Bonsai Techniques; Bonsai Techniques II

Santa Monica, California: Published for the Bonsai Institute of California [1973] [1984], 1984. First printing; Second printing. Hardcover. Very Good+. 2 vol. 4to. [12], 1-262, [8]; [8], 1-442 pp. Blue cloth with gold lettering and two gold decorations on the front board, gold lettering on the spine. Volume two bound in textured gold wrappers lettered and decorated in black on the front wrapper, lettered in black on the spine. Volume two with a price of $30.00 on the corner of its free front endpaper. The first volume does not have its slipcase. Volume one illustrated with sixteen color plates and with several in-text and full-page black and white images and diagrams; volume two illustrated with several full-page and in-text black and white images. Volume one is a first printing, volume two is a second printing. Signed by Naka on the half-title page of volume one: "To Thomas Taylor, Welcome to the beautiful world of miniature. John Yoshio Naka". Also laid in is an original drawing of a bonsai signed by John Naka dated 1985. The drawing is done in purple ink. There are also two letters laid in: one letter is addressed to the inscribee from Naka, dated April 11 of 1983. The letter requests the inscribee to pick Naka up from the airport and includes his airport schedule and current address. The second letter is from 1982 from the inscribee to the author, confirming the author's visit in May of 1983. The letterhead is that of the Milwaukee Bonsai Society. The first letter from Naka is handwritten on his stationary, the second letter from the inscribee is typwritten with his signature in pen at the bottom. A fascinating association set of this reference work on the art of Bonsai cultivation. A bookplate in each volume, volume one with a slight lean and a small discoloration on its rear endpaper.