Picture Book of Crawling Creatures (The Insect Book) (Ehon mushi erami) (probably 1823 (later edition), Met-Objekt 4606)
Original title: Picture Book of Crawling Creatures (The Insect Book) (Ehon mushi erami) 画本虫撰
kurzbeschreibung
This volume comes from a two-part set of colour-printed books by Kitagawa Utamaro, likely a later edition from 1823. Shown is the book cover bearing the Japanese title Ehon Mushi Erami, which translates as Picture Book of Insect Names and Appearances. The sheet was printed using the multi-colour woodblock method with ink and colour on paper.
Description
The eye falls on the cover of an aged book, its surface overlaid with a delicate, wave-like pattern in shades of blue. On the left, a small white label with black lettering reads: No.44-B, VOL-2, EHON MUSHI ERAMI (The 1821 edition incomplete) BY UTAMARO. Clear signs of time show on the paper, including creases and small abraded spots. Scattered across the cover are the Japanese characters of the title.
Context
The original book was produced by Utamaro in 1821; the present copy is incomplete and probably dates from 1823. It belongs to a collection of two woodblock-printed books on insects. In his later work, Utamaro turned not only to his famous portrayals of women but also to the observation of nature.
Impact
A quiet, history-laden presence emanates from this book cover, carried by the fine wave texture and the warm traces of age. The restrained blue and the clear lettering yield a simple elegance. Viewers are transported back to the time of its making.
Technique
The book was made by multi-colour woodblock printing, which used several colour blocks. A fine wave embossing on the cover comes from the printing process. Handmade paper was printed with ink and colours, as was typical of Japanese book art of the Edo period.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)