New acquisitions in Japanese rare books

Special Collections has added several outstanding pieces of Edo Period Japanese art and illustration to our holdings, including the work of celebrated artists and a very interesting artistic technique. These items are all currently available for research in our reading room or classrooms!

Sō Shiseki gafu 宋紫石画譜, 1765

A woodblock-printed book reproducing the artwork of Sō Shiseki (d. 1786), a leading painter of the Nagasaki school.

Call number: Vault Collection ND 1059 .S54 A72 1765

Hatamoto sonae oshi no kaku 旗本備押之格, 1703

A set of scrolls depicting troops of soldiers taking up their place in battle. The figures have been created with stamps and then hand-colored, an uncommon printing or illustration process for scrolls.

Call number: Vault Collection Folio DS 827 .H37 H38 1703

Tsuwamono zukushi つはものつくし, 1805

A rare volume of whimsical portraits of famous samurai by artist Saitō Shūho (1768-1859). The drawings are accompanied by haiku based on the images.

Call number: Vault Collection ND 1059 .S325 T78 1805