Album of Drawings by Kan'ei

Catalog note / 解説

A very fine and beautiful book: Kan’ei gafu, “Album of Drawings by Kan’ei.” One volume complete with 25 double page illustrations of birds and flowers. Kan’ei ( proper name Nishiyama Kenichiro ) was an Osaka artist and the son and pupil of Nishiyama Hoen. The 2pp. preface, dated Meiji 19 ( 1886 ); 2pp. colophon dated the same and gives the artist’s name Nishiyama Kenichiro; the publisher Maekawa Zembei of Osaka and the printer’s and block cutter’s name. See colour illustration in Jack Hillier, The Art of the Japanese Book, 1987, pl. 188 where he states “……his one book confirms the view, gained from the relatively few kakemono and album drawings, that he possessed greater individuality than…