LE SANG ET LA ROSE / 血と薔薇 Vol.1–3 Complete (Vol.4 Lacking) Tensei Shuppan 1968–69

澁澤龍彦 (ed.) — 血と薔薇 / LE SANG ET LA ROSE, Vol.1–3, 天声出版 (Tensei Shuppan), Tokyo, 1968–1969 (Showa 43–44). Complete Vol.1–3 (Vol.4 Lacking).

One of the most transgressive and visually arresting periodicals ever published in Japan. Edited by Tastuhiko Shibusawa (澁澤龍彦) — the scholar, translator, and provocateur who introduced Sade, Bataille, and European surrealism to postwar Japan — Chi to Bara ran for only four issues between 1968 and 1969, each one a manifesto of eroticism, surrealism, and avant-garde visual culture. This set comprises the complete Vol.1 through Vol.3.

Published by the small, financially precarious Tensei Shuppan (天声出版), these magazines were produced with an intensity that belied the publisher's limited means. Decades later, surviving copies in fine condition are extraordinarily rare — the cheap paper stock of the era typically results in severe tanning, cracking spines, and pervasive foxing. This set is a remarkable exception.

WHY THIS SET IS A PRIZED COLLECTOR'S ITEM

1. Historical significance: Edited by Shibusawa at the height of his influence, Chi to Bara is a primary document of Japan's erotic-grotesque and surrealist underground — a direct counterpart to publications like Bizarre and Olympia Press in the West.
2. Exceptional survival condition: Tensei Shuppan's limited budget meant thin, acid-prone paper. Finding three volumes without cracking, odor, or significant tanning is genuinely unusual. Vol.1 shows minor yellowing to covers — noted and photographed — but all three volumes are structurally sound and visually intact.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

• Editor: 澁澤龍彦 (Tatsuhiko Shibusawa)
• Title: 血と薔薇 / LE SANG ET LA ROSE
• Publisher: 天声出版 (Tensei Shuppan), Tokyo
• Year Published: 1968–1969 (Showa 43–44)
• Volumes: Vol.1, Vol.2, Vol.3 
• Language: Japanese
• Format: Softcover magazines.

CONDITION: Very Good — Exceptional Vintage Survival

• Covers & Spines: All three volumes retain their original covers with gold lettering intact. Vol.1 shows light yellowing to the cover boards — consistent with 55+ years of age and noted in listing photographs. Vol.2 and Vol.3 are notably clean.
• Binding: Tight, secure, and fully intact across all three volumes. No cracking.
• Interior & Pages: No foxing, no musty odor — highly unusual for Tensei Shuppan publications of this era. Age-appropriate toning only. No writing, no tears.
• Please carefully inspect all high-resolution listing photographs to verify condition.

NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS
While the text is printed in Japanese, the extraordinary visual content — photography, illustration, and graphic design — speaks universally. AI translation tools (Google Lens, ChatGPT) can render the text accessible on any smartphone.