畫本野山草 [4]

橘保國畫圖 · 1800 · 芸艸堂 · 23 pictures

This Japanese picture book (ehon), volume 4 of Ehon Yasōsō, was drawn by Tachibana Yasukuni and published in Japan in 1800 as a guide to wild plants for painters and artisans. Its pages are monochrome woodblock prints of wild flowers and grasses with dark green inked leaves and pale outlines, set against faint paper texture, with Japanese plant names written beside them. A designer could take its economical botanical linework, the rhythm of leaves and blossoms spread across the page, and the clear distinction between bold dark foliage and delicate light flowers.

Japanese picture books (ehon)

National Diet Library, Japan (国立国会図書館) · Public Domain Mark (PDM), National Diet Library · More from this library