The Shimbi Shoin, Ltd.:
Multi-Coloured WoodBlocks, Tokyo, Shimbi Shoin, Ltd, 1932, 8vo (6 x 10 in - 15 x 25.3 mm), paper covered cardboard covers with a color woodblock ("Beauty Playing with a Cat") on the front cover, spine covered with thin rice paper, 76 pages (60 pages of woodblock prints, 16 pages of text (8 English and 8 Japanese)), no title page, English language text page states "The Shimbi Shoin, Ltd 1932," The woodcut pages are printed on single sheets and then joined along the outside edge with glue.
The front of the books is what we normally think of as the back. The book reads Japanese style from back to front. The back cover features the complete woodblock print. This is followed by 8 pages of Japanese language text, next the "Color" plate and adjacent to that plate the cummulative state of the print as it progresses though the printing process. The color plates are designated "1st Colour" through "30th Colour." The cumulative plates are designated ("Print from the 1st Block" through "Print from the 30th Block").
This is a step by step illustrated guide to how color woodblock prints are made. The print ("Beauty Playing with a Cat" by Katsukawa Shunsho) is used as the basis for the guide. As you go through the book the color woodblock (woodcut) print progresses through the various manufacturing stages to become a completed woodcut print. Each color requires a different block and this is demonstrated step by step.
This is an unusual process book as it progresses through 30 states used to complete the print. This type of woodblock printing process book usually use less steps.
Examples of Wood-Cut Plates (Color Plate (right)
and Cummulative Composite Plate (left)
First Color
10th Color
19th Color
30th Color (final)
No Colophon
For more information on Shimbi Shoin and books published by that firm, click here.
Books/Folios With Actual Color Woodblock Prints Illustrating the Process of Color Woodblock Printing:
- 1907, Process of Wood-Cut Printing, The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, 127 pairs of prints.
- 1907, Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained, The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo
- c1916-1938, Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained, (Two Ladies in a Boat), The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, more information here.
- c1920, Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained (Lady Fishing), The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, more information here.
- 1932, Multi-Coloured WoodBlocks (Beauty Playing with a Cat), The Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, more information here (30 color blocks).
- c1938, The Process of Wood-Cut Printing, Asaksa Temple, Doi Hangaten, Tokyo, more information here.
- c1940, Process of Wood-block Printing, Nishinomiya & Hasegawa, Inc, Tokyo, more information here.
- c1950, The Process of Wood-block Color Printing (Woman in Snow with Umbrella), Takamizawa Mokubansha., Tokyo, more information here.
- c1950, The Process of Wood-block Color Printing (Young Lovers Walking Together under an Umbrella), Takamizawa Mokubansha., Tokyo, more information here.
- c1950, Japanese Woodblock Prints, Uchida Wood Block Printing Co. Ltd, Kyoto, more information here.
- c1950, The Process of Color-Block Printing (Fuji and Trees), S. Watanabe, Tokyo (Ginza), more information here.
- c1950, The Process of Color-Block Printing (Fuji and Wave), S. Watanabe, Tokyo (Ginza), more information here.
- c1953, Process of Wood-block Printing (Fuji and Wave), probably Nishinomiya/Hasegawa, Tokyo, more information here.
- c1953, Process of Wood-block Printing (Winter Scene with Temple & Lantern), probably Nishinomiya/Hasegawa, Tokyo, more information here.
- c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do Co., Kyoto, Harunobu, woman beating cloth, more information here.
- c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do Co., Kyoto, Utamaro, two women cooking from "One of Twelve Sketches of Handicraft Arts for Women," more information here.
- c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do Co., Kyoto, Utamaro, two women weaving cloth from "One of Twelve Sketches of Handicraft Arts for Women," more information here.
- c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do Co., Kyoto, Utamaro, "Waitress Okita from the Naniwaya Tearoom," more information here.
- c1956, The Japanese Wood-Print, Unso-do Co., Kyoto, pamphlet discussing history of the Japanese wood-print and the implements/methods of manufacture, more information here.
- c1963 The Process of Wood-block Color Printing, (Hiroshige's "Night Scene at Kambara"), H. Nakazawa, Tokyo, more information here.
- c1970, Process Book of Woodblock Printing (Walking in Snow), Uchida Uchida Art Co., Ltd., more information here.
- c1970, Process Book of Woodblock Printing (Two Children Playing), Uchida Uchida Art Co., Ltd., more information here.
Woodblock Print Books Available for Purchase (Process Books):
- 1932, Multi-Coloured WoodBlocks, (Beauty Playing with a Cat), The Shimbi Shoin, purchase here.
- 1938, Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained, (Two Ladies in a Boat), The Shimbi Shoin, purchase here.
- c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do, Kyoto, Harunobu Suzuki, woman beating cloth, purchase here.
- c1956, Process of Printing Wood Engraving, Unso-do, Kyoto, Two Women Cooking from "One of Twelve Sketches of Handicraft Arts for Women," purchase here.
- c1970, Process Book of Woodblock Printing, Walking in the Snow, Uchida Uchida Art Co., Ltd., reddish brown boards, purchase here.
Miscellaneous Woodblock Print Books and Folios Available for Purchase (Other than Process Books):
- c1960, The Tokaido Fifty Three Stations by Hiroshige, Unso-do, Kyoto, purchase here.
- c1960, The Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji by Hokusai, Unso-do, Kyoto, purchase here (Fine/Fine).
- c1960, The Thirty Six Views of Mount Fuji by Hokusai, Unso-do, Kyoto, purchase here (Fine/Very Good).
- c1960, Twelve Months of Kyoto, (folio of 12 woodblock prints), Uchida Wood Block Printing Co., Ltd, Kyoto, Tokuriki Tomikichiro, purchase here.
- c1960, Four Seasons of Tokyo, (folio of 4 woodblock prints with presentation folder) Uchida Wood Block Printing Co., Ltd, Kyoto, Tokuriki Tomikichiro, purchase here.
- c1960, Four Seasons of Tokyo, (folio of 4 woodblock prints without presentation folder) Uchida Wood Block Printing Co., Ltd, Kyoto, Tokuriki Tomikichiro, purchase here.
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