Aozameta Dōteikyō 蒼ざめた童貞狂

1926. Okada Tatsuo 岡田竜夫(Author and illustrator). Aozameta Dōteikyō 蒼ざめた童貞狂. The title of this important work is usually translated as "The Pale-Faced Virgin's Mad Thoughts." Published by Choryusha of Tokyo in 1926, it is illustrated throughout with black and white linocuts executed by Okada Tatsuo. 22.5 x 16cm. 120 pp plus 4 pp. There are 17 full-page prints and many other figures integrated into the text with abstract designs in color by Okada, illustrating the boards front and rear.

No single one of Okada's illustrated works can be distinguished as being remarkably scarce; all five are almost unattainable. He appeared on the avant-garde scene in Tokyo as suddenly and mysteriously as he left. He is believed to have arrived from Kyushu in the early 1920s and, after a run of considerable authority and influence in Mavo and avant-garde circles, disappeared into Manchuria in the middle 1930s. A very important item for any collection of MAVO-related material, it is Okada's most prolifically illustrated work. There is a poem, inscribed on the rear free endpaper with unread owner's (poet's?) seal.

Near fine. The covers and spine show only the slightest wear. Overall, a remarkably clean copy of this fragile production.