Unai no Tomo, Plate 46, 1913

About the artwork This plate is taken from Unai no Tomo, a multi-volume catalog documenting traditional Japanese folk toys compiled through firsthand collection. It depicts two tiger toys side by side, one a papier-mâché figure from Edo and the other a clay figure of Chinese origin, each rendered with the bold striping and stylized features typical of folk toy design. The accompanying inscriptions record the toys' place of production and material. About the artist Seifu Shimizu was a Japanese collector, artist, and calligrapher who studied painting under Hiroshige III. He spent decades documenting traditional Japanese toys and dolls, producing Unai no Tomo as the definitive illustrated record of the subject.