18th century woodblock prints after designs by Itchô Hanabusa,
from a 3-volume series called (approx.) The Butterfly Picture Books
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - Bk2 - m](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8145/7459758212_2c4e6fb7d1_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - 16](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8010/7459752548_62ff43f479_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - Book One](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7459764440_21301b0767_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - Book One k](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8153/7459762982_0218bed415_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - Book One a](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8152/7459759796_098d824baf_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - Book One b](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7459761208_80afe70046_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - Bk2 - k](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/7459756688_28d9124566_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - Bk2 - g](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8167/7459755328_e376e5c86e_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - 14](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7459751060_3f0392820f_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - 11](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7459749594_b957ddac7e_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7251/7459765936_bebeaf82ee_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - Bk2 - c](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7459754096_2d7a735a98_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - 8](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7459748208_eca26293b8_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - 1](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8012/7459743966_270dcecd7e_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - 2](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/7459745318_51bb87762e_z.jpg)
![Eiichi Butterfly Book dl.ndl.jp - 4](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/7459746768_9600cc4f68_z.jpg)
The National Diet Library of Japan presents the 3 book series, 'The Butterfly Picture Books' (~1778), containing over 60 woodblock illustrations by Suzuki Rinsho after designs by Itcho Hanabusa, who died over fifty years before this series was published by Yamashiroya Sahei. [choose a volume, then click the large button, top-left, bearing the kanji characters, サムネイル一覧, for thumbnail layout]
That final image above is the only one featuring an actual butterfly, so perhaps the title is more metaphorical than literal in nature : I presume some of the monster-types and other weird characters belong to the classical mythology and folklore, about which I know next to nothing. I just enjoy the unique illustration style and unusual designs. [mythology | deities | creatures]
I'll let that paragraph immediately above stand, but I've also discovered slender reports of a couple of other tropes running through this series. Beyond Hanabusa's sketching scenes of everyday life, - which was actually a novel subject for painting in Japan around 1600, believe it or not - some of the depicted absurdities probably relate to characters and musicians from theatrical street performance, and a few of the illustrations reference the Sino-Japanese tradition of the Lion Dance or Shishi-mai.
Itcho Hanabusa "was a Japanese painter, calligrapher, and haiku poet. He originally trained in the Kano style, under Kano Yasunobu, but ultimately rejected that style and became a literati (bunjin). He was also known as Hishikawa Wao and by a number of other art-names". [source]
And from the (stellar!) British Museum Prints Database : "Hanabusa Itcho (英一蝶) (painter/draughtsman; Japanese; Male; 1652 - 1724) -- an unusual artist, originally from the Kano school, who was active in Edo for a comparatively short period from the end of the seventeenth century to the beginning of the eighteenth century. Said to have combined the Tosa and ukiyoe styles of painting."Previously: Japan.
I may also owe Will a nod of thanks for nudging this area of the world back onto my radar screen, one way or another.
5 comments :
Vraiment très intéressant ! Merci
i like this so much!!!
Terrific post, thank you!
Thank you for this wonderful images, and the extremely high resolution! It's a real gift
Thank you for this. It's amazing.
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