Japanese Illustrated Books from the Edo and Meiji Periods

detail of a Japanese color print showing a small frog leaping into the water, with lilies and reeds

The Freer|Sackler Library's collection of illustrated Japanese rare books includes over 1,000 volumes previously owned by Charles Lang Freer. Often filled with color illustrations, many are by famous artists such as Andō Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai.  These beautiful woodblock printed works of art were published during the Edo and Meiji periods (1600-1912).  Another group of Japanese rare books more recently added to the Library's collections consists of 67 volumes of illustrated Meiji-period books collected by Robert O. Muller who also formed a superb collection of Japanese prints from the same period which he bequeathed to the Arthur M.Sackler Gallery. Both library book collections are ideal complements to the world renowned Gerhard Pulverer Collection of Illustrated Japanese Books which was acquired by the Freer Gallery of Art in 2007. The Pulverer Collection has been completely digitized and is available online. Unlike the European and American books on our website, Japanese rare books are scanned as two-page spreads to more clearly show the construction of the book and seamlessly display images which span two pages.

You may notice some pages and covers which seem to have white or light-colored decorative patterns behind the text. This is mica that has been applied to the paper. When holding the book, the mica will sparkle and be less and more noticeable depending on how the book is positioned relative to a light source. In person it would not appear to be uniformly light as shown in the digital images.
View plain title list.

The Library’s digitization project was generously funded by the Anne van Biema Endowment Fund.

Pages

Cover of Bairei gafu v. 1

Bairei gafu v. 1

楳嶺畫譜
Kōno, Bairei
Yamada Unsōdō
Meiji 38 [1905]
Cover of Bairei gafu v. 2

Bairei gafu v. 2

楳嶺畫譜
Kōno, Bairei
Yamada Unsōdō
Meiji 38 [1905]
Cover of Bairei gafu v. 3

Bairei gafu v. 3

楳嶺畫譜
Kōno, Bairei
Yamada Unsōdō
Meiji 38 [1905]
Cover of Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 1

Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 1

楳嶺百鳥畫譜
Kōno, Bairei
Ōkura Magobē
Meiji 14 [1881]
Cover of Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 1

Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 1

楳嶺百鳥畫譜
Kōno, Bairei
Ōkura Magobē
Meiji 14 [1881]
Cover of Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 2

Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 2

楳嶺百鳥畫譜
Kōno, Bairei
Ōkura Magobē
Meiji 14 [1881]
Cover of Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 2

Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 2

楳嶺百鳥畫譜
Kōno, Bairei
Ōkura Magobē
Meiji 14 [1881]
Cover of Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 3

Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 3

楳嶺百鳥畫譜
Kōno, Bairei
Ōkura Magobē
Meiji 14 [1881]
Cover of Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 3

Bairei hyakuchō gafu v. 3

楳嶺百鳥畫譜
Kōno, Bairei
Ōkura Magobē
Meiji 14 [1881]
Cover of Banshoku zukō

Banshoku zukō

萬職圖考
Katsushika, Taito
Kawachiya Mohē
[Kaei 3 [1850]]
Cover of Banshō shashin zufu

Banshō shashin zufu

萬象寫眞圖譜
Utagawa, Sadahide
Sonoharaya Shōsuke
Bunkyū 4 [1864]
Cover of Banshō zukan v. 1

Banshō zukan v. 1

萬象圖鑑
Kobayashi, Bunshichi
Kobayashi Bunshichi
Meiji 34 [1901]
Cover of Banshō zukan v. 2

Banshō zukan v. 2

萬象圖鑑
Kobayashi, Bunshichi
Kobayashi Bunshichi
Meiji 34 [1901]
Cover of Bijutsukai v. 37 (Mar. 1899)

Bijutsukai v. 37 (Mar. 1899)

美術海
Yamada, Naosaburō
Tokuyaku urisabakijo Tanaka Bunkyūdō ... [and 9 others]
Cover of Bijutsukai v. 55 (Oct. 1900)

Bijutsukai v. 55 (Oct. 1900)

美術海
Yamada, Naosaburō
Tokuyaku urisabakijo Tanaka Bunkyūdō ... [and 9 others]
Cover of Bundai gachō

Bundai gachō

文臺雅調
Andō, Hiroshige
s.n
1844]
Cover of Bungei gairyaku

Bungei gairyaku

文藝概畧 : 紀元二千五百三十六年著
Sakakibara, Yoshino
Cover of Bunpō gafu

Bunpō gafu

文鳳畵譜 : 全
Kawamura, Bunpō
Yoshidaya Shinbē
Bunka 4 [1807]
Cover of Bunpō gafu v. 2

Bunpō gafu v. 2

文鳳畵譜
Kawamura, Bunpō; Yoshidaya, Shinbē
Yoshidaya Shinbē
Bunka 10 [1813]
Cover of Bunpō gafu v. 3

Bunpō gafu v. 3

文鳳畵譜
Kawamura, Bunpō; Yoshidaya, Shinbē
Yoshidaya Shinbē
Bunka 10 [1813]

Pages