艶本 婦慈のゆき|明け易き|Early to Dawn (Akeyasuki あけやすき)
Medium
Woodblock printed book; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
9 3/4 × 7 5/16 in. (24.7 × 18.5 cm)
Classification
Illustrated Books
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mary and James G. Wallach Foundation Gift, 2013
Accession Number
2013.674
Tags
Art Historical Context
This woodblock-printed book, titled *Early to Dawn* (Akeyasuki), was created around 1837 during Japan’s Edo period by artists Ōhara Donshū and Tanaka Nikka. Produced with ink and color on paper, the volume reflects the sophisticated printmaking techniques that flourished in urban centers like Edo (modern Tokyo). Woodblock printing enabled artists to combine vivid imagery with text, making books accessible to a growing audience of readers interested in literature, fashion, and daily life. The collaborative nature of the work highlights a common Edo-period practice, where one artist often contr...
About the Artist
Ōhara Donshū 大原呑舟|Tanaka Nikka 田中日華 (Japanese|Japanese) · 1757 | –1857 |1845
Japanese, died 1857|Japanese, died 1845