"A publication commemorating the 80th anniversary of Takeo Co., Ltd."--T.p. verso, v. [1].

Name of distributor from label mounted on colophon leaf, v. [1].

Portfolios [1-2] contain 167 chiefly full-page specimens of handmade papers from 22 countries, made from various substances, including bamboo, banana, tree bark, cotton, grass, jute, linen, pulp, rice straw, waste paper, maize, pho sa, kozo, gampi, mitsumata and lokta (daphne); one specimen (Richard de Bas, France) has embedded flowers and ferns, one (Cartiere Miliani Fabriano, Italy) has light and shade watermark. Four other specimens (2 from East Germany and 2 of 11 from Italy) are listed in the table of contents with the note "Not arrived." Portfolio [3], with title Forefathers of paper, contains 5 specimens: papyrus, parchment, bai-lan, amatl and tapa.

Noted on each specimen, and on the folder in which most are mounted (singly or in related groups), is the country of origin, name of paper, presence of watermark, maker or source, and size. The Chinese and Japanese specimens also include these data in Chinese and Japanese.

Vol. [1] contains the English text and illustrations (xii, 159 p. : ill., ports. ; 40 cm.) and v. [2] the Japanese translation of the text (x, 181 p. : ill., ports. ; 28 cm.); the latter has title: Sekai no tesukigami.

Contributors (text): Ḥasan Rajab, Sensui Shōji, Hiraku Kido, Fred Siegenthaler, Pʻan Chi-hsing, On Du Hyeon, Yasuo Kume, William B. Beatty, Jiro Ogawara, Henk Voorn, Colin Cohen, Henry Morris and Kayes van Bodegraven.

Limited ed. of 1100 copies.

Portfolios [1] and [2] of heavy manilla, titles gilt; Portfolio [3] made of tapa over boards, with Indian marbled paper lining papers; v. [1] bound in half brown imitation leather and light tan boards; v. [2] in dark brown handmade paper covers, gilt; issued together in a brick red paper-covered wooden case, printed paper label on cover, cover lined with marbled and plain papers.

Errata (4 p.) and Errata translation into Japanese (4 p.) issued after publication.

Bibliography: v. [1], p. 155.