Illustrated book
Unknown Artist
1893
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
4 7/8 × 7 1/4 × 1/4 in. (12.4 × 18.4 × 0.6 cm)
Classification
Illustrated Books
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1959
Accession Number
JIB174.18
Art Historical Context
This delicate *Illustrated book*, created by an unknown artist in 1893 during Japan's Meiji period (1868–1912), exemplifies the artistry of ink on paper in a remarkably compact format—measuring just 4 7/8 × 7 1/4 × 1/4 inches. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art Department as part of its Illustrated Books collection, this slim volume reflects the refined tradition of Japanese bookmaking, where intricate illustrations brought stories, poetry, or daily life to vivid reality through precise brushwork and subtle ink tones. The Meiji era was a time of profound transformation, as J...