Koetsu utaibon hyakuban
A Japanese illustrated book from around 1600, held by the Smithsonian Libraries, whose catalogue record is thin beyond its title and date, so the cover is the main evidence. The grey paper cover carries a tan title label with brush-written characters and a pale white-on-grey pattern of blossoms, leaves and branches running down the page, a restrained botanical motif a designer could adapt for surface pattern, stationery or minimal packaging.
