The Abundance of the Mountains
Katsuma Ryūsai Japanese
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Printed books of popular subjects were widely available in the remarkable literate and urban society of the Edo period. Novels, classic literature and poetry collections were printed in simple line drawings with text in the fluid lines of Japanese kana calligraphy, mixed with characters in grass, or sōsho script. There were many experiments in format; often all or part of the story would be told in the illustrations , supplemented by sections of text in the margins. Women as well as men avidly enjoyed these works.
Books printed in color, such as Ryūsai's famous Yama no sachi, were usually private productions of a group of poets. They pair illustrations and poems in a beautiful balance of color, composition and diction. The high quality of the printing is equaled only by the erudition and wit of the visual and verbal play between past and present conventions (shukō) on the page.
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