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A translation of a poem by Kakinomoto no Asomi
Hitomaro
Written translation and preface by Edward Morris
Prints by Frank Boyden
Crab Quill Press, 2004
Price $19,000
The Field of Aki appears
in a limited edition of six copies. The type is Perpetua, a face designed
by Eric Gill, and was printed letterpress on Hahnemühle Copperplate and
Hahnemühle Silkscreen. The calligraphed version of the original poem,
found at the beginning of the book, was written by noted calligrapher
and scholar Qianshen Bai and printed letterpress using photopolymer plate.
The fourteen prints, variously drypoint, aquatint, and lift-ground etchings,
were printed by Frank Boyden at his studio in Otis, Oregon, during the
fall of 2003. The book is bound as a drum-leaf binding, a structure developed
by Timothy C. Ely. In this volume the structure has been modified to accommodate
wooden covers. The Field of Aki
features covers of various woods including black limba, Port Orford cedar,
and Sapele. The Field of Aki
is presented in a silk-lined box made of figured and spalted maple.
The design of The Field of Aki
requires some explanation. Unlike most books that are meant to be held
in the hand, this book is designed to be viewed on a shelf. And in this
regard it can be considered a work of interactive, kinetic sculpture.
The protective maple box is accompanied by two corbels so that it can
be mounted on a wall and thus function as a viewing shelf. To view, the
book should be taken from the box and placed on the top of the box and
opened so that the front cover of the book rests at an angle against the
wall; the fore-edge of the back cover will nest along the lip of the box
designed to keep the book from slipping. All pages have been printed on
the verso side so that they can be viewed from a variety of distances.
The Field of Aki
was designed, printed, and produced by hand by Ian Boyden at Crab Quill
Press, 329 Juniper Street, Walla Walla, Washington 99362. All rights reserved.
Book dimensions: 29 x 10 5/8 x 1.5 inches. Box dimensions: 31 x 17 x 2.5
inches.
Note
from the press
Read
the poem
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