Shokunin Ezukushi: Chi Item Number: N2.1132 a-g from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Volume II, titled "Earth", of a three volume set (with N2.1130, N2.1131). The volume has seven prints that illustrate various arts. All are wood block printed in basic colours of orange, black, green, white, and gold. Some pages are detached from the binding. Each print is preceded by a title page with central Japanese characters indicating what is depicted in the print. Translations are in pencil below these characters. The first page (part a) depicts two men and two women making fans while one woman is on the floor approaching one of the female fan makers and one man is holding a tether to a gong hanging on the right side. The second page (part b) depicts three men making furniture. One loose page (part c) depicts two men sword sharpening while a woman is in another room, a man is carrying baskets through the front, another man is carrying a sword out in the front, and another man is holding a long object over his right shoulder. Another loose page (part d) depicts three men making bows while two others watch. The next page (part e) depicts two men making rosaries and an elderly woman. The following page (part f) depicts two men working on metal and a woman watching at the back. The last page (part g) depicts two men and six women spinning and weaving to make clothes.

Narrative

This book is a collection of images of traditional handicrafts, compiled in the early 20th century.

Kubota Beisai 久保田米齊: Shokunin ezukushi 職人繪盡 [Complete illustrations of tradespeople]. 3 vols. Tokyo: Fūzoku Emaki Zuga Kankōkai, 1917-1918.