A Wood Block Printed Book of 104 Ema Images: Dated 1917

1917
when closed: 6 5/8" x 9 3/4", 16.75 cm x 24.75 cm

104 ema images by Taniguchi Tosen
Published by Darumaya Shoten, Taisho 6
52 pp.

This book shows about 100 hand printed, wood block prints of ema, the hand painted votive plaques offered by the faithful at Shinto shrines, either to petition for a request to be granted or to give thanks to a wish fulfilled.

The book is printed on cellulose based paper, not bast fiber based washi. The illustrations are charmingly instructional as they present so many of the images that are seen on ema, including some that are rare and often not seen by the general public. There is a description of each ema that accompanies each image.

Likewise there are quite a few pages of writing, presumably about the ema in the collection illustrated in the book. This is a fabulous resource for this kind of study and it is also a wonderful book to serve as inspiration for artwork or some kind of anthropological study.

It is a treasure trove or information and is a delight to page through: the illustrations are fantastic.

Recommended.