Illustrations selected from woodblock-printed cover illustrations from 64 popular books published in Osaka from 1898 - 1903, these images include samurai and strong men, demons and detectives, courtesans, sumo wrestlers, and other vivid characters in scenarios ranging from romantic to grotesquely violent. Printed in the colour woodblock method in use since the late eighteenth century, they provide a link between an ancient storytelling tradition and the beginning of mass-published popular literature.
Created during the Meiji era (1868-1912), when Japanese society was changing dramatically with the influx of Western technology and values, these scenes of retribution and sacrifice reflect a modern consciousness of Japanese history and a longing for an idealised vision of the past, marked by traditional values of loyalty, filial piety, self-sacrifice, and chivalry. Long considered a disposable form of popular culture, these books were not carefully preserved or collected. This collection, assembled by an expert on Japanese art, offers a rare glimpse of a newly rediscovered art form.
Illustrations: Hundreds of colour illustrations.
Author: Various artists. Introduction by Kendall H. Brown
Size: 278 mm x 210 mm
Format: Paperback - wide format
Copyright: Permission Free
ISBN 13: 9780486476407
ISBN 10: 0486476405
