Vols. 1, 2, 4, 5 of 5, Picture Book of Incidents in the Life of Ranjatai (Ehon Ranjatai) : [volume 4]

Tsukioka, Settei, 1710-1787 · 1764 · Edo: Kichimonjiya Jirōbei吉文字屋次郎兵衛; Osaka: Kichimonjiya Ichibei吉文字屋市兵衛 · 7 pictures

A Japanese woodblock-printed picture book from 1764, made by the artist Tsukioka Settei and published in Edo and Osaka by the Kichimonjiya firm, aimed at general readers who enjoyed illustrated stories. The pages pair black-line scenes of courtly figures, interiors and gardens with columns of handwritten kana text, set on plain paper with no colour. A designer could take the economical line drawing, the balance of text blocks beside images, and the layered architectural framing as models for simple, graphic compositions.

Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art · No known copyright restrictions · More from this library