Picture Book of Brocades with Precious Threads (Ehon takara no itosuji)
A Japanese woodblock picture book from 1786, published in Japan, showing the making of silk brocade and thread from cultivation to weaving. The pictures depict Japanese social life and labour in pale colour with Japanese text running in columns beside each scene. A designer could take from it the flat colour palette, clean outlines and the layout of text beside figures.
