Once Upon A Time In Japan

As mentioned previously, we're rapidly running out of 2017 for all those old anniversary posts as yet unused. So let's do a big jump back today - 150 years - to 1867.

Obviously, we're not looking at comic books here, since they've yet to be invented. We're not even looking at magazine illustrations today - we're going to an Odd little book that collects Sketches of Japanese Manners & Customs.

Typically, i like to focus on the artists when presenting artwork, but that's not really possible in this case. You see, the book features "original coloured pictures by native artists" and that's all we need to know about them, because ... Empire.

Well - it was 150 years ago, middle of the 19th century. Still damned annoying, though.

I'll let this letter of introduction for the book explain the book:

And our frontpiece, which gives what art credits are present:

It's probably not with conscious intent that the word Japanese and the credit to Native Artists
appear on a dark background, making them harder to notice, right?

Topics of life in Japan were rather varied, and there were quite a few full colour plates in the book, as evidenced by the Table Of Contents and List Of Plates:

In addition to the plates listed above, the text of the book covered details of life in Japan, and line illustrations were sprinkled throughout the pages - also credited to "native artists":

As one might note, the textual perceptions are rather heavily 'of the times', every bit as much as the dismissal of the relevance of actual artists. Nonetheless, it is a most fascinating little book, and it does contain some nice examples of Japanese period art. So why don't we go ahead and look at some of those illustrations, eh?

Festival In Honour Of The Birth Of Children

We used to have a couple of Carp like that flying on our rooftop when i was very young. That meant there were two sons in the house. My sister was born the following year, but we moved. I never learned what to fly for a daughter - is that what the red-frilled wind-sock/flag represents? Or did they just hide their daughters? (so to speak)

Merchant's Great Festival

Otinta Lama

A Japanese Wedding

I'm so used to Chinese traditions that this looks like a funeral to me, with the white burial robes.

A Daimio Paying A State Visit

 I wonder - is that a famous mural in the background? 'Art in art' could be an interesting topic some day, no?

Ladies Of The Mikado's Court Performing The Butterfly Dance

The Sacrifice

A Daimio's Funeral

Cremation Of The Body

Public Wrestling In The Great Ampitheatre At Yeddo

Interior Of A Theatre

I love the recessed seating, but how do they pack the boxes?

Exposure For Infedelity

Interesting to note that they persecute both parties here. Have we moved backwards in this regard?

Praying A Soul Out Of Purgatory

Sudangee, or Last Offices

A Tea-House Merry-Making

Uya, or Public Bath-House

I most definitely prefer Onsen for my bath. But not everybody has the hot springs to construct one.

Illustrations by Native Artists for Sketches of Japanese Manners & Customs (1867)