"Alone with the Hairy Ainu: Or, 3,800 Miles on a Pack Saddle in Yezo and a Cruise to the Kurile Islands," by Arnold Henry Savage Landor, published in London by John Murray in 1893.
This first edition copy is a late-Victorian travelogue and early anthropological study of the Ainu people, the indigenous inhabitants of Hokkaido (then called Yezo) and the Kuril Islands. Landor, an Italian-British painter and explorer, spent five months in 1890 traveling 3,800 miles solo on horseback.
Content: It details Ainu customs, festivals, art, and daily life before the full impact of Japanese assimilation.
Controversy: While it serves as an important historical record, modern scholars and even Landor's contemporaries have criticized the work for its "priggish" Victorian tone, racial biases, and the author's tendency to exaggerate or sensationalize his experiences.
Illustrations: The book contains 93 black-and-white illustrations and sketches made by Landor during his journey. Also contains the original folding map at the end of the book.
Condition: The original green pictorial cloth with gilt (gold) lettering is present, but visible wear on the spine and corners.
Some "foxing" (age spots on paper) or splits in the exterior hinges (visible on spine) are common for a 130+-year-old book.
The Roman numerals at the bottom of the cover, MDCCCXCIII, represent the year 1893.
Available at La La Vintage 67 Semaphore Road, Semaphore SA 5019 (Next to Odeon Cinema)
