E-hon
Encyclopedia
E-hon or Ehon is the Japanese term for picture book
s. It may be applied in the general sense, or may refer specifically to a type of illustrated volume published from at least the mid-Edo period
onwards, often as chapter-books
in series. In English, it is this second usage which is the more common, i.e.: Japanese picture-books of a specific format (and produced in the traditional manner).
E-hon were traditionally produced as woodblock prints on thin washi paper (printed on one side only, then folded in half, creating a "leaf" with printing on both sides), bound together (right-to-left page order) with a simple external threaded binding; typically black (sumi) ink on white paper, often with polychromatic cover designs & sometimes with (usually more limited) internal colouring. Extremely popular during the late Edo-Meiji era. The modern Japanese manga
format was created as a combination of ehon chapter-books with western-style comic book
s.
E-hon production was a significant part of the Japanese publishing industry (particularly) during the 19th century; most Japanese woodblock print
artists
of the period produced e-hon designs (often in large quantities), as commercial work. col_id=443
Picture book
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. The images in picture books use a range of media such as oil paints, acrylics, watercolor and pencil.Two of the earliest books with something like the format picture books still retain now...
s. It may be applied in the general sense, or may refer specifically to a type of illustrated volume published from at least the mid-Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
onwards, often as chapter-books
Chapter book
A chapter book is a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7-10. Unlike picture books for younger readers, a chapter book tells the story primarily through prose, rather than pictures. Unlike books for older readers, chapter books contain plentiful illustrations...
in series. In English, it is this second usage which is the more common, i.e.: Japanese picture-books of a specific format (and produced in the traditional manner).
E-hon were traditionally produced as woodblock prints on thin washi paper (printed on one side only, then folded in half, creating a "leaf" with printing on both sides), bound together (right-to-left page order) with a simple external threaded binding; typically black (sumi) ink on white paper, often with polychromatic cover designs & sometimes with (usually more limited) internal colouring. Extremely popular during the late Edo-Meiji era. The modern Japanese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
format was created as a combination of ehon chapter-books with western-style comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s.
E-hon production was a significant part of the Japanese publishing industry (particularly) during the 19th century; most Japanese woodblock print
Woodblock printing in Japan
Woodblock printing in Japan is a technique best known for its use in the ukiyo-e artistic genre; however, it was also used very widely for printing books in the same period. Woodblock printing had been used in China for centuries to print books, long before the advent of movable type, but was only...
artists
Schools of ukiyo-e artists
Ukiyo-e artists may be organized into schools, which consist of a founding artist and those artists who were taught by or strongly influenced by him. Artists of the Osaka school are united both stylistically and geographically...
of the period produced e-hon designs (often in large quantities), as commercial work. col_id=443