Shiki tsukurimono shukō no tane / [Matsukawa Hanzan ga]

Kyōto : Kawakatsu Kōhōdō · 16 pictures

A Japanese woodblock picture book of the Edo period, published in Kyoto by Kawakatsu Kōhōdō and credited to Matsukawa Hanzan, offering designers' and artisans' sketches of seasonal crafted objects. Its double-page spreads show black-line woodcut figures, creatures and objects, each labelled with explanatory kana and kanji, giving a designer clear, economical examples of how simple contour drawing can carry character and motion.

Illustration of books

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