "A Treasure Box of Books - The 70-year History of the National Diet Library and Its Collections"

Spotlight Large Books and Small Books

65 The birds of America v.4

by John James Audubon Abbeville Press (1985) [YP19-285(1)]

Enlarge Image

The original work is hand-colored copperplate, which was produced between 1827 and 1838. The book depicts the various birds that lived on the continent of North America in life-size. The displayed section shows the greater flamingo (American flamingo), a large bird which can reach heights of 125 to 145 cm, and it is drawn with its head bent down and neck lowered in order to fit the bird within the book at life-size.

66 Ari (Ants)

By WAKAYAMA Bokusui, Bijou Book, Hoshino (1980) [Y99-J23]

0.14×0.14 cm. You might mistakenly think the small book with "Ari (Ants)" on the cover is the book, however this is actually a magnified book included with the original. The actual book is the small red covered book in the indentation on the cover of the magnified book.

67 Mose no soseiki (Holy Bible, King James Version) Chapter 1

TOPPAN PRINTING (1965) [Y99-29]

0.35 x 0.35 cm

68 Ichiaku no suna (A handful of sand)

By ISHIKAWA Takuboku, Sosaku mamehon kobo (1981) [Y99-529]

3.1 x 2.9 cm

69 Kirishitohoro shoninden

By AKUTAGAWA Ryunosuke, Sosaku mamehon kobo (1983) [Y99-671]

Includes 2.5 x 2.5 cm pure gold Christ figurine

70 Genji monogatari (The Tale of Genji) Volume 28

YOSHIDA Zengoro (1749) [Honbetsu 13-18]

Digital Collections

6.9 x 4.8 cm. Housed in painted wooden box.