Riverboat and Packhorse Travelers – Japanese Drawing-Manual Plate No. 16

A 19th-century Japanese woodblock-printed study depicting two scenes of travel. Above, passengers sit in a small boat crossing a quiet stretch of water; below, a traveler leads a packhorse laden with bundled reeds, brushwood or another agricultural load through a gently mountainous landscape.

Rendered with economical lines and restrained areas of black and grey, the two compositions reflect the Japanese tradition of edehon—illustrated manuals and collections of pictorial models created for artists, artisans and students of drawing. The small cartouche at lower left reads “sixteen,” identifying the sheet as plate number 16 in an as-yet unidentified series.

The complete enclosing border and blank reverse suggest that the work was issued as an individual instructional plate or as part of a portfolio. Although its subject matter and graphic treatment recall the illustrated books of Katsushika Hokusai and his circle, no signature or publication information is present, and the work cannot presently be attributed to a particular artist. It is probably Japanese, dating from the late Edo or early Meiji period.

Dimensions: 14.5 × 22 cm.

Condition: The woodblock impression remains clear. Light age-related toning, creasing and minor marginal wear are present, together with vestiges of mounting tape at the side, upper and lower edges.