Hosokawa Ryu
Publisher: publisher not identified
Published: 1868
Place of publication: Japan
Language: jpn
Number of pages: 36
Subjects: Bonkei; Pictorial works; Miniature Gardens; Pictoria; works
Other titles: Hosokawa School
Notes: Title in Japanese characters on vertical strip on cover; transliterated title, translated title, and date (early Meiji) from bookseller Jonathan A. Hill datasheet.

"Bonseki, the construction of miniature landscapes out of sand, stones, and pebbles, can trace its origins in Japan to Emperor Tenmu in the mid-7th century. The concept of bonseki most likely was brought from China through landscape painting. It is believed that a number of gardens in Kyoto were designed using bonseki as preliminary models. In the late 16th century, bonseki became popular amongst members of the aristicracy. A century later Sen no Rikyu [1521 or 1522-1591], the famous master of the tea ceremony, and one of his students Hosokawa Sansai [Tadaoki Hosokawa, 1563-1645], set up a school dedicated to bonseki with established techniques. This school still exists." -- Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller Inc datasheet.

"[A]dditional text [on label] stating there are three parts with the titles "Thirteen Views", "Eight Chinese Views", and "Takasago" ("Dunes")." -- Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller Inc datasheet.

"35 fine and rather  ... complex drawings on mica rubbed paper. The captions are in black ink. The red ink annotations give detailed instructions on the creation of trays: which size of sand grain, how the sand is positioned with which tool, how to create certain illusions and effects etc., etc. Here [are depicted] ... stepping stones, water falls, a sunset behind a fishermen's village, rainstorms in the evening, shore lines and rocky islands with waves breaking, the moon reflected in the water in autumn, clouds moving in the summer sky, the full moom, snow on the rocks, ice on a lake, a bridge, and more water falls." -- Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller Inc datasheet.

Unnumbered page 31 is blank, no image (35 images not 36).

Images appear to have been mounted onto leaves.

"These miniature landscapes were created on oval, round, or rectangular black lacquer trays, measuring 600 x 350 mm., using sifting sands of various coarseness, stones, and colored pebbles of different sizes, creating mountains, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, seashores, hills, islands, and gardens. Small delicate tools such as spoons, small sieves, tiny brooms, chopsticks, and feathers were used. Miniature structures made of painted copper were sometimes added to make houses, temples, bridges, etc." -- Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller Inc datasheet.

"According to the Tokyo Kuyo-Kai group the object of Bonseki is not in the completion of the scene itself, nor in its preservation. The Tokyo Kuyo-Kai states: "The importance of Bonseki is the peaceful feeling and satisfaction you derive from creating a Bonseki scene and not the result of the work."" -- Wikipedia entry for bonseki (viewed September 5, 2018).

On double leaves, folded accordion style (orihon).