Tatsu no miyatsuko, by Kitao Masayoshi

An image of Book. Tatsu no miyatsuko. Masayoshi, Kitao, designer (Japanese, 1764-1824). Book from woodblocks printed in colour. Preface by Ichiyosei Sogui. Illustrations designed by Masayoshi, signed: Keisai hitsu. Artist’s seal: Shoshin. Engraver: Shunfudo Noshiro Ryuko. Published by Subaraya Ichibei, Edo. 1802. Japanese. Ukiyo-e. Notes: A very rare example of the first edition of Masayoshi’s most famous book luxuriously printed with mica to give shining effects. It shows different kinds of fish each accompanied by poetry. The preface is dated autumn 1802. A second edition was printed in the same year with the title Gyokai ryakuga (Simplified forms of fishes and shells).

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Book. Tatsu no miyatsuko. Masayoshi, Kitao, designer (Japanese, 1764-1824). Book from woodblocks printed in colour. Preface by Ichiyosei Sogui. Illustrations designed by Masayoshi, signed: Keisai hitsu. Artist’s seal: Shoshin. Engraver: Shunfudo Noshiro Ryuko. Published by Subaraya Ichibei, Edo. 1802. Japanese. Ukiyo-e. Notes: A very rare example of the first edition of Masayoshi’s most famous book luxuriously printed with mica to give shining effects. It shows different kinds of fish each accompanied by poetry. The preface is dated autumn 1802. A second edition was printed in the same year with the title Gyokai ryakuga (Simplified forms of fishes and shells).

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Accession Number: P.207-1942
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/22.0
Focal length: 80
Camera: Hasselblad H4D-31
Photographer name: Michael Jones
Image height: 819 pixels
Image width: 1024 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 (Windows)
Filesize: 645.07kB
Exposure time: 1/60
ISO Speed: 100
Fnumber: 22/1

Key words

19th Century book colour printing Fitz_PDP Japanese Kitao Masayoshi mica ocean poem poetry poets print Shunfudo Noshiro Ryuko ukiyo-e whales woodblock woodcut

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025)
            "Tatsu no miyatsuko, by Kitao Masayoshi"
            Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-218317 Accessed: 2025-12-05 11:56:16

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