Kaisei rikugun fukusei zu (Army Dress Code Amendments). by JAPAN; military uniforms - 1875

Tokyo: Rikugunsho, 1875. First edition of this uncommon catalogue of Meiji Restoration military uniforms, WorldCat, locates just three copies, the National Diet Library, LoC, and University of Michigan. Clearly illustrates how the modernising Japanese Army adopted uniforms resembling those of their American Civil War advisors, and the French Third Empire. Early in the 1870s the Meiji Emperor and Saga Saneharu, his Minister of Justice, issued a series of edicts establishing regulations governing the uniforms of civil officials, nobles, and the military, and this contemporary hand-coloured catalogue clearly reflects the Western influence on uniform design at the time. The illustrations begin with the blue kepi for the various ranks, with rank indicated by combinations of braid and stars on the top; officer's jackets, shown front and back; epaulettes; uniform sleeve braids in blue and gilt; detailed images of aiglettes with diagrams of their construction, dark blue trousers with distinguishing side stripes of white, blue, green (cavalry), red (infantry), artillery (yellow), purple (quartermaster corps), and more. Of particular interest is the section on sabres and other swords, scabbards, hilts, ornaments and trappings many with finely-detailed diagrams of the pattern of decoration; together with accoutrements such as belts, buckles, and spurs for cavalry officers and servicemen, many images heightened with hand-applied gilt. This exhaustive survey also includes the more practical overcoats, raincoats and capes, work-wear, leather gaiters and spats. These uniforms were in service through the Boshin War of 1868-9, and the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877, some were subsequently modified in 1886 to resemble more closely the Imperial German uniforms which were becoming favoured, and then used with minor changes during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894. Highly attractive visual reference for Japanese military costume during this interesting period. Quarto (274 x 181 mm). Original Japanese fukuro-toji, pouch binding, double-punched with green silk, and jute ties, original printed paper wrappers with thin linen spine. 264 hand-coloured plates on 132 Japanese-style double leaves wrappers somewhat damped, rubbed and a little soiled, spine with some chipping, marginal worming towards the rear, almost entirely marginal, very slight encroachment on a few images, but overall very good, plates clean and the colour bright, a number with lightly pencilled annotation in English. See Nakata & Nelson, Imperial Japanese Army and Navy Uniforms and Equipment (1987).