Farmers Harvesting Rice•early Woodblock Print Book illustration•19th c Japanese

Description

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Harvesting Rice, (farming)
Size: 3-1/4" x 3-1/4"
abe1553
About Ukiyo-e Prints and Ukiyoe and Edo Book Illustration:
Book Illustration was a significant part of Japanese art. Books published in the Tokugawa period can be roughly divided into two kinds. The first kind comprised publications that enjoyed the support of the Shogunate and were a continuation of an early trend of religious books, scholarly dissertations, novels and plays appreciated at the court. The second kind, under a common name of ukiyo-zoshi, or stories of the Floating World, included all kinds of popular literature, erotic and pornographic novels, romances, ghost stories and books about adventures of famous characters. The first kind was addressed both to samurai and townsmen; the recipients of the second kind were mostly townsmen, although as evidenced by historical sources, it was sometimes appreciated by less conservative members of the higher classes. Practically, both kinds were published by townsmen's publishing houses  and naturally enough illustrations for the books were largely made by ukiyoe masters associated with these publishers.
The origins of ukiyoe are closely related to the development of book illustrations and popular literature. Hishikawa Moronobu, widely recognized as the first of distinguished makers of woodblock prints, was predominantly a book illustrator.
Book illustration, due to its function, had to yield to text in importance, In the composition of an average book a picture occupied a half of the page or even less. In the early stage of ukiyoe, in the 17th and early 18th centuries, illustrations were often separated from the text by frames. As a rule, prints did not have individual signature of artists; only on the title page was sometimes the name of the artist given. In many books from this period illustrations spread horizontally across two opposing pages, thus forcing vertical composition up the illustration.  A natural consequence of this layout was a search for models in earlier vertical painting compositions which painted emaki scrolls, that Tosa school traditionally excelled at, made up the largest group.  The subject of emaki included court romances, heroic legends, religious and war presentations.
Description:
This small print shows three men harvesting grain in a field.  This is an original woodblock print 19th C  and is a book illustration as described above. This picture is a traditional woodblock print, monochromatic, called sumizuri-e which is a picture print (suri) without color. Using only sumi, the Japanese ink made of soot and glue ground up with a little water. Picture albums, poetry books, illustrated popular novels were often printed in black and white up to the end of the Tokugawa period (1600-1868). Japanese prints were printed on the inner bark of the mulberry tree mixed with the pith of certain reeds and vines in various proportions.  This paper is extremely tough,yet flexible, and contains no chemicals or bleaches to cause it to deteriorate with age.
The print is in excellent condition, no tears or holes in the paper.  I have kept it individually wrapped in cellophane & backed on acid-free papers.
Postage to all U.S. destinations is .99
International Airmail (Europe, Asia, Australia) is .99
Postage to all Canadian locations is .99
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