Picture Book of Poems on Shells (Kyōkun chūkai ehon kai kasen) : [volume 1]

Nishikawa, Sukenobu, 1671-1751 · 1748 · Kyoto: Hishiya Jihei 菱屋治兵衛Edo: Urokogataya Magobei 鱗形屋孫兵衛 · 10 pictures

A Japanese woodblock picture book of 1748 by Nishikawa Sukenobu, published in Kyoto and Edo, made for a general readership of poetry and fashion enthusiasts. Its double-page spreads pair waka-style verses in columns with delicate line drawings of women in patterned kimono, children, and seaside or garden settings. A designer could take its economical contour line, sparse grey washes, and the way text columns sit beside figures as a model for compact, elegant page layouts.

Thomas J. Watson Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art · No known copyright restrictions · More from this library