絵本初心柱立|A Beginner’s Pictorial Encyclopedia of Natural History
1794 (second edition; 1761 original edition)
Medium
Three volumes of woodblock printed books (Japanese-style binding); ink on paper
Dimensions
All 3 volumes together: 10 11/16 × 7 1/16 in. (27.2 × 18 cm)
Classification
Illustrated Books
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Anita V. Beenk, 2016
Accession Number
2016.751.3a–c
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Tachibana Morikuni's *A Beginner’s Pictorial Encyclopedia of Natural History* (絵本初心柱立), second edition of 1794, stands as a delightful gateway to knowledge. Originally published in 1761, this three-volume woodblock-printed book, bound in traditional Japanese style with ink on paper, measures a compact 10 11/16 × 7 1/16 inches across all volumes. As an illustrated book from the Asian Art collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it captures the era's booming print culture, where affordable books brought education to a wide audience beyon...