Edo Period:1603 - 1867
The Edo period (江戸時代, Edo jidai) or Tokugawa period (徳川時代, Tokugawa jidai) is the period between 1603 and 1867 when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional daimyo.
Background and Context
- "Japan" in Grove Art Online
See esp. 2. History. (iv) Age of Military Houses (d) Edo (1600-1868). - The Japan-Netherlands Exchange in the Edo Period
Use to better understand the historical context of the Edo period, especially regarding contact with the Netherlands: This online exhibition -- produced by Japan's National Diet Library (NDL) and the National Library of the Netherlands (Koninklijke Bibliotheek) -- explores the effects of trade on both countries.
The Japanese Today: Change and Continuity by Call Number: Main Library DS806 .R35 1988ISBN: 0674471814Publication Date: 1988Use for basic historical information on the Edo period in Japan (1600-1868).
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
The Hotei Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints by Call Number: Art Reference NE1310 .H68 2005 vol. 1-2ISBN: 9074822657Publication Date: 2005Volume 1 - An historic overview of the development of Japanese prints from 1603-1926. Volume 2 - Reference sources: Index of artists, Lineage charts, Chronological / Historical tables; Maps; Signatures; Censor seals; Publisher seals; Concordance of artists’ names with Japanese characters. as well as three appendices.
Images from the Floating World by Call Number: Art Library NE1310 .L319 1978ISBN: 0399121935Publication Date: 1978Use for definitions and explanations of terms and concepts in Japanese printmaking. The arrangement is chronological (from 1660 through 1880s); use the index to search across the entire text. Includes an index of artists' alternate names as well as actor's identifying crests, signatures of artists, and publisher's seals.
A Guide to Japanese Prints and Their Subject Matter (Subjects Portrayed in Japanese Colour-Prints) by Call Number: NE1321.8 .S74 1979bISBN: 0486238091Publication Date: 1979Use to better understand the subjects depicted Japanese prints. Prints are grouped into four areas: 1. Landscapes, 2. Figure-studies, 3. Actor-portraits and theatrical subjects, 4. Historical subjects, legends and stories.
Symbols of Japan: Thematic Motifs in Art and Design by Call Number: Art Library N7350.B233 2001ISBN: 084782361XPublication Date: 2001Use to trace the historical development, use, and meaning of specific Japanese motifs and symbols found in fine art (prints, paintings, ceramics, sculpture) as well as functional objects, (secular, domestic and religious), weaponry and other metalwork, theatrical and everyday dress, etc. The entries are grouped into broad themes; use the index to locate specific concepts across these categories
