This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1884 edition. Excerpt: ...character to that of Tosa, was founded by Iwasa Matabei in the period of Tensho, I573 to x592 A-D-i a"d out of this grew, a century later, that of Utagawa; the works of these schools are known as the Ukiyo, or popular, style. The most celebrated master of this school was Hokusai, who lived between the periods of Bunsei and Tempo, 1818 to 1844 A.d. He illustrated the manners and customs of his own times, as well as the warlike scenes of the middle ages, and his works, which are exceedingly graphic, and often most humorous, are still very popular, and are reproduced in the ordinary block-printed books of the country for the amusement of the people, and as text books for educational use. The fourth, and last, of the leading schools of painting, the Sumie style, is of Chinese origin, and has always been held in high esteem by the cultured class of Japan. The works of this style are executed in Chinese ink, and the artists, by a few strokes of the brush, produce with great skill and dexterity most artistic and faithful representations of their subjects. In a modification of this style, known as the Bunjinga school, colours are introduced, but only sparingly. Block printing was practised in Japan at a very early period, and it is said that a book was printed for distribution amongst the Buddhist temples in this manner in 770 A.d., but the art does not appear to have become general until the early part of the fourteenth century; only modern examples have reached Europe. Printing with types is stated to have been introduced during the sixteenth century, doubtless from China, but it was not largely used until recent times. The most ancient form of book is the roll, or Makimono; the examples which have reached this country vary in length from eleven...