Title: Kacho-en-do Hon? (Flower and Bird Gardens), Circa 1800-1840. Over 100 Pages of Heavily Detailed Ink Wash Drawings, with Pasted and Tipped in Bonus Examples. Landscapes, Animals, Floral Gatherings and Much More
Author: Artist of the Southern School
Condition: Good
A Late Edo Period, early 19th century manuscript sketchbook, roughly entitled Kacho-en-do hon or Flower and Bird Gardens, being a literati artist’s selection of sumptuous ink wash drawings, with a few color examples.
The sketchbook is a veritable trove of art, with over 100 full pages of ink wash drawings, some being double page examples, while in other cases, a single page can have several different illustrations taking up every gap of free space. There are numerous landscapes, floral gatherings, and quite a few bird drawings, as well as some bizarrely well detailed prawn or shrimp drawings. A few of the drawings are in color as well, and some drawings are much thinner ink drawings.
This manuscript has been bound in contemporary stitched covers, and even the covers have been decorated and drawn by hand.
One manuscript in folio (28.1 x 19.5 cm), 56 leaves
This manuscript is in good shape, with wear and paper loss to the binding, more heavily to the spine. There is some soiling and spotting throughout, mostly to the lower margins. A few washi leaves have split.