Scintillating Science: Catalogue 112!
[Hirayama Jinta] Japanese Prints of Shell Effects. [n.d., c.1877.] Six very scarce Japanese woodblocks, printed in colours. Each sheet c. 220 x 150mm (8¾ x 6"), laid on card in pairs, with a typed English title label (as above). A little wear. Six rare Japanese Ukiyo-e prints promoting shell-effect fireworks by Hirayama Jinta (1840-1900), each titled in Japanese. In 1877 Hirayama Jinta founded a firework manufactory famous for its innovations in bringing new colours to Japanese fireworks. He exported fireworks to Britain, where they were marketed by Brocks, who offered versions of these prints numbered to refer to a price list. In 1883, Hirayama Jinta became the first Japanese to earn a patent from America as a fireworks expert. The Japanese titles suggest these were issued for the Japanese market but acquired by a Briton, perhaps at the first public display of Hirayama Jinta's products (see ref 57178). An exp...
