An Early Twentieth Century Accordion Book: Dyer's Samples

ca. early twentieth century
as shown, when open: 7" x 8 1/2", 17.75 cm x 21.5 cm

Shown here is a cardboard, accordion-constructed book of color samples from a dye works which was located in Osaka, Japan: the colors shown in the book are not botanical.

As the book is shown in the accompanying photos, spread open, there are 8 1/2 such spreads represented in the book, or 17 individual pages of dyed cotton yarns.  The book was intended to hold a variety of 102 colored dye swatches, however some samples were lost and the book now contains 99 samples as three are missing.

Of course from decades of handling the book has some surface patina and some ingrained dirt from wear, but overall the book is in good condition, with no tearing to the creases,  so the book, in general, is intact.

Really lovely.