鳥獣略画式|Abbreviated Drawing Styles for Birds and Animals (Chōjū ryakuga shiki)
1797
Medium
Woodblock printed book; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Overall: 10 1/8 × 7 in. (25.7 × 17.8 cm)
Classification
Illustrated Books
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1918
Accession Number
JIB55
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of Edo-period Japan1615–1868) with *Chōjū ryakuga shiki* (Abbreviated Drawing Styles for Birds Animals), a woodblock book created by Kuwagata Keisai in 1797. This compact treasure, measuring just 10 1/8 × 7 inches, bursts with ink and color on paper showcasing Keisai's masterful sketches of birds, elephants, other creatures. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Department, it exemplifies the illustrated books that made art accessible during Japan's urban cultural boom. Keisai, a specialist in nature studies, pioneered "ryakuga"—simplified, expressive...