Shukuzu-jō (縮図帖) (sketchbook of miniatures) Meiji 27 -1894 - birds, flowers and lanscapes sketches
Ink & pigment on paper, ca 21x28 cm
The painting style uses soft ink washes and "boneless" (mokkotsu) techniques, where forms are created through color and shading rather than sharp outlines. The thatched-roof huts nestled in the dense, misty foliage are classic motifs of the Nanga school, which celebrated the lifestyle of the scholarly recluse.
This album appears to be from a shukubasho (sketchbook of miniatures), where artists would document famous works or their own larger projects for future reference.
