List of technical terms used in Japanese woodblock printing
The list contains a brief explanation of technical terms that are used in the relevant literature to describe Japanese woodblock prints . In addition to paper formats and printing techniques, it also includes the names of the people involved in production and the most common terms used to describe the content of the prints.
It also includes terms from book production, as many woodcut artists have also designed illustrations for contemporary books.
Alphabetical list
| designation | Kanji | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Abuna-e | あ ぶ な 絵 | Literal. "Dangerous image", erotic representations, but in contrast to the Shunga without sexual content |
| Aiban | 間 判 | Medium-sized paper format, approx. 33 × 23 cm |
| Aizuri-e | 藍 摺 り 絵 | Literal. "Blaudruck-Bild", prints in which different shades of blue of Prussian blue were used instead of several color plates |
| Aka-e | 赤 絵 | Literal. "Rotes Bild", the name of prints from the Meiji period , for which imported aniline colors were used, in particular strong red tones; see also Hōsō-e |
| Akahon | 赤 本 | Literal. “Red Book”, books bound in a red cover, produced in the late 17th and early 18th centuries as illustrated reading books for children; it was used to refer to comic books during the Meiji period |
| Aohon | 青 本 | Literal. "Light blue book", illustrated books bound in a light blue cover, which in the mid-18th century contained literary subjects such as kabuki , jōruri , stories and legends |
| Aragoto | 荒 事 | Literal. "Rough Play," a style of kabuki theater that uses dynamic and exaggerated movements to portray fearless and courageous heroes |
| Aratame | 改 | Literal. “Geprüft”, round censorship seal on woodcuts, in use from 1853 to 1858, then used from 1859 to 1871 in a seal combined with the date |
| Asobi-e | 遊 び 絵 | Literal. “Play picture”, prints that were in some way intended as children's toys |
| Atamabori | 首 彫 | Literal. "Head cutter", name of the wood cutter who cut the fine lines of the printing plate, such as B. the faces, hairstyles, hands and feet; see also Kashirabori |
| Atenashi-bokashi | 当 て な し ぼ か し | Literal. “Non-directional shading”, with this printing technique, ink and water are applied separately to the printing plate and mixed there irregularly with a brush, so that a slightly foggy effect is created when printing |
| Atohan | 後 版 | Literal. "Later print", print from a later edition |
| Atorakkan | 後 落款 | Literal. “Late signature”, a term used to describe the practice of adding signatures to unsigned prints to increase the sales value of the prints |
| Atozuri, also read Nochizuri |
後 摺 | Literal. “Late print”, print from a later edition |
| Azuma-e | 東 絵 | Literal. "East Capital Pictures", "Pictures from Edo", today's Tokyo, was used as a synonym for woodcuts in general |
| Azuma Nishiki-e | 東 錦 絵 | Literal. "East capital brocade pictures" was used as a synonym for color woodcuts in general |
| Bears | 馬 棟 / バ レ ン | Elastic, round-flat rub with which the paper was rubbed from the back onto the colored printing plate |
| Baiyaku-e | 売 薬 絵 / 売 り 薬 絵 | Literal. "Sale-Drug-Image", prints advertising drugs |
| Banzuke | 番 付 | Theater bills, program booklet, but also prints depicting the ensemble of a theater or the roles of an actor in a theater season |
| Beni-e | 紅 絵 | Literal. "Rot-Bild", hand-colored black prints, which have been colored in with a pink to red dye obtained from saffron |
| Benigirai-e | 紅 嫌 い 絵 | Literal. “Image avoiding red”, color prints without red or without shades of red; the color palette included purple, green, gray, and yellow; Prints of this type were particularly fashionable in the 1780s and 1790s |
| Benizuri-e | 紅 摺 絵 | Literal. "Rot-Druck-Bild", two- or three-color prints, which were developed from around 1740 before the introduction of multi-color printing; In addition to red, the colors green, yellow, brown or purple were used |
| Bero-ai | ベ ロ 藍 | Prussian blue or Berlin blue, synthetic color pigment imported from Europe from 1820, which was particularly popular on prints from the 2nd quarter of the 19th century |
| Bijin-ga or Bijin-e | 美人 画 / 美人 絵 | Literal. "Image of beautiful people", originally meant both men and women, from the 18th century it was used to describe prints by women, mainly women from brothels |
| Bokashi / Bokashizuri | ぼ か し / ぼ か し 摺 | Literal. “Shading”, printing technique in which a shading effect was created by applying graded paint to the printing plate |
| Bunraku | 文 楽 | The classic Japanese puppet theater |
| Butsuga | 仏 画 | Buddhist image, also known as Mokuhan Butsuga ( 木版 仏 画 ) |
| Chimidoro-e | 血 塗 絵 | Literal. "Bloodthirsty picture", prints depicting brutal acts of violence |
| Chonin | 町 人 | Literal. "City man", city citizen (as opposed to samurai and farmers) |
| Chuban | 中 判 | Paper format, medium format, approx. 26 × 19 cm |
| Chushingura-e | 忠臣 蔵 絵 | Prints depicting the vengeance of the 47 abandoned samurai |
| Chu-tanzaku-ban | 中 短 冊 判 | Paper format, approx. 38 × 13 cm |
| Chirimen-e | 縮 緬 絵 | Literal. "Shrunken thread print", crepe paper print |
| Damashi-e | 騙 し 絵 | Literal. "Deceptive image", illusion print, trompe-l'oeil |
| Dōban | 銅版 | Literal. "Copper plate", copper engraving, introduced in Japan around 1780 and adopted by Japanese artists for landscape prints and imitations of European prints |
| Dōbori | 胴 彫 り | Name of the wood cutters who made the simple parts of the printing plates |
| Dōgō | 堂 号 | Designation of the officially registered company name of publishers |
| Dōsa | 礬 水 | Gluing the paper |
| Dōsaibiki | 礬 水 引 き | Mixture of glue and alum for the preparation of high-quality prints before the application of paint |
| Dōtonbori | 道 頓 堀 | Name of the theater district in Naniwa (now Osaka ) |
| E. | 絵 | Prefix or suffix with the meaning image, figure, illustration |
| Edaisen | 絵 題 簽 | Illustrated title label of books |
| Edo -e | 江 戸 絵 | Literal. "Edo pictures", since Edo (today Tokyo) was the center of woodcut production, the term was used as a synonym for woodcuts in general |
| Edokko | 江 戸 っ 子 | Literal. "Edo child", name for the inhabitants of Edo |
| Edoribon | ゑ ど り 本 | Early letterpresses with hand-colored illustrations |
| Efūtō | 絵 封 筒 | Printed envelopes |
| Ehon | 絵 本 | Literal. “Picture book”, illustrated book |
| Ehon Banzuke, or Ebanzuke for short | 絵 本 番 付 / 絵 番 付 | Illustrated booklet with a short summary of a Kabuki piece |
| Eiribon | 絵 入 り 本 | Illustrated book, forerunner of Ehon, in which illustrations predominate |
| Eiri kyogenbon | 絵 入 狂言 本 | Illustrated book with a summary of a Kabuki piece |
| Egoyomi | 絵 暦 | Literal. "Picture calendar", a print on which the cyclical seasons or the numbers for the long and short months of the Japanese Luni solar calendar - mostly in the form of a picture puzzle - were recorded |
| Ekyōdai | 絵 兄弟 | Literal. “Contiguous image”, a cartridge image within a print that was a suitable addition to the content of the print |
| Ema | 絵 馬 | Literal. "Horse picture", a wooden votive plaque |
| Emaki / Emakimono | 絵 巻 / 絵 巻 物 | Literal. “Bildrolle”, an illustrated story produced as a hand scroll |
| Enbon | 艶 本 | Literal. "Bewitching book", illustrated book with sexual content |
| Eshi | 絵 師 / 画師 | Painter, artist |
| Ezoshi | 絵 草紙 | Literal. “Image reading books”, illustrated stories and narratives |
| Ezōshi-ya | 絵 草紙 屋 | Shop selling books and prints |
| Fude | 筆 | "Brush", "write", as a suffix to the artist's signature with the meaning "painted by ...", in connection with signatures the on-reading as "Hitsu" is more common |
| Fūkeiga | 風景画 | Landscape image |
| Fukibokashi | 拭 き ぼ か し | Literal. "Wipe-shading", with this technique a part of the color area to be printed was wetted with a damp cloth before the color was applied in order to achieve a smooth transition from light to dark color |
| Fukusei | 複製 | Reproduction, facsimile |
| Fushi-ga | 風 刺 画 / 諷刺画 | Satirical pictures / prints |
| Fūzokuga | 風俗 画 | Genre image, scene representation |
| Ga | 画 | Suffix for "picture" or "painted", "drawn", in connection with a signature "painted by ..." |
| Gafu | 画譜 | Literal. "Picture sheet", book with pictures or album |
| Gasan | 画 賛 | Suffix to signatures, "painted and signed by ..." |
| Gampi | 雁 皮 | Designation of a high-quality, thick type of paper |
| Geigi | 芸 妓 | Another name for geisha with a derogatory meaning such as "dance girl" or prostitute |
| Geiko | 芸 子 | Name of the geisha from the Osaka / Kyōto area , but also used in the sense of Geigi |
| Geimei | 芸 名 | Designation of the stage name of actors with which they also signed poems written by them on woodcuts |
| Geisha | 芸 者 | Literal. “Person of the Arts”, originally gender-neutral, later term for female entertainers; often used as a euphemism for prostitutes in connection with colored woodblock prints |
| Genji-e | 源氏 絵 | Literal. "Picture of Genji", describes woodcuts depicting scenes from the life of Prince Genji represent |
| Giga | 戯 画 | Pictures with funny content, but also as signature additions, "for entertainment (of the audience) drawn by ..." |
| Gō | 号 | "Nickname", "artist name", "pseudonym", designation of the name that the artist received from their teacher or the nickname that they added to their artist name, e.g. B. Kōchōrō ( nickname ) Kunisada (stage name ) |
| Gofun | 胡 粉 | white dye obtained from crushed limestone |
| Gōkan | 合 巻 | Literal. “Belonging volumes”, illustrated stories published in several volumes |
| Gomazuri | ご ま 摺 | Literal. "Sesame printing", a printing technique in which a second, thin layer of color was applied over a first, already printed layer of color in order to achieve a silk-matt effect |
| Gosho-e | 御所 絵 | Literal. "Palace picture", prints from the Meiji period depicting the Tennō , his family and members of the government |
| Gwa | 画 | Outdated transcription of "ga" |
| Gyōji-in | 行事 印 | Literal. "Referee seal", censorship seal of a representative of the publishers' guild, which was in use from 1811 to 1814 |
| Habahiro Hashira-e | 幅 広 柱 絵 | Literal. “Broad Post-Picture”, paper size 69–75 × 25–30 cm, in use in the first half of the 18th century |
| Haiku / Haikai | 俳 句 / 俳 諧 | 17-syllable short poem with lyrical content |
| Haimyō | 俳 名 | "Poetry name", the name of the pseudonym with which actors, among others, signed poems on prints |
| Hakkake bokashi | 八 掛 ぼ か し | Gradient shading in a different shade |
| Han | 版 | Print, as a suffix with the meaning "moved by ..." |
| Hanga | 版画 | Literal. "Druck-Bild", a general term for a woodcut |
| Hangi | 版 木 | printing plate |
| Hangishi | 版 木子 | Literal. “Master of the printing plates”, wood cutter |
| Hangiya | 版 木屋 | Literal. “House of Prints”, publisher, shop that sold woodblock prints |
| Hanji-e | 判 じ 絵 | "Picture puzzle prints" |
| Hankoku | 版 刻 | Reprint, reproduction |
| Hanmoto | 版 元 | publisher |
| Hanmoto-in | 版 元 印 | Publisher's seal |
| Hampon | 版本 | Printed book |
| Hanshi-bon | 半 紙 本 / 判 紙 本 | The most common book format, approx. 23 × 16 cm |
| Hanshin-e | 半身 絵 | Literal. "Half-body print", half-length portrait |
| Hanshita | 版 下 | A sketch for a woodcut drawn with a brush |
| Haribako-e | 針 箱 絵 | Literal. “Sewing box print”, landscape-format prints to stick on boxes, which were mainly produced in the first half of the 18th century |
| Harimaze-e | 張 交 絵 | Literal. "Mixed format pictures", printing with two or more motifs on one sheet |
| Hashika-e | 麻疹 絵 | Literal. "Measles picture", printed in 1862 on the occasion of a measles epidemic, which gave advice on the treatment of the disease and were intended as a protective amulet |
| Hashira-e | 柱 絵 | "Post picture", paper size 69–75 × 12–16 cm |
| Higa | 秘 画 | Literal. "Secret pictures", prints with sexual content, see Shunga |
| Hikifuda | 引 き 札 | Advertising leaflets |
| Hikitsuke | 引 き 付 け / 引 付 け | Line-shaped registration mark on one side of the printing plate |
| Hissha | 筆者 | Scribe, calligrapher |
| Hitsu | 筆 | "Brush", "write", as a suffix to the artist's signature with the meaning "painted by ..." |
| Hori | 彫 | "Cut by ...", signature addition for the plate cutter |
| Horishi / Horikō | 彫 師 / 彫工 | Plate cutter, wood cutter |
| Horimono-e | 彫 物 絵 | "Tattoo pictures", term for prints on which tattooed people were depicted |
| Hosho | 奉 書 | Name for a high quality paper that was ideal for woodcuts |
| Hōsō-e | 疱 瘡 絵 | Literal. "Smallpox picture", prints as a protective amulet against smallpox disease, but also joking designation of the "red pictures" (see Aka-e) |
| Hosoban | 細 判 | Paper format, approx. 32–33 × 15–16 cm |
| Hyō-in | 表 印 | Literal. “Logo seal”, the name of the publisher's logo, which was often used instead of the Hanmoto-in on the prints |
| Ichimai-e | 一枚 絵 | Literal. “Ein-Blatt-Drucke” (one-sheet prints) initially referred to, around 1700, the prints that appeared as an independent production and were not illustrations for books, later the term for all prints that were intended for commercial sale |
| Ichimonji-bokashi | 一 文字 ぼ か し | Literal. "Number one shading", uniform color gradation mostly starting from the upper edge of the picture, in order to e.g. B. to create the impression of depth with the blue color of the sky |
| Inkoku | 陰刻 | Literal. "Dark carving / cutting" (cutting out what is to be represented instead of leaving it as usual), technique for making Ishizuri-e |
| Ippai | 一杯 | Number of prints made for one edition |
| Ireki | 入 れ 木 | Literal. "Inlaid wood", term for prints that were reused in later editions by replacing individual areas of the printing plate, name cartridges and / or people's heads |
| Irezumi-e | 入 墨 絵 | "Tattoo pictures", term for prints on which tattooed people were depicted |
| Iro | 色 | colour |
| Iroita | 色板 | Literal. "Farb-Brett", term for printing plates with which the different color areas were printed |
| Ishizuri-e | 石 折 絵 | Literal. “Stone abrasion picture”, woodcut imitating stone abrasion |
| Ita-bokashi | 板 ぼ か し | Literal. "Board shading", a printing technique in which individual lines on the contour plate were bevelled to create a shading effect on the edges of the lines |
| Jiguchi-e | 地 口 絵 | Literal. "Word-game-picture", prints on which figures or animals form characters |
| Jitsubushi | 地 潰 し | Coloring the otherwise white background of a print with a uniform color |
| Jōruri | 浄 瑠 璃 | Texts presented in recitative on puppet theater and in kabuki |
| Jihondon'ya | 地 本 問 屋 | Publisher and book wholesaler |
| Jōge-e | 上下 絵 | Literal. "Up-and-down picture", prints that could be viewed both from below and upside down and often gave a different meaning |
| Jōmon | 定 紋 | Name for the family coat of arms; on woodcuts it means the actors' coat of arms |
| Jōshi | 上 梓 | Suffix meaning "published by ...", used in the imprint of books |
| Kakuban | 角 判 | Paper format, approximately square approx. 20–21 × 18–19 cm |
| Kabuki | 歌舞 伎 | Literal. "Singing and dancing", the name of the bourgeois Japanese theater |
| Kabuki-e | 歌舞 伎 絵 | Literal. "Kabuki picture", print depicting scenes from the Kabuki |
| Kabusebori | 被 彫 | Production of a facsimile print using an original print |
| Kachō-e / Kachō-ga | 花鳥 絵 / 花鳥画 | Literal. "Flower-Bird-Picture", term for prints depicting nature |
| Kaemon | 替 紋 | Alternative coat of arms that actors occasionally wore instead of their jōmon |
| Kagamia-e | 鏡 絵 | Literal. "Spiegel-Bild", a disguised term for prints with sexual content |
| Kage-e | 影 絵 | Literal. “Shadow picture”, prints on which people were only shown in silhouette |
| Kagi | か ぎ | L-shaped registration mark in one corner of the printing plate |
| Kaimyo | 戒 名 | Designation of the posthumous Buddhist name of a deceased, which was given in Shini-e |
| Kaika-e | 開化 絵 | Literal. "Enlightenment picture", "picture of the cultural awakening", prints that were supposed to inform about innovations and achievements in Japan in the Meiji period |
| Kakeawase | 懸 合 せ | Refers to the overprinting of colors |
| Kakemono | 掛 物 | Literal. "Hanging thing", painting or printing that was mounted as a hanging roll |
| Kakemono-e | 掛 物 絵 | Literal. "Hanging-thing print", portrait-format prints as well as vertical diptychs and triptychs that could be mounted as a kakemono |
| Kakihan / Kaō | 書 判 / 花 押 | Designation of an ornamentally designed signet by an artist, often in addition to the signature, e.g. B. Kiri-in and Toshidama-in |
| Kamuro | 禿 | Designation of girls between the ages of five and twelve who were sold to the brothel and entrusted to older prostitutes for training |
| Kamigata | 上方 | Name of the Kyōto / Osaka region during the Edo period |
| Kamigata-e | 上方 絵 | Literal. "Kamigata picture", term for prints from Osaka |
| Kanazoshi | 仮 名 草 子 | Literal. “Kana Reading Books”, illustrated reading books with text in Kana script from the 17th century |
| Kanban | 看板 | Theater poster |
| Kanpan | 官 版 | Official publications of Bakufu |
| Kansubon | 巻 子 本 | Book in the shape of a hand scroll |
| Kaomise | 顔 見 世 | Literal. “Showing face”, performances of a kabuki theater at the beginning of the season in the 11th month of the year, in which the actors appeared without make-up |
| Kaomise Banzuke | 顔 見 世 番 付 | Literal. "Face-Show-Poster", theater poster on the occasion of the Kaomise, which showed the actors in splendid robes |
| Kappazuri | 合 羽 摺 | Black and white prints in which the areas to be colored have been colored using stencils |
| Karazuri | 空 摺 り | Literal. "Empty printing", blind pressing or embossing without color application |
| Karuta-e | 歌 留 多 絵 | Literal. "Playing card picture", prints for different card games |
| Kashirabori | 頭 彫 | Name of the wood cutter who cut the fine lines of the printing plate, e.g. B. the faces, hairstyles, hands and feet; see also Atamabori |
| Kawaraban | 瓦 版 | Literal. "Roof tile printing", cheap and easily printed leaflets to distribute news, forerunners of the multicolored newspaper prints of the Meiji period |
| Keisei | 傾城 | Literal. "Burgbrecherin", term for courtesans and prostitutes, for whom clients spent a fortune |
| Kentō | 見 当 | Registration marks on the printing plates for multi-color printing, introduced in Japan around 1740 |
| Kibyōshi | 黄 表 紙 | Illustrated stories in book form |
| Kimedashi / Kimekomi | き め 出 し / き め 込 み | Blind pressing or embossing, through which the printed surfaces appear in relief |
| Kinginzuri | 金銀 摺 | Printing with different metal powders, mostly brass or copper |
| Kira-e / Kirara-e | 雲母 絵 | Literal. "Glimmer-Bild", prints on which mineral mica has been applied to achieve a glittering effect |
| Kirazuri | 雲母 摺 | Print with mineral mica |
| Kisekae-e | 着 せ 替 絵 | Literal. "Clothing replacement picture", cut-out sheets for doll clothes, hairstyles etc. (paper figures to which different clothes, costumes etc. could be put on) |
| Kiri-e | き り 絵 | Literal. "Cutting picture", cut-out sheets for children |
| Kiri-in | 桐 印 | Literal. "Paulownia seal", seal in the shape of a paulownia flower, which was used by Kuniyoshi and his disciples, sometimes referred to as yoshikiri-in |
| Kiwame | 極 | Literal. “Geprüft”, a round censorship seal that was in use from 1791 to 1842 |
| Kizuri-e | 黄 摺 絵 | Print with a yellow background |
| Koban | 小 判 | Paper format, approx. 12 × 16 cm |
| Kokatsujiban | 古 活字版 | Name of the books that were printed with movable type at the end of the 16th century |
| Coma-e | 駒 絵 | Literal. "Piece print", illustrated cartridge within a print |
| Kōmōga | 紅毛 画 | Literal. "Red hair picture" (red hair is a synonym for Dutch), Japanese painting and woodcuts in the western style |
| Koshokubon | 好色 本 | Literal. "Lustiges Buch", term for illustrated books with sexual content |
| Kozo | 楮 | Mulberry tree, the fibers of which are used to make most of Japanese paper |
| Kuchi-e | 口 絵 | Literal. "Mouth picture", analogously to "entrance picture", title page |
| Kubari-bon | 贈 り 本 | Literal. "Gift book", term for privately published, illustrated books and albums |
| Kugi-e | 釘 絵 | Literal. “Nagel-Bild” (“picture scratched with a nail”), prints that reproduced (apparently real) graffiti on house walls, often with satirical content |
| Kumiage-e | 組 み 上 げ 絵 | Craft sheets to cut out and glue together to make z. B. to recreate a fair or a theater |
| Kurobon | 黒 本 | Literal. “Black Book”, illustrated, popular stories in black covers, which were designed in the first half of the 18th century, especially by members of the Torii school |
| Kuro-e | 黒 絵 | Literal. “Black image,” another name for Ishizuri-e |
| Kurokira | 黒 雲母 | Mica print with black color |
| Kusazōshi | 草 双 紙 | In literary terms, “Stinkendes Heft”, a derisive term for illustrated story books of cheap design |
| Kyōgen | 狂言 | Foolish interlude in Nō and Kabuki performances |
| Kyōgen-bon | 狂言 本 | Illustrated theater book that reproduced the content of a Kabuki play in abbreviated form |
| Kyōgōzuri-e | 校 合 摺 絵 | Literal. "Examine-compare-print-image", test impression from the contour plate |
| Kyōka | 狂歌 | Literal. “Great / crazy poem”, describes a waka poem with satirical content |
| Maiko | 舞 妓 | Literal. "Dancing singer", term for geisha who have not yet completed their training |
| Makura-e | 枕 絵 | Literal. "Pillow picture", another name for Shunga |
| Mameban | 豆 判 | Literal. "Bean print", term for very small prints (12 × 8 cm and smaller) |
| Mamebon | 豆 本 | Literal. "Bean book", term for very small books |
| Manga | 漫画 | Literal. “Disjointed picture”, originally a sketch, now a comic , cartoon |
| Masa | 柾 | Paper made from the fibers of the Japanese spindle bush , which was ideal for woodcuts |
| Megane-e | 眼鏡 絵 | Literal. “Glasses image”, negatively printed images that could be viewed in a peep box |
| Meisho-e | 名 所 絵 | Prints of views of famous places or squares |
| Meisho-ki | 名 所 記 | “Records of Famous Places”, illustrated travel guides |
| Mi-e | 見得 | Designation of certain scenes in kabuki theater in which the actors remained in dramatic poses for a while |
| Mimasu (-mon) | 三 枡 (紋) | Literal. "Three dimensions of rice", coat of arms (mon) of the Ichikawa clan |
| Mitate-e | 見 立 絵 | Parody, travesty, representation of old acquaintances in a new form, but also "as if" |
| Mizu-e | 水 絵 | Literal. "Water picture", term for prints in light blue color that were popular around the middle of the 18th century |
| Moji-e | 文字 絵 | Literal. “Letter picture”, term for pictures composed from Kanji |
| Mokuhan | 木版 | Printing the woodcut |
| Mokumezuri | 木 目 摺 | Literal. "Wood-eye print", a print that particularly emphasizes the grain of the printing plate |
| Mokutaku zuri-e | 木 拓 折 絵 | Literal. "Wood-stone abrasion picture", another name for Ishizuri-e |
| Mokuroku | 目録 | contents |
| Mon | 紋 | Coat of arms of a family, a person or a house |
| Monjin | 門 人 | "Pupil", occasionally used as a signature, "drawn by ... as a pupil of ..." |
| Monogatari | 物語 | (Long) narration |
| Musenzuri | 無線 摺 り | Contourless printing, printing in which there were no black contour lines |
| Musha-e | 武 者 絵 | Literal. "Military person picture", prints of historical warriors, heroes and famous battles |
| Nagaban | 長 判 | Paper format, approx. 52–55 × 23–25 cm |
| Nagasaki-e | 長崎 絵 | Literal. “Nagasaki picture”, prints depicting the Dutch (and Chinese) settled in Nagasaki (especially on Dejima ) and their lives |
| Nagasaki-hanga | 長崎 版画 | Literal. “Nagasaki print”, prints depicting the Dutch (and Chinese) settled in Nagasaki (especially on Dejima ) and their lives and which were produced in Nagasaki |
| Namazu-e | 鯰 絵 | Literal. "Wels-Bild", prints in connection with earthquakes, which show a catfish (catfish) as the trigger of the quake |
| Nanban-e | 南蛮 絵 | Literal. “Southern barbarian image”, prints depicting foreigners (Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch) and their lives |
| Nanushi-in | 名主 印 | Name of the censorship seal |
| Nezumikira | 鼠 雲母 | Mica print with gray color |
| Nigao-e | 似 顔 絵 | Literal. "Similarity picture" refers to prints on which the people depicted are realistically reproduced |
| Nikuhitsu-ga | 肉 筆画 | Name of an image originally painted with a brush |
| Nimaitsuzuki | 二枚 続 | Literal. "Two-Leaf Series", diptych |
| Ninjōbon | 人情 本 | Literal. “Human feeling book”, love stories, especially popular with the female readership in the 19th century |
| Nishiki-e | 錦 絵 | Literal. "Brocade picture", describes woodcuts with more than three color plates, introduced in Japan around 1765 |
| Nishiki-e Shinbun | 錦 絵 新聞 | Color woodcut newspapers from the beginning of the Meiji period |
| Nō | 能 | Traditional Japanese theater, reserved for the nobility during the Edo period |
| No-in | 之 印 | Signature addition on artist seals, "Seal of ..." |
| Nunome-zuri | 布 目 摺 | Blind printing technique, in which a piece of fabric (silk) was glued to a printing plate, the pattern of which was transferred to the paper by strong rubbing |
| Ōatari | 大 当 り | Great stage success, successful roles of actors in the kabuki theater |
| Ōban | 大 判 | Paper format, approx. 39 × 26 cm |
| Obi | 帯 | Belt worn with a kimono |
| Ōbon | 大本 | Larger book format, approx. 27 × 19 cm |
| Okubi-e | 大 首 絵 | Literal. "Big head picture", head portrait |
| Omocha-e | 玩具 絵 | Literal. "Toy picture", prints for children |
| Onnagata | 女 形 | Literal. "Woman form", the term used to describe male actors in female roles |
| Ō-Ōban | 大大 判 | Paper format, large Ōban, approx. 58 × 32–36 cm |
| Ōgi-e | 扇 絵 | Prints for covering an Ōgi (folding fan) |
| Oiran | 花魁 | Literal. "Flower Leader", term for high-ranking prostitutes, from around 1770 in Edo; in today's usage euphemistic term for prostitutes in general |
| Oranda-e, or Ranga for short | 阿蘭 陀 絵 / 和 蘭 陀 絵 / 蘭 画 | Literal. "Holland Bild", describes Japanese painting and woodcuts in the western style |
| Oribon | 折本 | Illustrated folding book |
| Oshi-e | 押 絵 | Prints in which pieces of fabric were stuck on, but also synonymous with saka prints |
| Ō-tanzakuban | 大 短 冊 判 | Paper format, approx. 38 × 17.5 cm |
| Ōtsu-e | 大 津 絵 | Literal. "Ōtsu picture", prints with folk representations in the style of Ōtsu |
| Rakkan | 落款 | Literal. "Signature and Seal", signature |
| Ronin | 浪人 | Literal. "Wellenmann", abandoned samurai |
| Ryō | 両 | Currency unit, old gold coin from the Edo period |
| Saihan | 再版 | Second edition. but also new edition / reproduction |
| Sairei Banzuke | 祭礼 | Printed program for a festive event |
| Saitan surimono | 歳 旦 摺 物 | New Year surimono, surimono that was given away on the occasion of the New Year celebrations |
| Sanbaso | 三 番 叟 | Lucky New Year's dance, which was also performed at the opening of the theater season |
| Sanmaitsuzuki | 三枚 続 | Literal. “Three-Leaf Series”, triptych |
| Sashi-e | 挿 絵 | Illustration in a book |
| Satsu | 冊 | Volume (of a multi-part book) |
| Saya -e | 鞘 絵 | Literal. "Sword scabbard print", distorted prints that could only be viewed correctly in the mirror image of a polished sword scabbard |
| Seirō | 青楼 | “Green houses”, term for brothels in Yoshiwara |
| Sekiban | 石版 | lithography |
| Senshafuda | 千 社 札 | Literal. “Thousand shrine slips”, souvenir prints that pilgrims could buy at the temples and some of which were also designed by well-known woodcut artists |
| Senso-e | 戦 争 絵 | Literal. "War-image", describes prints, scenes from the First Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese War pose |
| Senryu | 川 柳 | Haiku poem with satirical content |
| Sha | 写 | Suffix for signature, "drawn by ... (based on model)"; indicates that there was an older template for the picture, which was copied in the present work |
| Sharebon | 洒落 本 | Illustrated short stories from everyday life and life in Yoshiwara |
| Shamisen | 三味 線 | Three-string lute instrument, played by geisha and prostitutes on prints |
| Shibai-e | 芝 居 絵 | Literal. "Theater print", prints with representations from the Kabuki theater |
| Shibai Ehon | 芝 居 絵 本 | Literal. “Theater picture book”, an illustrated booklet with a short summary of a Kabuki play |
| Shibaraku | 暫 | Literal. “Stop!”, A special scene in the Kabuki theater, in which the hero of the play impressively intervenes in the action |
| Shichi Fukujin | 七 福神 | Seven gods of luck |
| Shikake-e | 仕 掛 絵 | Literal. "Device picture", animation and transformation pictures, prints in which moving parts were attached to represent different aspects of a scene (e.g. closed or open door) |
| Shikishi | 色 紙 | High quality paper that was particularly suitable for calligraphy and that was also used for surimono |
| Shikishiban | 色 紙 判 | Standard format of the Shikishi paper, approx. 20–21 × 18–19 cm |
| Shin hanga | 新 版画 | Literal. “New Print”, direction of the Japanese woodcut that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century |
| Shini-e | 死 絵 | Literal. “Death pressure”, pressure in memory of a deceased person |
| Shimpan | 新版 | Literal. "Reprinted", meaning old motifs in a new version |
| Shin- Yoshiwara | 新 吉 原 | "New Yoshiwara", the name of the licensed brothel district in Edo after the reconstruction in 1657 |
| Shinzo | 新造 | Literal. “Newly made”, term for young prostitutes |
| Shirabyōshi | 白 拍子 | Courtly dancer and singer in the Middle Ages, temple dancer |
| Shirokira | 白雲母 | Mica print with white paint |
| Shironuki-e | 白 抜 き 絵 | Literal. "White-line picture", another name for Ishizuri-e |
| Shita-e | 下 絵 | Preliminary drawing for a woodcut |
| Shohan | 初版 | First edition |
| Shōhitsu | 正 筆 | Literal. "Safe brush", signature addition "originally painted by ..." |
| Shōmei | 姓名 | The full name, first name and surname |
| Shōmenzuri | 正面 摺 | A printing technique in which a glossy effect was achieved on black surfaces; for this purpose, the back of the dried print was placed on a printing plate, the contours of which correspond to the part of the print to be polished and the printing ink was polished from the front side with the bar |
| Shosagoto | 所作 事 | Dance in a Kabuki piece (as an interlude), but also a Kabuki piece as a dance game |
| Shozuri | 初 摺 | "First print" refers to prints from the first edition |
| Shunga | 春 画 | Literal. "Spring picture", prints with sexual content |
| Sosaku hanga | 創作 版画 | Literal. "Creative printing", modern direction of the Japanese woodcut, which emerged at the beginning of the 20th century |
| Sugoroku-e | 双 六 絵 | Game boards for the Sugoroku game |
| Sumi | 墨 | Traditional black ink (made from soot) |
| Sumizuri-e / Sumi-e | 墨 摺 絵 / 墨 絵 | Literal. "Ink-print-picture" / "Ink-picture", black and white print |
| Sumizuri-hissai | 墨 摺 筆 彩 | Hand-colored black and white print |
| Sumo -e | 相撲 絵 | Prints depicting sumo wrestlers and fights |
| Surimono | 摺 物 | Literal. “Print thing”, privately published prints that were not intended for commercial sale |
| Surishi | 摺 師 | printer |
| Tan-e | 丹 絵 | Literal. "Orange-Bild", mainly black and white print colored with orange-yellow ( tan ) color |
| Tanka | 短歌 | Poem form with 31 syllables |
| Takuhanga | 拓 版画 | Literal. "Rub-off pressure", another term for Ishizuri-e |
| Tate-e | 縦 絵 | Portrait |
| Tayu | 太 夫 | In relation to woodcuts, designation of high-ranking prostitutes |
| Tanzakuban | 短 冊 判 | Narrow paper format (for poems), approx. 36–38 × 17–18 cm |
| Tatebanko | 立 版 古 / 立 て 版 古 | Prints for cutting out and sticking together, which a diorama showed |
| Toba-e | 鳥羽 絵 | Strange pictures |
| Tobira-e | 扉 絵 | Title page, frontispiece |
| Tōkaidō -e | 東海 道 絵 | Prints depicting the stations of Tōkai Street |
| Toshidama-in | 年 玉 印 | Seal often found on prints by Kunisada and his students |
| Tsugai-e | 番 い 絵 | Literal. “Copulation image”, another name for Shunga |
| Tsuyazuri / Tsuyadashi | つ や 摺 / 艶 出 し | Another name for Shōmenzuri |
| Tsuzuki-e | 枚 続 絵 | Literal. "Sheet-sequential printing", multiple sheet printing |
| Uchiwa-e | 団 扇 | Prints for covering a Uchiwa (leaf fan) |
| Uki-e | 浮 絵 | Literal. "Floating picture", prints with perspective representations |
| Ukiyo-e | 浮世 絵 | Literal. “Image of the flowing world”, genre prints and paintings that expressed the lifestyle and worldview of the bourgeoisie of the Edo period |
| Ukiyo-e hanga | 浮世 絵 版画 | Prints with scenes from the "flowing world" |
| Ukiyo-zōshi | 浮世 草 子 | Illustrated book with stories from the "flowing world" |
| Urushi -e | 漆 絵 | Literal. "Lacquer picture", Beni-e, in which a glossy effect was created on certain surfaces with glossy black lacquer - an ink mixed with glue - and occasionally with sprinkled metal powder |
| Wagoto | 和 事 | Literal. "Soft game", depiction of reserved and sensitive characters in kabuki |
| Wa-jirushi | ワ 印 | Literal. “Emotional pressure”, another name for Shunga |
| Waka | 和 歌 | Japanese poem form |
| Wakashūgata | 若 衆 形 | Actor who specialized in portraying adolescent young men |
| Warai-e | 笑 い 絵 | Literal. “Pictures to laugh”, a paraphrase for Shunga |
| Waraibon | 笑 い 本 | Literal. "Books to laugh about", a paraphrase for books with sexual content |
| Washi | 和 紙 | Traditional Japanese paper made from vegetable fibers |
| Yagō | 屋 号 | Unofficial but common business name of the publisher or company |
| Yaki-e | 焼 き 絵 | Burn image on thick white paper |
| Yakusha-e | 役 者 絵 | Pictures of actors and scenes from the kabuki |
| Yakuyoke-e | 厄 除 け 絵 | Amulet pictures to ward off diseases, ghosts and demons |
| Yamato-e | 大 和 絵 | Japanese style picture |
| Yōkai -e | 妖怪 絵 | Ghost pictures, prints of ghosts and demons |
| Yoko-e | 横 絵 | Landscape |
| Yokohama -e | 横 浜 絵 | Literal. “Yokohama picture”, print depicting foreigners after the opening of Japan |
| Yomihon | 読 本 | Literal. “Reading book”, a type of book that enjoyed great popularity at the end of the Edo period |
| Yomiuri | 読 売 | Illustrated leaflet, newspaper |
| Yose-e | 寄 せ 絵 | Prints in which many human bodies form a single body or human head |
| Yoshiwara | 吉 原 | Literal. “Auspicious Meadow”, the name of the licensed brothel district in Edo |
| Yūjo | 遊 女 | prostitute |
| Yōfūga | 洋 風 画 | Literal. “Western taste / style of painting” describes Japanese painting and woodcuts in the western style |
| Yonmai-tsuzuki | 四枚 続 | Literal. "Four-Leaf Series", tetraptych |
| Yotsugiri | 四 つ 切 り | Literal. “Cut into four parts”, Ōban sheet that was printed with four different motifs of the same size |
| Za | 座 | Literal. “Sitz”, “Platz”, suffix meaning theater |
| To | 図 | Image, as a signature addition with the meaning "painted by ..." |
See also
List of literary terms related to Japanese literature
literature
- Thimothy Clark, Anne Nishimura Morse et al. a .: The Dawn of the Floating World 1650-1765. Early Ukiyo-e Treasures from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Royal Academy Books, London 2002, ISBN 0-8109-6644-1 (English).
- Gabriele Fahr-Becker (Ed.): The clapping of one hand - Japanese woodblock prints from three centuries from the Ricar Art Museum Tokyo. Tokyo / Munich 1992.
- Richard Lane: Images from the Floating World. Alpine Fine Arts Collection, London 1978, ISBN 0-88168-889-4 (English).
- Howard A. Link: Primitive Ukiyo-e from the A. Michener Collection in the Honolulu Academy of Arts. The University Press of Hawaii, 1980, ISBN 0-8248-0483-X (English).
- Rebecca Salter: Japanese popular prints - from votive slips to playing cards. A&C Black, London 2006, ISBN 0-7136-6517-3 (English).
- Stephan von der Schulenburg, Wolfgang Höhn: Heroes of the stage and beauties of the night. Masterpieces of Japanese woodcut from the Otto Riese and Johann Georg Geyger collections. Wienand Verlag, Cologne 2009, ISBN 978-3-87909-977-1 .
- Friedrich B. Schwan: Handbook of Japanese woodcut. Munich 2003, ISBN 3-89129-749-1 .