Beautiful 1849 Japanese Sketchbook Filled with Ink Drawings of Plants and Birds 1940s serape not especially poised to hold

not especially poised to hold open a heavy door

And lots of possibilities for how to display

was produced in the 1980s in a relatively small edition—the one other copy I found online came from the collection of the late James Perrizo

Perhaps fodder for some new thing

which a note from the seller called its original frame

Beautiful 1849 Japanese Sketchbook Filled with Ink Drawings of Plants and Birds 1940s serape not especially poised to holdMy favorite of the week, this is a late Edo period Japanese sketchbook, which I know from the seller in Japan I purchased it from is specifically dated 1849. It is completely filled with sumi ink drawings of birds and botanical specimens, all rendered with lyrical grace and what feels like much confidence and ease and also with an eye to treating each two page spread as one composition. This is one you really want to hold in your hands quite a special