Album of Sketches for Lacquer Decoration (Makie shitae no zu? 蒔絵下絵の図)
An album of Japanese ink and colour sketches made as preparatory designs for maki-e lacquer decoration, dated 1839, probably for artisans in the lacquer workshops. The pages show cut-out shapes of fans, rounds and squares with pines, plum branches, deer, cranes, landscapes and small objects, drawn loosely in ink with pale wash. A designer can take compact, well-spaced arrangements of motifs that fit irregular or circular formats, such as a fan or box lid.
