Gallery 12: Woodblock Printed Ex-Libris
Ex-libris (bookplates) represent another genre of miniature Japanese woodblock prints. Many well-known sōsaku-hanga artists have designed ex-libris such as Onchi Kōshirō, Munakata Shikō, Hiratsuka Unichi, Azechi Umetarō, Saitō Kiyoshi, Sekino Junichirō, and Kawakami Sumio.
This gallery features approximately 280 images of woodblock printed ex-libris that are primarily derived from two sources, ex-libris affixed to the annual calendars of the Nippon Ex-Libris Association, and those tipped into the limited edition (No. 63 of 350) Bookplates in Japan edited by Saitō Shōzō (Meiji-Shobo, Tokyo, 1941). Ex-libris in the collection that were printed using other techniques have been excluded.
Japanese bookplates were largely commissioned works, paid for by the book owner whose name is referenced in the design.
Images (and associated size) are represented here without margins.