Museum Album of Fishes 博物館魚譜 第7帖

Description

This scrapbook features various species of fish drawn on 1,864 pieces of paper. Most of these are cuttings from other albums, though there are new illustrations too, including 571 drawn by Kurimoto Masayoshi, a physician who worked for the samurai government in the 19th century. Around half of these are copied from an 18th century album. This scrapbook also features illustrations by Takahashi Yuichi, one of the first Japanese painters to properly study Western oil painting techniques. Ten painters were involved with the production of these illustrations in total.

The fish are drawn in meticulous detail, some with delicate brushstrokes and others with a riot of color. The natural feel of some illustrations has been enhanced by the addition of color from underneath or the application of a lustrous shiny powder. The illustrations are also accompanied by inscriptions recording distinguishing features such as shape and color as well as alternative names and breeding grounds.

The study of natural history took off in Japan from the 18th century as researchers began to make detailed records about animals, plants and minerals. This led to the compilation of reference books filled with detailed illustrations and information. This example is one of the scrapbooks of large animal and plant illustrations compiled by Tanaka Yoshio, a natural historian who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Tokyo National Museum in 1872.